FNS Documents & Resources

This Instruction establishes the general standards and procedures that the state distributing agency (SDA), Indian Tribal Organization (ITO), or other consignee must follow in receiving shipments of USDA Foods, and conveys established responsibilities for other entities such as USDA Foods vendors and carriers.

This memorandum transmits the 2019 Income Guidelines for state agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations in determining the eligibility of individuals applying to participate in CSFP. 

This memorandum clarifies how School Food Authorities (SFAs) may use funds provided under Sections 4 and 11or19 of the National School Lunch Act (NSLA), 42 U.S.C. 1751, to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from DoD Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (DoD Fresh) vendors.

On December 20, 2018, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill) (P.L. 115-334) was signed into law. Section 4102 of the Farm Bill changes CSFP certification requirements outlined in 7 C.F.R. 247.16 effective immediately. As a result, states and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) are required to establish new certification periods of between one and three years for program participants. States and ITOs also have the option to permit their local agencies to issue temporary one-month certifications for applicants on waiting lists, as provided below.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is making significant revisions to the CSFP food package which state agencies are expected to implement on November 1, 2019. FNS is releasing the updated Distribution Rates at this time to allow CSFP state agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) sufficient time to consult with local agencies and plan their ordering accordingly to ensure smooth implementation of the enhanced food package.

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is making significant revisions to the CSFP food package which state agencies are expected to implement on November 1, 2019. FNS is releasing the updated Distribution Rates at this time to allow CSFP state agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) sufficient time to consult with local agencies and plan their ordering accordingly to ensure smooth implementation of the enhanced food package.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide clarification on “explicitly religious activities” per 7 CFR Part 16 and provide specific examples related to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

This memorandum answers questions to assist state, local, and eligible recipient agencies in implementing the provisions of the Final Rule and is being released in conjunction with Policy Memorandum FD-142: Further Clarification on Explicitly Religious Activities.

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to provide further guidance and clarity on new donated food insurance requirements for state distributing agencies, subdistributing agencies, select commercial storage facilities, and recipient agencies that have agreements with the state distributing agency or subdistributing agency to store and distribute donated foods.

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the written notice and referral requirements for religious organizations that receive USDA Foods or administrative funding as part of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).