FNS Documents & Resources

During the public health emergency due to COVID-19, FNS waives, for all states, requirements that limit the use of Offer versus Serve to school food authorities and require sponsors to apply OVS under the rules followed for the National School Lunch Program.

FNS is establishing a nationwide waiver to support access to nutritious meals while minimizing potential exposure to the novel coronavirus for school year 2020-21.

FNS is cancelling Policy Memoranda FD-010, FD-027, FD-028, FD-029, FD-032, FD-053, FD-055, FD-071, FD-073, FD-074, FD-083, FD-086, FD-087, FD-090, FD-105, and FD-115. The guidance provided by these memoranda are either outdated, obsolete, or otherwise captured in more current memoranda.

This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.

Offer versus Serve is a provision in the NSLP and School Breakfast Program that allows students to decline some of the food offered. The goals of OVS are to reduce food waste in the school meals programs while permitting students to decline foods they do not intend to eat. 

Policy Memorandum FD-042, Pay Received by Military Personnel as a Result of Deployment to a Combat Zone, is cancelled.  

This supersedes the Jan. 7, 2010, version of the policy memo, Exclusion of Military Combat Pay. In addition to combat pay and other income received by deployed service members, this memorandum addresses Deployment Extension Incentive Pay.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 created the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund for certain veterans, or surviving spouses of veterans, who served in the military of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II and directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide one time payments of up to $15,000 to eligible persons.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009  created the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund for certain veterans, or surviving spouses of veterans, who served in the military of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II. 

This memo clarifies how the food safety inspection requirement is to be carried out by program operators on military bases, Indian reservations and Residential Child Care Institutions (RCCIs).