FNS Documents & Resources

On Dec. 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021. This Act excludes federal pandemic unemployment compensation payments authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act from consideration as income for the purposes of determining FDPIR eligibility. 

This memorandum provides revised policy guidance on certification periods pertaining to zero income households in FDPIR. FNS Handbook 501 provides that households who report zero income month after month must be asked as to how they sustain themselves and other household members.

Section 9(b)(12)(A)(i) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act restricts categorical eligibility for free school meals based on SNAP participation to children who are members of a household receiving assistance under SNAP. Therefore, a child who is a member of a household that is receiving “zero benefits” from SNAP is not categorically eligible for free meals, unless the child is categorically eligible for another reason.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on replacement of USDA Foods Destroyed due to a household misfortune.

This rule amends the regulations affecting the determination of children's eligibility for free meals under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program by direct certification and categorical eligibility. Conforming changes and miscellaneous technical changes are also made, as appropriate, for the Special Milk Program for Children, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program.

The purpose of this memorandum is to implement a provision affecting mandatory direct certification for children in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households.

Policy Memoranda FD-063, Household Eligibility Determinations for Disaster or Emergency Evacuees Residing with a Host Family (dated Dec. 4, 2006), and FD-072, FDPIR Households Displaced During a Disaster (dated Feb. 19, 2008), are cancelled.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance regarding the rounding procedures to be used when determining the total resources and net monthly income of FDPIR applicant households.

Policy Memorandum No. FD-024, Household Overissuance (issued March 9, 2004), is cancelled. The guidance provided by Policy Memorandum No. FD-024 is contained in the newly revised FNS 501 Handbook (August 2005). 

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act authorizes FNS to award $9,000,000 in FY 2006 to be used to assist states in implementing mandatory direct certification and other provisions related to certification and verification of students’ eligibility to receive free and reduced price meal benefits in the school nutrition programs.