Food and Nutrition Service 2011 – 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. This collection is a new collection for research on the rates, causes, and costs of churning in SNAP.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed collection. This is a new collection for the contract WIC Local Agency Breastfeeding Policy and Practices Inventory.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on a proposed information collection. This proposed collection is for ``Assessment of the Contributions of an Interview to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Eligibility and Benefit Determinations.'' The proposed collection will examine if there is a difference in payment accuracy, program access, administrative costs, and client satisfaction under two conditions: usual application procedures and the no-interview test condition.

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).

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

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 information collection for the School Foodservice Indirect Cost Study.

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 the development and maintenance of a central repository containing information about authorized WIC foods as approved by various WIC State agencies.

In accordance with Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on proposed information collections. The proposed collection is a revision of a currently approved collection. The purpose of Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act is to establish a time limit for the receipt of benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain able-bodied adults who are not working. The provision authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, upon a State agency's request, to waive the provision for any group of individuals if the Secretary determines ``that the area in which the individuals reside has an unemployment rate of over 10 percent, or does not have a sufficient number of jobs to provide employment for the individuals.'' As required in the statute, in order to receive a waiver the State agency must submit sufficient supporting information so that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can make the required determination as to the area's unemployment rate or sufficiency of available jobs. This collection of information is, therefore, necessary in order to obtain waivers of the SNAP time limit.

This rule proposes to amend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)formerly the Food Stamp Program) regulations to implement the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill), which requires adequate system testing before and after implementation of a new State automatic data processing (ADP) and information retrieval system, including the evaluation of data from pilot projects in limited areas for major systems changes, before the Secretary approves the system to be implemented more broadly. It also provides that systems be operated in accordance with an adequate plan for continuous updating to reflect changed policy and circumstances, and for testing the effects of the system on access by eligible households and on payment accuracy. This proposed rule would also specify the requirements for submission of a test plan. Further, the rule proposes changing the due date of an Advance Planning Document Update (APDU) from 90 days after to 60 days prior to the expiration of the Federal financial participation (FFP) approval and revises language regarding the Federal share of costs in consolidated information technology (IT) operations to specify that the threshold for service agreements applies to federally aided public assistance programs, rather than to SNAP alone. In addition, this rule proposes to amend the SNAP regulations relating to the establishment of an automated data processing and information retrieval system and to provide clarifications and updates which have occurred since this section was last updated in 1996.

Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program (``SMPs'') need nutrition information and ingredient lists for menu planning and to assess foods to be used in meeting meal pattern requirements of the SMPs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is interested in examining what nutrition information and ingredient lists are made available to schools, the manner and scope of the information's accessibility, and how that information and accessibility compare with the information schools may be seeking. FNS would like to better understand what information sources, such as the Child Nutrition Database, USDA Foods nutrition fact sheets, and information directly from the manufacturer, are used by schools to both procure foods and plan menus for the SMPs. FNS has received numerous inquiries from schools seeking assistance in locating and assessing nutrition information and ingredient lists for USDA Foods as well as commercially selected foods. A better understanding of what nutrition information and ingredients lists are provided, the source of the information and the medium in which the information is received are all necessary components to fully understand what resources schools need to successfully plan SMPs meals. In addition, we anticipate this information will provide FNS with key insights in our implementation of Section 9(a)(4)(C) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 U.S.C. 1758(a)(4)(C) as amended by Section 242 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296.

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 information collection will conduct research by methodological testing, surveys, focus groups, and related tools to assess program performance, respond to the needs of policymakers, and develop innovative approaches that bear on the practical operations, management, and impact of Federal nutrition assistance programs.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on proposed information collection. The proposed collection is a new collection for the purpose of conducting the Study of the Effectiveness of Efforts to Increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Among Medicare's Extra Help Population Pilot Projects.

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 2012 (July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012) 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).

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 which participates in the Special Milk Program for Children. The payments and rates are prescribed on an annual basis each July. 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.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this information collection. This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection which FNS employs to determine public participation and the distribution of foods in the Food Distribution Programs.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, section 1, et seq., 5 U.S.C. App., this notice announces a meeting of the National Advisory Council on Maternal, Infant and Fetal Nutrition.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on proposed information collections. The proposed collection is a revision of a currently approved collection. The purpose of this information collection request is to continue the use of the electronic form FNS 674, titled ``FNS User Access Request.'' This form will continue to allow access to current FNS systems, modified access, or to remove user access.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is proposing changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations pertaining to SNAP client benefit use, participation of retail food stores and wholesale food concerns in SNAP, and SNAP client participation in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). These changes to SNAP regulations address mandatory provisions of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (hereinafter referred to as ``the 2008 Farm Bill'') to allow for the disqualification of a SNAP client who purchases, with SNAP benefits, products that have container deposits for the purpose of subsequently discarding the product and returning the container(s) in exchange for cash refund of deposit(s) and/or resells or exchanges products purchased with SNAP benefits for purposes of obtaining cash or other non-eligible items.

This final rule incorporates into the regulations governing the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) a statutory provision set forth in Section 734(b) of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-80). The provision excludes combat pay from inclusion in the WIC income eligibility determination for deployed service members. It also makes conforming nomenclature changes throughout part 246 of WIC regulations to include the name change for what was formerly known as the Food Stamp Program to its new namethe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as set forth in the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246).

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 for Formative Research for the Pilot of a Garden-Related Nutrition Curriculum.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is amending Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) regulations that secure civil rights protections for SNAP households and applicants. The nondiscretionary change complies with an amendment made to the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 which specifically enumerates four statutory protections that must be complied with by State agencies in administering SNAP. This nondiscretionary change to the regulations is not expected to have an implementation impact on SNAP State agencies, as they have been subject to such statutes for several years.

This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) proposes to amend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly the Food Stamp Program) regulations to implement Section 4116 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (the Farm Bill). Section 4116 of the Farm Bill, Review of Major Changes in Program Design, requires the United States Department of Agriculture (the Department) to identify standards for major changes in operations of State agencies' administration of SNAP. The provision also requires State agencies to notify the Department if they implement a major change in operations and to collect data that can be used to identify and correct problems relating to integrity and access, particularly by certain vulnerable households. This NPRM proposes criteria for changes that would be considered ``major changes'' in program operations and identifies the types of data State agencies must collect in order to identify problems relating to integrity and access. It also proposes when and how State agencies must report on implementation of a major change. This NPRM proposes to amend the Management Evaluation (ME) Review regulations by modifying the requirements for Federal and State reviews of State agency operations. It also proposes to revise the definitions of large, medium and small project areas. Finally, it proposes to remove sections of the regulations pertaining to coupons and coupon storage since they are obsolete.

The 2008 Farm Bill amended the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to direct that the Secretary of Agriculture encourage institutions operating Child Nutrition Programs to purchase unprocessed locally grown and locally raised agricultural products. Effective October 1, 2008, institutions receiving funds through the Child Nutrition Programs may apply an optional geographic preference in the procurement of unprocessed locally grown or locally raised agricultural products. This provision applies to institutions in all of the Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program, as well as to purchases made for these programs by the Department of Defense Fresh Program. The provision also applies to State agencies making purchases on behalf of any of the aforementioned Child Nutrition Programs. The purpose of this rule is to finalize the geographic preference option in Child Nutrition Programs.

This Notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program. The annual adjustments are required by section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those children most in need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index.

The 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 Program (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.