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Resource | Research and Data Evaluation of the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Project, Fiscal Years 2021, 2022, and 2023

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives projects to develop and test methods to increase the purchase and consumption of fluid milk of SNAP households by providing incentives at the point of purchase. The Act requires biennial reporting on the status of projects and completed evaluations. The findings for the FY 2020 award were presented in the first report to Congress. This second report presents findings from the FY 2021, FY 2022 and FY 2023 pilot projects.
 

01/15/2026
Resource | Research and Data FY 2021-2023 Report to Congress on Reducing Barriers to Food Access

This Report to Congress from USDA responds to a requirement established by the 2018 Farm Bill to address requirements to coordinate efforts within USDA to reduce barriers to food access. USDA has identified FNS as the Food Access Liaison to coordinate efforts and annually respond to this request. The report describes activities that occurred from October 2020 through September 2023 to reduce barriers to food access given the last such annual report submitted in March 2021 covered fiscal year 2020

11/12/2024
Resource | Research and Data | Impacts/Evaluations Evaluation of Child Support Enforcement Cooperation Requirements in SNAP

This report responds to a Congressional mandate in the 2018 Farm Bill for FNS to conduct an evaluation of child support cooperation requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Child support cooperation requirements refer to a set of policies that mandate households receiving certain public benefits cooperate with their state’s child support program as a condition of benefit receipt.

06/06/2024
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations The Use of State Administrative Data to Improve SNAP Eligibility Estimates: Findings and Recommendations from an Expert Panel

FNS has historically estimated the participation rate of SNAP by using Census data and samples of SNAP administrative data, but modeling SNAP eligibility using survey data has a number of challenges. In response, FNS, the Economic Research Service, and the Census Bureau sought potential solutions to these issues by linking Census survey data with monthly administrative records at the person level.

04/05/2022
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Reviewing the Evidence for Maternal Health and WIC

This report addresses actions taken by the Food and Nutrition Service to comply with the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (PL 116-260, HR 116-446), which directs USDA to conduct a review of existing evidence and develop a plan to explore how participation in WIC is associated with maternal mortality, with emphasis on the needs of disadvantaged communities of color.

11/08/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Study of Nonresponse to the School Meals Application Verification Process

FNS conducted the Study of Nonresponse to the School Meals Application Verification Process to examine (1) the accuracy of the current verification process, (2) district practices when verifying applications for cause, and (3) the ultimate results of the verification process, including the reasons why households do not respond to verification requests and how many households reapply. 

07/20/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Direct Certification in the National School Lunch Program State Implementation Progress Report to Congress SY 2017-2018 and SY 2018-2019

This report presents information on direct certification with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for free school meals for SY 2017-2018 and SY 2018-2019.

06/22/2021
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Child Nutrition Reporting Burden Analysis Study

The Child Nutrition Reporting Burden Analysis Study was commissioned by FNS in response to a legislative requirement of House Report 114-531. The study examined challenges faced by SAs and SFAs related to child nutrition program administrative and reporting requirements and identifying those that contribute most to the workload for SAs and SFAs that operate CN programs.

07/02/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Demonstrations Annual Reports on Summer Food for Children Demonstration Projects

These reports fulfill the directive contained in section 749(g) of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2010 (PL 111-80) for USDA to submit an annual report to Congress detailing progress in developing and testing alternative methods of providing access to food for low-income children in urban and rural areas during the summer months when schools are not in regular session.

05/09/2019
Resource | Research and Data | Report to Congress Multi-Agency Task Force Report to Congress, January 2018

The 2014 Farm Bill established a Multi-Agency Taskforce to provide coordination and direction for USDA Foods administered by FNS. The Task Force is responsible for evaluating and monitoring USDA commodity programs to ensure that through the distribution of domestic agricultural products, the programs support the U.S. farm sector and contribute to the health and well-being of individuals in the United States. This third annual report to Congress describes the activities of the taskforce in 2017.

03/22/2019
Page updated: September 16, 2025