Subscriber Updates

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service recently launched an online dashboard that shares data from USDA’s child nutrition programs through visual tools.

FNS is pleased to announce the release of the 2024 SNAP Process and Technology Improvement Grants Program request for applications, aimed at supporting efforts by state agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement projects that use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of SNAP application and eligibility determination systems. 

USDA Food and Nutrition Service released a proposed rule to update SNAP rules to include requirements outlined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.

FNS published a proposed rule that will help ensure the federal child nutrition programs are being operated properly. These regulatory updates will strengthen and clarify the process for correcting serious deficiencies found in FNS’ child nutrition programs.  

USDA’s goal across all summer nutrition programs is simple: Connect children with nutritious food during the summer months to help them grow and thrive. This interim final rule is an important step forward in increasing access to these services.

USDA is publishing a final rule to implement the Access to Baby Formula Act. As part of the months-long, whole-of-government response to the recall-driven infant formula shortages in 2022, Congress passed legislation to support access to formula for WIC participants, even in unforeseen circumstances like disasters, emergencies and supply chain disruptions. President Biden signed the legislation into law on May 21, 2022. 

This week, USDA published a final rule that changes how racial and ethnic data is collected in SNAP.

Did you know there’s a way for children in Medicaid households to be automatically eligible for free and reduced price school meals without their families completing another application? It’s called the Direct Certification with Medicaid Demonstration Project and USDA recently opened applications for more states to participate.  

Applications are now open for the School Food Systems Transformation Challenge Sub-Grants, which is part of USDA’s Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative.  

FNS understands the unique challenges faced by smaller, independent grocery stores interested in offering SNAP online purchasing. That’s why we are excited to share the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center, also known as SEMTAC, a valuable resource to help retailers get set up for SNAP online purchasing. 

FNS published a final rule on program integrity to ensure that child nutrition programs are properly operated and managed to protect federal funds and taxpayer dollars.

USDA will hold a five-day consultation series, “USDA Tribal Consultations on Barriers/Equity: Annual Progress Report & Feedback for Next Steps,” virtually April 24-May 1, 2023. 

USDA FNS invites tribes to apply for a second round of FDPIR Self-Determination Demonstration Projects. Through these projects, tribes administering the FDPIR can enter into self-determination contracts with USDA to directly purchase food for the FDPIR food packages distributed to their tribe.

FNS announced a $20 million cooperative agreement opportunity for an academic or nonprofit organization to improve participation and retention in the WIC program.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s school nutrition professionals have overcome extraordinary challenges to ensure children’s access to nutritious meals. USDA continues to work in close partnership with schools and states to provide them with the tools, resources, and flexibilities they need to tackle those challenges and get nutritious meals to every child despite changing and unpredictable circumstances.

Today, USDA has taken action to withdraw its previously proposed rule, Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

In line with USDA’s unwavering promise to serve America’s children well through school meal programs, the department today announced it will publish a proposed rule maintaining flexibility for schools to serve tasty meals their kids will be eager to eat. These proposed changes respond directly to the needs of nutrition professionals who are the experts on-the-ground, hearing from our children every day. 

USDA today announced it is extending the deadline for the public to comment on a pair of proposed rules on school and summer meals reforms. USDA is providing additional time to ensure those who wish to provide input do not miss out on the opportunity while dealing with the impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. 

As part of USDA’s continuing collaboration with its state partners to enhance customer service while maintaining program integrity in SNAP, FNS is expanding the work that vendors and private staff/contractors can do at SNAP call centers—ending the constraint that only state agency employees may handle certain tasks.

USDA’s WIC program is a critical resource in ensuring a strong nutritional foundation for participants. Today, USDA is taking a step to gather additional information on ways to improve and maximize usage of a key tool we provide our state partners through the release of a Request for Information on the WIC National Universal Product Code Database.