Food and Nutrition Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection for the WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories Study. This is a new information collection request. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program to improve the health of nutritionally at-risk women and children. WIC is one of the nation's most successful public health nutrition programs. This study involves all 32 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs, "Tribal Organizations") and 5 U.S. territories that operate WIC State agencies, 5 tribally operated local WIC agencies, and approximately 15 geographic State agencies that share a border with a Tribal Organization. This study aims to inform FNS about variations in operations among Tribal Organizations, U.S. territories, and geographic States administering WIC as local and State agencies. The results of the study may inform efforts to improve WIC program operations and participant services.

This rule removes the Coordinated Services Plan (CSP) requirement for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) Program under the "Implementing Provisions from the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023: Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs" interim final rule published December 29, 2023.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this revised information collection. This is a revision of a currently approved collection. The purpose of the Uniform Grant Application Package for Discretionary Grant Programs is to provide a standardized format for the development of all Requests for Applications for discretionary grant programs released by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Agency and to allow for a more expeditious OMB clearance process. This revision also addresses additional information to be collected for some grant programs as supplemental information beyond the Uniform Grant Application. This notice provides 60-day notice to the public that State Plan information will be submitted in association with this information collection, and program-specific supplemental forms will be used as discussed in this notice.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other interested parties to comment on a proposed information collection. This collection is an extension of a currently approved collection. This information collection will conduct research in support of FNS' goal of delivering science-based nutrition education to targeted audiences. This information collection will also conduct research that will assist FNS in identifying effective design and implementation approaches to use to develop and assess grants. From development through testing of materials and tools with the target audience, FNS plans to conduct data collections that involve formative research including focus groups, interviews (dyad, triad, telephone, etc.), surveys and Web-based collection tools.

This rule rescinds an obsolete data collection requirement in regulations regarding the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

This notice announces the surplus and purchased foods that the Department expects to make available for donation to States for use in providing nutrition assistance to the needy under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. The foods made available under this notice must, at the discretion of the State, be distributed to eligible recipient agencies (ERAs) for use in preparing meals and/or for distribution to households for home consumption.

This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to the levels of monthly benefits in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) Program. These adjustments reflect changes in the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), as required under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

This document informs the public that FNS is withdrawing the proposed rule titled, "Provisions to Improve the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's Quality Control System," that published in the Federal Register on September 19, 2023, and its correction on December 19, 2023. This rule proposed amendments to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations to strengthen and improve the integrity and accuracy of the SNAP quality control (QC) system as requested by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a: New collection.

This is a Request for Information to inform the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) development of the Child Nutrition Programs Tribal Pilot Projects, as authorized in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024. The Act authorized USDA to conduct pilot projects to allow one or more Tribes or Tribal organizations to administer one or more Child Nutrition Programs, assuming the roles and responsibilities typically held by State agencies. USDA will use comments received in response to this Request for Information to inform the application process, and eligibility and selection criteria, for the Child Nutrition Tribal Pilot Projects. USDA invites feedback from Tribes; Tribal organizations, leaders, representatives, and associations; State agencies that administer the Child Nutrition Programs; and others interested in opportunities to promote Tribal sovereignty in the operation of the Child Nutrition Programs. This notice is not a request for proposals and does not commit the Government to issue a solicitation, make an award, or pay any costs associated with responding to this announcement. All submitted information will remain with the Government and will not be returned.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is an extension, without change, of a currently approved collection to collect qualitative customer and stakeholder feedback in an efficient and timely manner.

The Food and Nutrition Service is correcting a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register on November 18, 2024. The document implements statutory requirements and policy improvements to strengthen the employment and training (E&T) program through the collection of information to determine the overall effectiveness of the E&T program in reaching the goal of assisting participants in obtaining the skills necessary to obtain and retain employment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new information collection for the contract of the study titled Guidance for SNAP Certification and Quality Control Interviews. The purpose of this collection is to help FNS develop new guidance for SNAP eligibility and Quality Control interviews based on principles of human-centered design and cultural competency.

