It has come to our attention that there is still some question regarding the ability of state agencies and sponsoring organizations to use “stop payments” (suspension of all program reimbursement to institutions or providers) as a tool to enforce an institution or a provider’s compliance with program requirements.

The purpose of this memorandum is to establish that regional offices may allow state agencies to count a USDA review of an SFSP sponsor as one of their required reviews, provided that the state agency assumes all responsibilities associated with resolution of the review findings relating to the administration of the program by the sponsor, including but not limited to any and all appeals arising from the review.

This rule concerns the types of foods that may be available from the Department of Agriculture for any of the uses authorized under the Food and Nutrition Service’s Food Distribution Programs and the manner in which those foods must be labeled.

We have received a request to allow states to consider Upward Bound sites to be categorically eligible to participate in the SFSP based on the eligibility criteria for the Upward Bound program.

This study was conducted within RAND's Center for the Study of Food and Nutrition Policy as part of RAND's Child Nutrition Analysis Project with the United States "Nutritional Monitoring Data". This document reports on the study of state nutritional monitoring data and should be of benefit to those interested in the operations of child nutrition programs.

This report summarizes the results from the state census conducted by FNS. Data for the census were collected during fiscal year 2001. The study examines how states are currently using or planning to use computer matching strategies for error reduction in the Food Stamp Program.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 made a number of changes to the National School Lunch Act which governs the waiver process in the child nutrition programs. This memorandum identifies the changes and provides guidance to be used in developing and submitting waiver requests to the child nutrition division. 

Attached are answers to a series of questions which we have received concerning the new two-tiered reimbursement system mandated for FDCHs in the CACFP. 

Noncitizens who were receiving food stamps on Aug. 22, 1996, will not lose benefits due to their immigration status until at least April 22, 1997. If, for example, a person moves to another state or has a break in eligibility because of something unrelated to his or her noncitizen status (such as a temporary increase in earnings) and applies again before April 1, 1997, the new noncitizen eligibility requirements would not apply.

The Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act makes a significant change to implementation of the food stamp eligibility provisions for noncitizens of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.