FNS Documents & Resources

The brand guidelines in this document are for USDA staff, contractors, implementing agencies and partners to use for developing materials and communications about the SUN programs.

USDA is committed to providing nutrition assistance to hard-hit families across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic. In support of President Biden’s call to action on hunger, USDA announced that it is increasing the Pandemic EBT benefit by approximately 15 percent, providing more money for low-income families and millions of children missing meals due to school and child care closures.

This memorandum provides information to assist Indian Tribal Organizations (ITO) in preparing to implement Summer EBT.

Electronic Benefits Transfer is an electronic system that allows a SNAP participant to pay for food using SNAP benefits. When a participant shops at a SNAP authorized retail store, their SNAP EBT account is debited to reimburse the store for food that was purchased. EBT is in use in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Guam.

This policy memorandum provides guidance on data sharing activities that support targeted outreach and streamlined certification processes aimed at increasing WIC participation and retention. It expresses USDA FNS support of data sharing, provides an overview of data sharing relevant to WIC, summarizes WIC program guidance on sharing confidential WIC participant data, and lays the groundwork for future guidance and resources to help WIC state agencies expand outreach and streamline the
certification process.

This memo clarifies processes to reflect system updates for state agencies pursuing additional verification through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program that have caused an area of SNAP regulations to become outdated and no longer applicable. This memo also explains how to request information on SNAP applicants who are claiming Cuban-Haitian Entrant designation.

SNAP and Head Start are working together to identify ways to promote early childhood education and nutrition services. Joint messaging or outreach reduces duplication and provides new ways to increase child development and nutrition security for children and families.

FNS strongly recommends that all states develop a SNAP outreach plan. In addition to increasing enrollment among eligible non-participating households, SNAP outreach can help reduce churn by encouraging existing SNAP households to recertify. 

This memorandum describes the provisions of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act that affect SNAP. Section 2502 of the Act provides that Afghan nationals, citizens, or those who last habitually lived in Afghanistan who are granted parole between July 31, 2021, and Sept. 30, 2022, are eligible to receive resettlement assistance, entitlement programs (including SNAP), and other benefits available to refugees admitted under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

This is a letter clarifying public charge policy as it pertains to SNAP participation. The letter was sent to SNAP state commissioners in Jan. 2022.