FNS Documents & Resources

A number of schools nationwide are still having difficulty obtaining the two food safety inspections required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. Although FNS realizes that many of the difficulties schools face are beyond their control, we would like to stress that local program operators are responsible for requesting the food safety inspections from the public health department and documenting their efforts.

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).

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify state agency procedures for direct verification, especially concerning the use of Medicaid data.

This document announces the effective date of the information collection provisions contained in the originally-published rule.

This interim rule reflects amendments made by section 111 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 which require schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program  to increase the number of food safety inspections from the one inspection currently required to two inspections per year; to post the most recent inspection report in a visible location; and to release a copy of the report to members of the public upon request.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004  requires school districts to directly certify for free school meals any child who is a member of a household receiving assistance under the Food Stamp Program.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 allows children to be certified as eligible for free meals under the NSLP and the SBP based on participation in other programs authorized under the Food Stamp Act of 1977, as amended. No further application by the child’s household is necessary.

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 requires that children in food stamp households be directly certified for free school meals. To prepare for the phased in implementation of mandatory direct certification, which begins for the largest school districts in July 2006 and covers all school districts by July 2008, we convened a work group on Jan. 26–27, 2005.

We have received several inquiries regarding the collection of eligibility information during a Provision 2 or Provision 3 cycle.

This interim rule amends Summer Food Service Program regulations to incorporate nondiscretionary changes made by the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, and the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998.