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.
To address this problem, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the 2008 Farm Bill, authorized funds for pilot projects to evaluate health and nutrition promotion in SNAP to determine if incentives provided to SNAP recipients at the point of sale increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, or other healthful foods. On the basis of this legislative authority, USDA designed the Healthy Incentive Pilot (HIP).
The purpose of this memorandum is to implement a provision affecting mandatory direct certification for children in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households.