This policy memo provides instruction to select states regarding the implementation of changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility for aliens in Section 10108 of PL 119-21, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, in the wake of preliminary relief granted in State of New York, et al. v. Rollins, et al., 6:25-cv02185 (D. Or.).
This memorandum is a reminder to state agencies and local educational agencies that the statutory deadline to elect the Community Eligibility Provision for the following school year is June 30. This memorandum also provides a reminder of the annual CEP notification and publication requirements.
On July 4, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBB). The law contains several provisions that affect our programs.
We are in the process of providing guidance on how The One Big Beautiful Bill made changes to noncitizen eligibility in SNAP. We will update this page once the guidance is released.
This map contains links to state-specific information on local educational agencies and schools that may be eligible to elect the Community Eligibility Provision.
A webinar for state agency and school food authority staff focused on the community eligibility provision.
The Community Eligibility Provision is a National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal service option that allows schools and school districts located in high poverty areas to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students.
A final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision-Increasing Options for Schools (88 FR 65778), was published on Sept. 26, 2023, with an effective date of Oct. 26, 2023, that established the 25 percent minimum ISP threshold. As a result, more students, households, and schools have the opportunity to experience CEP’s benefits, such as increasing access to school meals at no cost, eliminating unpaid meal charges, minimizing stigma, and streamlining meal service operations.
The purpose of this memorandum is to update prior guidance to reflect changes made to the Community Eligibility Provision due to the Final Rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision – Increasing Options for Schools (FR 65778), effective on Oct. 26, 2023. This final rule amended CEP regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage to elect CEP from 40 percent to 25 percent.
This memorandum provides a reminder of the annual Community Eligibility Provision notification and publication requirements, including the changes made by the Final Rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision – Increasing Options for Schools. This memorandum also reminds state agencies that the statutory election deadline for schools to elect CEP for school year 2024-25 is June 30, 2024.