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Resource | Policy Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025: Effect on Child Nutrition Programs

This memorandum provides notice to child nutrition program operators regarding the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (the 2025 Appropriations Act), March 15, 2025. This applies to state agencies administering, and local organizations operating, the USDA FNS child nutrition programs.

05/14/2025
Resource | Policy Using Federal Funds to Purchase Local Foods

The purpose of this memorandum is to remind schools, sponsors, and institutions participating in any USDA Child Nutrition Program, including the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Special Milk Program for Children , Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and the Seamless Summer Option , of the many ways they can purchase local foods to serve in program meals.

05/06/2025
Resource | Policy Buy American Accommodation Process for School Year 2025-26

This memorandum provides guidance on the Buy American accommodation process. This memorandum provides the state agency the ability to approve temporary relief for school food authorities that demonstrate they cannot meet the thresholds for non-domestic food purchases for school year 2025-26.

02/20/2025
Resource | Policy Geographic Preference Option QA Memo

Geographic Preference Option Questions and Answers

07/03/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Geographic Preference Expansion Related to the Final Rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 DGAs

This memorandum provides a detailed explanation of the expanded geographic preference option. 

05/22/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Procuring Local Meat, Poultry, Game and Eggs for Child Nutrition Programs

Recently, FNS has received a number of questions related to buying local meat, poultry, game, and eggs; this memorandum seeks to clarify the regulatory requirements related to food safety and answer specific questions related to these products with a series of questions and answers.

11/20/2023
Resource | Policy Memos Updates to the Federal Micro-Purchase Threshold in 2 CFR 200.320(a)(1)

The previous version of this memorandum contained incorrect references to state agencies throughout. FNS is correcting this memorandum to remove the incorrect references and so that it more clearly and accurately reflects the federal regulations. This memorandum notifies state agencies and child nutrition program operators of the changes made by OMB to the federal informal procurement method, micro-purchases and the micro-purchase threshold.

12/15/2021
Resource | Policy Proposed Rule: Simplifying Meal Service and Monitoring Requirements in the NSLP and SBP

This rulemaking proposes changes to simplify meal pattern and monitoring requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The proposed changes, including optional flexibilities, are customer-focused and intended to help state and local program operators overcome operational challenges that limit their ability to manage these programs efficiently. In the National School Lunch Program, the proposed rule would add flexibility to the existing vegetable subgroups requirement.

01/23/2020
Resource | Policy Memos Federal Micro-Purchase and Simplified Acquisition Thresholds

This memorandum, SP20 CACFP07 SFSP06-2019, notifies all child nutrition program state agencies and program operators of guidance the Food and Nutrition Service received from the Office of Management and Budget, OMB M-18-18, authorizing increases to the value of the micro-purchase and simplified acquisition thresholds.

10/30/2019
Resource | Policy Memos Updated Local Agency Procurement Review Tool for School Food Authorities for SY 2019-2020

This memorandum provides information on the updated template Local Agency Procurement Review Tool for state agencies to use, modify or develop in SY 2019-2020.

08/19/2019
Page updated: October 14, 2021