This rulemaking proposes important modifications to make the application of serious deficiency procedures in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program consistent, effective, and in line with current requirements under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 authorized a permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program beginning in 2024. This memorandum: (1) provides information to assist states, ITOs, and territories in preparing to implement Summer EBT in 2024; (2) applies to states, ITOs, and territories that elect to administer the Summer EBT Program and administering agencies therein; and (3) relates to requirements under section 13A of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
This memorandum provides the total funding amount available to FNS to distribute to state agencies, which is $252.6 million for FY 2024. This includes $219.6 million in new funds available under Section 19 of the National School Lunch Act, which is the prior year base amount adjusted for inflation, and an additional $33 million in unexpired carryover funds from previous years.
This study examined the processes, procedures, and effectiveness of a second, independent review of applications for certain local education agencies under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The requirement, which was first implemented in School Year 2014-15, is intended to reduce administrative certification error in LEA processing of household applications.
The Richard B Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA) allows the use of school data to establish area eligibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program. The NSLA also allows the use of census data to establish tier I eligibility for CACFP day care homes and area eligibility for SFSP sites.
FNS waives, for all state agencies, that CACFP monitoring requirements of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act be conducted onsite. To ensure program integrity during this time, state agencies should continue monitoring activities of program operations offsite. This waiver extends the Nationwide Waiver of Monitoring Requirements for State Agencies in the Child and Adult Care Food Program – EXTENSION 2 granted on Aug. 4, 2020 that expires on Sept. 30, 2021.
This memorandum provides guidance regarding reimbursement of meals and snacks served during the COVID-19 public health emergency by emergency shelters participating in CACFP under section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.
The National School Lunch Program provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to children each school day in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. The NSLP was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law in 1946.
This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to the reimbursement rates for meals served in the Summer Food Service Program for Children. These adjustments address changes in the Consumer Price Index, as required under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The 2021 reimbursement rates are presented as a combined set of rates to highlight simplified cost accounting procedures. The 2021 rates are also presented individually, as separate operating and administrative rates of reimbursement, to show the effect of the Consumer Price Index adjustment on each rate.
Through this final rule, FNS is adding regulations that will ensure the integrity of the supplemental allotments for households with children who would have otherwise received free or reduced price school meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, but for school closures or reduction in the number of days or hours that students attend school in response to the ongoing and national COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.