This rule finalizes changes proposed October 3, 2019, by the Department to revise Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations for calculating standard utility allowances (SUAs) and expand allowable shelter expenses to include basic internet costs. It requires State agencies to submit for FNS approval their SUA methodologies at least every five years, and methodology submissions must incorporate any revisions necessary to demonstrate that the baseline expenditure data and underlying methodology reflect recent trends and changes. This rule also provides State agencies with the flexibility necessary to ensure that they meet households' needs while also aligning SUAs with data on low-income household utility costs in a more consistent manner. This rule also finalizes updates proposed April 20, 2016, regarding the treatment of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or other similar energy assistance program payments, in accordance with amendments made to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 by the Agricultural Act of 2014. The intent of this final rule is to ensure consistency and integrity of SUAs across the country, which the Department believes is good governance.

This final rule considers public comments submitted in response to the proposed rule revising the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and USDA Foods disaster response regulations. This final rule makes access and parity improvements in USDA's food distribution programs to support access for eligible populations and streamline requirements for program operators.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new information collection request in which FNS seeks updated information about the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), including participant characteristics, program operations, and why FDPIR participation has been declining. This study will also include an evaluation of the self-determination demonstration projects (SDDPs), which allow Tribes administering FDPIR to directly purchase food for the FDPIR food packages distributed to their Tribe.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This new collection will provide the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) key information from a large representative sample of SNAP households to enable FNS to examine how SNAP households change through time.

This document informs the public that the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is withdrawing the proposed rule titled Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D- SNAP) that published in the Federal Register on May 10, 2016. This rule would have amended the SNAP regulations to establish procedures for planning, requesting and operating D-SNAP. The Department is withdrawing this proposed rule to maintain the flexibility to adapt D- SNAP to unique disaster situations. The importance of this flexibility became apparent as the Department adjusted traditional D-SNAP operations to accommodate the changing circumstances during the public health emergency. The proposed rule would have prevented the Department from enacting many of the successful responses utilized during the public health emergency to best serve households and State agencies in the aftermath of a disaster. After enacting these critical adaptations to D-SNAP design during the public health emergency, receiving feedback from D-SNAP listening sessions, and reviewing the comments received on the proposed rule, the Department is withdrawing the proposed rule to reduce the burden on State agencies and households responding to disasters.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed information collection. This is a revision of an existing information collection to conduct demonstration pilot projects to test the redemption of SNAP benefits through mobile payment technologies.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This is a new information collection request in which FNS seeks a description of Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) participant characteristics and program operations. CSFP provides free groceries to approximately 700,000 low-income seniors each month and is administered by 60 State agencies, approximately 250 local agencies, and approximately 9,000 distribution sites.

This Notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the Federal Government provides States for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from Federal funds that a State can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. The annual payments and rates adjustments for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The annual rate adjustment for the Special Milk Program reflects changes in the Producer Price Index for Fluid Milk Products. Further adjustments are made to these rates to reflect higher costs of providing meals in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. The payments and rates are prescribed on an annual basis each July.

This notice announces the national average value of donated foods or, where applicable, cash in lieu of donated foods, to be provided in school year 2025 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) for each lunch served by schools participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and for each lunch and supper served by institutions participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service is extending the public comment period on the proposed rule, "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Program Purpose and Work Requirement Provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023," which was published in the Federal Register on April 30, 2024. This action extends the public comment period from May 30, 2024, to June 14, 2024, to give the public additional time to review the proposed rule.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces FNS' plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on the proposed ICR before FNS submits it to OMB. The proposed information collection is a revision of an approved information collection. The approved information collection (OMB Control Number 0584-0607) permitted the School Meals Operations (SMO) study to collect survey and administrative data about school year (SY) 2019-2020 through SY 2022- 2023 from a census of State agencies, and survey data about SY 2020- 2021 and SY 2022-2023 from a nationally representative sample of school food authorities. With the revision, FNS will seek approval for the SMO study to collect survey and administrative data about SY 2023-2024 from a census of State agencies. The SMO study will not collect survey data about SY 2023-2024 from school food authorities.