This policy encourages state to comply with the application and notice requirements on the paper forms that an applicant can download.

This is to advise you that we are expanding our criteria for the approval of waivers of the face-to-face interview at both initial and recertification. We also wish to note that since state agencies already may waive the face-to-face interview on an individual case basis based on a finding of hardship, we are now categorizing these waivers as waivers of the requirement that state agencies document hardship prior to utilizing alternatives to the face-to-face interview.

Local educational agencies must verify applications in accordance with the procedures set forth in the above-cited memorandum. The above change will affect the reporting for Item 6 on the FNS-742, School Food Authority Verification Summary Report.

FSP legislative and regulatory provisions do not, either directly or indirectly, address the treatment of gift cards for program purposes. While these rules can potentially be interpreted to count gift cards as a resource, we believe this would be inadvisable since attempts to verify the existence and value of the cards during the certification process would be extremely difficult, problematic and subject to error.

This final rule amends a number of existing provisions in the WIC program regulations to address issues raised by WIC state agencies, other members of the WIC community, and the US Government Accountability Office. This final rule also incorporates recent legislation and certain longstanding program policies and state agency practices into the regulations. Further, the final rule also streamlines certain requirements in the regulations.

This report presents a comprehensive and systematic national description of food stamp nutrition education operations in FY 2004. It also provides a comparison of those operations to the standards of excellence for nutrition education developed as the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Guiding Principles, released by FNS in September 2005.

Attached is the fifth set of questions and answers in response to issues raised by states since the issuance of our four earlier sets of questions and answers, clarifying the certification provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002.

This rule proposes to revise and clarify requirements for the processing of donated foods, in order to incorporate processing options tested in demonstration projects, to more effectively ensure accountability for donated foods provided for processing, and to streamline current reporting and review requirements.

This rule implements a provision of the Act that increases the minimum State Administrative Expense grant for each state administering the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and/or the Special Milk Program from $100,000 to $200,000 a year, adjusted by an index beginning in FY 2009.

This guidance serves as a general reminder to state agencies about the importance of complying with the Buy American provisions that are found in the regulations of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.