Detailed guidance on recent regulatory changes to the Buy American provisions. The Buy American Exceptions Tracking Standard Form is an optional template that school food authorities can use to organize files and document the use of exceptions to purchase non-domestic foods under the Buy American provision.
This memorandum provides a detailed explanation of the expanded geographic preference option.
On April 25, 2024, FNS published the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This rule includes minor updates to the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program to better align Child Nutrition Program requirements. These updates represent continued progress toward supporting the nutrition quality of school meals, strengthening the Child Nutrition Programs, and advancing USDA’s commitment to nutrition security.
This memorandum provides notice to child nutrition program operators regarding Sections 739, 747, 748, 769, and 770 of Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, enacted on March 9, 2024. This memorandum applies to state agencies administering, and local organizations operating, the federal CNPs.
Provides an overview and step-by-step process for how to complete the meal claim validation process. This memorandum includes two attachments. Attachment 1 provides a flow chart on conducting a meal claim validation. Attachment 2 provides an example.
This guidance provides resources that state agencies may use when considering next steps and set forth instructions for submitting state plan amendments that involve operational changes such as electronic solution proposals and/or WIC FMNP waiver requests.
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide guidance to state agencies and school food authorities on the paid lunch equity requirements for SY 2024-25. This memorandum explains the PLE exemption provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. This memorandum also provides guidance for SFAs that do not qualify for the exemption.
This guidance updates previously issued questions and answers to clarify the rural non-congregate summer meals option established through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, and codified through the interim final rulemaking, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs.
The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the new criteria states must consider when determining which SFSP sites require pre-approval visits. The IFR requires state agencies to develop a process to determine which sites need pre-approval visits and must consider sites that are new to non- congregate. States are not required to visit each site that is new to operating non-congregate meal service.
The purpose of this memorandum is to update prior guidance to reflect changes made to the Community Eligibility Provision due to the Final Rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision – Increasing Options for Schools (FR 65778), effective on Oct. 26, 2023. This final rule amended CEP regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage to elect CEP from 40 percent to 25 percent.