Each school year the Department programs agricultural commodities and other foods to states for delivery to program and commodity schools, nonresidential child care institutions, and service institutions pursuant to the regulations governing the donation of foods for use in the United States, its territories and possessions and areas under its jurisdiction (7 CFR part 250).
The purpose of these regulations is to implement section 19 of the Child Nutrition Act (added by PL 95-166, effective Nov. 10, 1977) which authorizes the Secretary to formulate and carry out a nutrition information and education program through a system of grants to State agencies to provide for (a) the nutritional training of educational and foodservice personnel, (b) the foodservice management training of school foodservice personnel, and (c) the conduct of nutrition education activities in schools and child care institutions.
This part established the responsibilities of state agencies, FNS regional offices, school food authorities or local educational agencies, as applicable in providing free and reduced price meals and free milk in the NSLP, the SBP, the SMP for children, and commodity schools.
This part announces the policies and prescribes the regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of section 4 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended, which authorizes payments to the States to assist them to initiate, maintain, or expand nonprofit breakfast programs in schools.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published a proposed rule on Feb. 8, 2013 to obtain public comment with regard to nutrition standards for all foods sold in school as required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). Through June 5, 2013, FNS had received a total of 247,871 public comments on the rule (hereinafter referred to as the All Foods proposed rule, All Foods NPRM, proposed competitive food requirements, or proposed competitive food standards) in docket FNS-2011-0019.