Many employers provide flexible benefit packages that give employees choice and control over employer-provided benefits. These flexible benefit packages are also referred to as “cafeteria plans,” because employees choose among two or more benefits.
FNS published “The WIC Vendor Management Study, 1998” in July 2001 which examined, in part, the extent to which retail grocers, defined as WIC “vendors” were violating program rules and regulations. The 1998 study is a follow-up to the “WIC Vendor Issues Study, 1991” published by FNS in May 1993.
This final rule delays from Feb. 27, 2002 until Oct. 1, 2002 the implementation date of the final rule entitled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: Food Delivery Systems, which was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 29, 2000, 65 FR 83248, and became effective on April 28, 2001.
The purpose of the study was to learn the extent to which retail grocers, defined as "vendors" in the WIC Program, authorized to provide food to WIC participants, were violating program rules and procedures, and to determine which programmatic and/or demographic variables could be associated with vendor violations.
This final rule strengthens vendor management in retail food delivery systems by establishing mandatory selection criteria, training requirements, criteria to be used to identify high-risk vendors, and monitoring requirements, including compliance investigations. In addition, the rule strengthens food instrument accountability and sanctions for participants who violate program requirements.
This memorandum permits sponsors to consider children 18 years of age and younger who participate in the Job Training Partnership Act program as categorically eligible for the Summer Food Service Program.
This final rule implements three FMNP-related nondiscretionary provisions mandated in the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998. The three provisions pertain to the use of program income as a state matching fund source, elimination of specific state plan ranking criteria used to determine funding preferences, and use of expansion funds to increase the value of benefits to recipients.
This proposed rule would strengthen the requirements for operation of vendor management systems by establishing mandatory selection criteria; limitation of vendors; training requirements; criteria to be used to identify high- risk vendors; and monitoring requirements, including compliance buys. In addition, the rule would strengthen food instrument accountability and sanctions for participants who violate program regulations. It would also streamline the vendor appeals process.