The Special Nutrition Program Operations Study is a multiyear study designed to provide the Food and Nutrition Service with a snapshot of current state and school food authority policies and practices of the school meal programs, including information on school meal standards, competitive foods standards, professional standards, school lunch pricing and accounting, and Smarter Lunchrooms activities. 

This study identifies how spending patterns, such as the rate at which households spend their benefit, changed following the ARRA benefit increase and analyzes how spending patterns differed across household characteristics, time and states.

This report describes the characteristics of SNAP households and participants nationwide in fiscal year 2010 (October 2009 through September 2010). It also presents an overview of SNAP eligibility requirements and benefit levels in fiscal year 2010.