FNS Documents & Resources

This interim rule amends the regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to strengthen vendor cost containment.

In Section 204 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, each local educational agency participating in a program authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 is required to establish a local wellness policy for schools under the LEA, not later than the first day of the school year beginning after June 30, 2006.

The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance on the vendor-related WIC provision reflected in PL 109-97, which provides WIC funding for FY 2006.

This memorandum provides guidance to state administrators in making household eligibility determinations in all nutrition assistance programs administered by FNS.

This memorandum supersedes the Oct. 19, 2005 memorandum on Replacement of Commodities due to Natural Disasters.

FNS is soliciting proposals for the second round of funding (FY 2006) from state agencies that have identified local educational agencies which have demonstrated a high level of, or a high risk for, administrative error.

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.

This memo is in response to requests for us to clarify what takes place when a confirmation review finds an error in the eligibility determination after a household has been initially notified of its status.

In response to various requests for clarification on verification procedures as mandated in PL 108-265, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, we are including as attachments the five documents concerning verification that have been released since the summer of 2004. 

This proposed rule would amend the regulations governing the WIC program to clarify issues that have arisen subsequent to the publication of the WIC Food Delivery Systems Final Rule on Dec. 29, 2000, and to strengthen further the requirements for state vendor management and infant formula cost-containment systems.