This memorandum seeks to ensure that current Food and Nutrition Service guidance pertaining to federal civil rights and nondiscrimination obligations remains aligned with applicable laws, regulations, executive orders and directives relevant to the agency’s 16 nutrition assistance programs.
This guidance is intended to assist state agencies and program operators of the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program in meeting the longstanding federal requirement to collect race and ethnicity data of program participants.
FNS works to ensure all communities in need have access to foods that support health and well-being. Our goal is to ensure program participants have access to culturally and religiously preferred foods and that program operators have resources to best serve their communities.
The Civil Rights Division ensures that FNS complies with the laws, regulations, policies and guidance that prohibit discrimination against employees and applicants in the federal workplace. Equal Employment Opportunity laws prohibit discrimination in employment to ensure fair hiring, competition in promotions and equal access to training/development opportunities.
State agencies, local agencies, or other recipients that fail to provide free language assistance (interpretation/translation) to potentially-eligible persons, applicants, and participants, who are limited English proficient (LEP), or deny LEP persons access to federally assisted programs and activities, may be discriminating on the basis of national origin in violation of Title VI and its implementing regulations.
Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 prohibits discrimination based on disability by state and local governments.
This document provides authorized state agencies with a basic checklist for conducting investigations into complaints of prohibited discrimination involving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It is intended only to provide a working tool for state agencies participating in SNAP and authorized by FNCS to conduct first-line complaint processing.
The Civil Rights Division provides leadership and comprehensive protection against discrimination in FNS employment practices and delivery of programs to the public.
Our mission is to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies for FNS customers and employees regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, marital or family status, political beliefs, parental status, protected genetic information, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.