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Resource | Policy Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA); Interpretation of “Federal Public Benefit”

This notice sets forth the interpretation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses for the term “Federal public benefit” as used in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. In doing so, this notice supersedes any prior interpretation in any notice or other document issued by any USDA agency. This notice also describes and preliminarily identifies the USDA programs that provide “Federal public benefits” within the scope of PRWORA.

07/10/2025
Resource | Policy Proposed Information Collection: Generic Clearance To Conduct Formative Research or Development of Nutrition Education and Promotion Materials and Related Tools and Grants for FNS Population Groups

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other interested parties to comment on a proposed information collection. This collection is an extension of a currently approved collection to conduct research in support of FNS' goal of delivering science-based nutrition education to targeted audiences.

05/29/2025
Resource | Guidance Documents FNS Handbook 501 for FDPIR

The FNS Handbook 501 provides ITOs and state agencies guidance on the administration of FDPIR. The chapters within the handbook cover all aspects of the program including financial management, certification of households, food ordering, and inventory control.

06/02/2022
Resource | Policy FD-40: Inventory Draw Down in USDA Foods Processing (Revised)

This memorandum provides clarification on the value pass through methods available under 7 CFR 250.36 and on the timing of processor inventory reductions of USDA Foods under each system.

07/16/2021
Resource | Policy Instruction 709-5: Shipment and Receipt of USDA Foods

This instruction establishes the general USDA Foods guidance for standards and procedures that the state distributing agency, Indian Tribal Organization, or other consignee must follow in receiving shipments of USDA Foods, and conveys established responsibilities for other entities such as USDA Foods vendors and carriers.

03/13/2019
Resource | Policy Memos USDA Foods Processing Program: Cancellation of Policy Memoranda

In order to update and streamline policy guidance for the USDA Foods Processing Program, FNS is cancelling policy memoranda FD-009, FD-025, FD-130, FD-102, FD-030, FD-038, FD-048, FD-103, and FD-108. The guidance provided by these memoranda is outdated and has been superseded by the Final Rule: Revisions and Clarifications in Requirements for the Processing of Donated Foods, which was published on May 1, 2018.

02/27/2019
Resource | Guidance Documents Market Basket Analysis when Procuring Program Goods and Modifying Contracted-For Product Lists

This memorandum provides guidance to state distributing agencies and recipient agencies on the use of market basket analysis in procuring processed end products for USDA Foods in Schools and commercial goods for the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Child and Adult Care Food Program. 

01/18/2018
Resource | Policy Donated Food Storage, Distribution, and Product Dating

This general USDA Foods guidance memorandum is meant to provide clarification and guidance on policies and procedures for donated food storage and distribution as they relate to product dating.

11/21/2017
Resource | Guidance Documents Questions and Answers about Disaster Policies and Procedures Revised

This USDA Foods in disasters guidance memorandum consolidates and clarifies select disaster/emergency policies and procedures applicable to the CSFP, the FDPIR and TEFAP.

12/09/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Signature Block Removal from Summary End Product Data Schedules

The purpose of this policy memorandum is to clarify state distributing agency (SDA) requirements related to approval of end product data schedules (EPDS) and summary end product data schedules (SEPDS) and provide an explanation for the removal of signature blocks from the SEPDS A and B templates.

12/02/2016
Page updated: October 14, 2021