Food and Nutrition Service 2022 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is correcting regulations that published in a final rule in the Federal Register of September 19, 2022, and went into effect in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) on October 1, 2022. The rule amended the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) regulations to strengthen program integrity by clarifying, simplifying, and streamlining program administration to facilitate compliance with program requirements.

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 for activities associated with administering emergency allotments (EA) waivers. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020, enacted March 18, 2020, includes a general provision that allows the Department of Agriculture to issue EA waivers based on a public health emergency declaration by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act related to an outbreak of COVID-19 when a State has also issued an emergency or disaster declaration.

The Food and Nutrition Service is delaying the effective date for the interim final rule published in the Federal Register on October 3, 2022, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirement for Interstate Data Matching to Prevent Duplicate Issuances.

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 revision of a currently approved collection.

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) plans to collect additional information from grant applicants for the second round of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grant applications and add reporting questions on a biannual basis. FNS already has OMB approval for collection of information associated with these grants under the Uniform Grant Application for Non-Entitlement Discretionary Grants, as approved under OMB Control Number: 0584-0512 (Expiration Date: July 31, 2025). This notice solicits public comment on the additional information proposed for collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this revision of a currently approved information collection. This is a collection for the electronic submission of programmatic and financial data through the Food Programs Reporting System (FPRS). The data is currently collected on approved Office of Management and Budget (OMB) forms.

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an interstate data system called the National Accuracy Clearinghouse (NAC) to prevent issuance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to an individual by more than one State agency simultaneously (also known as interstate duplicate participation). This interim final rule requires SNAP State agencies to provide information to the NAC regarding individuals receiving SNAP benefits in their States in order to ensure they are not already receiving benefits in another State. It also requires State agencies to take appropriate action with respect to each indication from the NAC that an individual may already be receiving SNAP benefits from another State agency. This rule aims to enhance Program integrity by reducing the risk of improper payments and improve customer service by incorporating best practices and lessons learned from the NAC pilot to require that State agencies take appropriate and timely action to resolve NAC matches. This rule also establishes safeguards to ensure households receive benefits for which they are eligible and are not incorrectly removed from the Program.

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.

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 revision of a currently approved collection for State administrative expense funds expended in the operation of the Child Nutrition Programs administered under the Child Nutrition Act of 1966.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is correcting a final rule with request for comments that appeared in the Federal Register on February 7, 2022 and went into effect in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) on July 1, 2022. The rule established Child Nutrition Program transitional standards for milk, whole grains, and sodium for school years 2022-23 and 2023-24.

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 revision of a currently approved collection. This information collection consists of State agency notification and data collection activities associated with a major change in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations at the State level.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (``Department'') announces adjusted income eligibility guidelines to be used by State agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

USDA is finalizing its November 25, 2020, proposed rulemaking regarding child nutrition meal pattern requirements. This final rule will establish transitional standards to support the continued provision of nutritious school meals as schools respond to and recover from the pandemic and while USDA engages in notice-and-comment rulemaking to update the meal pattern standards to more comprehensively reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. This final rule will provide immediate relief to schools during the return to traditional school meal service following extended use of COVID-19 meal pattern flexibilities. This rule finalizes the proposed milk provision by allowing local operators of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to offer flavored, low-fat milk (1 percent fat) for students in grades K through 12 and for sale as a competitive beverage. It will also allow flavored, low-fat milk in the Special Milk Program for Children and in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for participants ages 6 and older. Beginning in SY 2022-2023, this final rule will require at least 80 percent of the weekly grains in the school lunch and breakfast menus to be whole grain-rich. Lastly, this final rule will modify the proposed sodium standards and establish Sodium Target 1 as the sodium limit for school lunch and breakfast in SY 2022-2023 as proposed, but implement a Sodium Interim Target 1A effective for school lunch beginning in SY 2023-2024.

On October 18, 2021, the Food and Nutrition Service revised rules concerning meal pattern tables for the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The document contained incorrect table entries. This document corrects the final regulations.