This final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40 percent to 25 percent.
USDA is issuing this notice of proposed rulemaking to improve SNAP's quality control system as required in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.
USDA is adopting the interim final rule on non-discretionary quality control provisions of Title IV of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, and its correction, as final.
This rulemaking proposes to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent, which would give states and schools greater flexibility to choose to invest non-federal funds to offer no-cost meals to all enrolled students.
This document contains a correction to an interim final rule published in the Federal Register on Aug. 13, 2021. The rule codifies statutory requirements enacted by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. This document also extends the comment period for the interim final rule.
USDA is issuing this interim final rule to strengthen and improve the integrity and accuracy of the SNAP Quality Control system by codifying statutory requirements enacted by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 that was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2018.
This final rule establishes requirements for state agencies, local educational agencies, and schools operating the Community Eligibility Provision, a reimbursement option that allows the service of school meals to all children at no-cost in high poverty schools without collecting household applications.
This rule proposes to amend the eligibility regulations for free and reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to codify the statutory provision that establishes the community eligibility provision, a reimbursement option for eligible local educational agencies and schools that wish to offer free school meals to all children in high poverty schools without collecting household applications.
This direct final rule is amending the Quality Control (QC) review error threshold in our regulations from $25.00 to $50.00. The purpose for raising the QC error threshold is to make permanent the temporary threshold change that was required by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2008. This change does not have an impact on the public. The QC system measures the accuracy of the eligibility system for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
This rule finalizes provisions of an interim rule entitled "Food Stamp Program: Non-Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of PL 107-171'' published on Oct. 16, 2003, and a proposed rule entitled "Food Stamp Program: Discretionary Quality Control Provisions of Title IV of PL 107-171'' published on Sept. 23, 2005.