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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 | Research and Data Child Nutrition Program Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic - July 2021 through September 2022

This data collection fulfills states' reporting requirements and describes trends in program participation during the COVID-19 pandemic from July 2021 through September 2022. It is part of an ongoing study series examining child nutrition program operations, repurposed to collect waiver usage and trends in program participation and operations during the pandemic.

03/18/2025
Resource | Policy Final Rule - Food Distribution Programs

This final rule revises regulations for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and USDA Foods disaster response regulations. This final rule makes improvements in USDA’s food distribution programs.

10/31/2024
Basic page Q&As: Food Distribution Programs - Improving Access & Parity Final Rule

Questions and answers about Food Distribution Programs: Improving Access and Parity Final Rule published on Oct. 31, 2024.

10/30/2024
Basic page Snapshot of Regulatory Changes: Food Distribution Programs Final Rule

Summary of the provisions in the final rule and how they compare to previous program regulations. 

10/30/2024
Resource | Policy Proposed Rule Withdrawal - Disaster SNAP

This document informs the public that FNS is withdrawing the proposed rule titled Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that published in the Federal Register on May 10, 2016.

09/27/2024
Basic page Back to School Toolkit

You are invited to share these messages and resources about how school meals help empower children to grow, learn and thrive.

08/16/2024
Resource | Policy Notice to Beneficiaries and Prospective Beneficiaries

USDA and eight other federal agencies recently published a final rule entitled, Partnerships With Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations at 89 FR 15671 (final rule). The final rule amended USDA regulations at 7 CFR part 16 related to equal opportunity for faith-based organizations that operate USDA programs and religious protections for USDA program beneficiaries.

07/01/2024
Resource | Federal Register Notices Final Rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 DGAs

This rulemaking finalizes long-term school nutrition requirements based on the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025, robust stakeholder input, and lessons learned from prior rulemakings.

04/25/2024
Resource | Technical Assistance Updates to the School Nutrition Standards

This final rule - Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - is the next step in continuing the science-based improvement of school meals.

04/24/2024
Page updated: October 14, 2021