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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 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 CSFP: Caseload Assignments for the 2025 Caseload Cycle and Administrative Grants

This final national caseload level ensures that resources are sufficient to provide full food packages to participants throughout the caseload cycle. We are allocating final caseload and administrative grants for 2025 to CSFP state agencies, including Tribes and U.S. territories.

03/24/2025
Resource | Policy Summer Food Service Program - 2025 Reimbursement Rates

This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to the reimbursement rates for meals served in the Summer Food Service Program.

01/13/2025
Resource | Policy Q&As Related to CACFP 11-2021, SFSP 07-2021 Collection of Race and Ethnicity Data by Visual Observation and Identification in the CACFP and SFSP – Policy Rescission – Set 2

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.

08/28/2024
Resource | Policy Availability of Funding to Alleviate Emergency Supply Chain Disruption in CSFP

This letter is to inform state agencies operating the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, including Indian Tribal Organizations and U.S. territories who operate CSFP, of the opportunity to receive funding, in the form of direct cash assistance, for the purchase of domestically grown and produced foods.

08/26/2024
Resource | Policy FD-155: Written Beneficiary Notice and Referral Requirements for CSFP and TEFAP State Agencies

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the written notice and referral requirements for organizations that receive USDA Foods or administrative funding as part of CSFP and TEFAP program guidance, per USDA regulations on equal opportunity for religious organizations to participate in USDA assistance programs.

07/01/2024
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 | Policy CSFP Caseload Assignments for the 2021 Caseload Cycle and Administrative Grants

The 2021 CSFP Allocation Memorandum includes the 2021 caseload allocations for state agencies and Indian Tribal Organizations based on FY 2020 participation and the level of funding provided in the FY 2021 appropriations. 

02/19/2021
Resource | Policy FNS Instruction 113-1: Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement

The purpose of this Instruction and TEFAP program guidance is to establish and convey policy and provide guidance and direction to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and its recipients and customers, and ensure compliance with and enforcement of the prohibition against discrimination in all FNS nutrition programs and activities, whether federally funded in whole or not. 

11/08/2005
Page updated: October 14, 2021