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USDA POLICY MEMOS
Regulation requires sponsoring organizations and institutions to keep Bulletins, Instructions, and USDA Policy Memorandums for reference and to apply immediately the appropriate instruction to agency programs. Please call Child Nutrition Programs, if further clarification is needed.
 All Policy Memos from USDA are located here:
SP 24-2024 Geographic Preference Option Questions and Answers
SP 23-2024 Buy American Provisions Related to the Final Rule Titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the accompanying optional Buy American Exceptions Tracking Standard Form
SP 22-2024 Geographic Preference Expansion Related to the Final Rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the Final Rule titled, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
TA 02-2024 Child Nutrition Database | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov)
SP 15-2024 Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas Questions and Answers (#2)
SP 14-2024 Paid Lunch Equity: Guidance for School Year 2024-2025
SP13-2024 Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas Questions and Answers
SP 06-2024 Rural Designations in the Summer Meal Programs - Revised
SP 05-2024 Implementation Guidance for the Rural Non-congregate Option Provisions of the Interim Final Rule, Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal
SP 04-2024 Child Nutrition Program Integrity Final Rule: State Agency Discretion for Repeat Meal Pattern Violations Fiscal Action
Summer EBT - Technology Grants
On Wednesday July 10, 2024, FNS announced the availability of $100 million in new Child Nutrition Summer EBT Technology Grants. The grant funds will be made available to all Summer EBT coordinating agencies that implemented Summer EBT in Summer 2024 and plan to continue operations in Summer 2025, as well as those Summer EBT coordinating agencies which are newly implementing in Summer 2025.
The grant funds will support investments in the robust technology infrastructure needs at the State, Territory, and Tribal partner levels, which are critical for the effective and accurate enrollment of the more than 30 million children expected to participate when the program is fully implemented.
Partnerships with Faith-Based and Neighborhood Organizations
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. Because the Child Nutrition Programs provide direct Federal assistance, these regulations apply to all local operators of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), and Special Milk Program (SMP) (collectively the Child Nutrition Programs). The final rule is effective on July 2, 2024, and requires that providers of direct Federal assistance, which includes Child Nutrition Programs local operators:
- must provide written notice to beneficiaries of their right to be free from discrimination on the basis of religion;
- must provide written notice to beneficiaries of how to report violations of these regulatory protections; and,
- may provide written notice to beneficiaries on how to obtain information about other federally funded service providers available in their area.
To support implementation, the USDA Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights recently released a model written notice to beneficiaries, which should be used by Child Nutrition Program State agencies and local operators to provide the required notice. The model notice is available HERE
Child Nutrition Program local operators must provide written notice to beneficiaries by using one or more of the methods below:
- post a written notice at the service location (e.g., schools, child care centers, community organization sites); or,
- post a written notice on the local program operator website; or,
- provide flyers or handouts at food distribution sites (e.g., congregate meal sites, non-congregate meal pick up locations, etc.); or,
- add the written notification to the program application.
NSLP & School Breakfast Program (SBP) Updates:
2024-2025 Reimbursement Rates for Alaska School Meals (Published 7/10/24):
NSLP, SMP, SBP - National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates | Food and Nutrition Service (usda.gov)
CNP Web School Nutrition Program Applications:
If you need assistance with completing your program application for school year 2024-2025 in CNP Web, please contact the School Nutrition team at email address: eed.cnp.schoolmeals@alaska.gov.
Interim final rule period of public comment:
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service is extending the public comment period on the interim final rule, “Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs,’’ which published in the Federal Register on December 29, 2023. This action extends the public comment period From April 29, 2024, to August 27, 2024, to give the public additional time to prepare and submit comments.
Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
Mail: Send comments to Community Meals Policy Division, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314.
All comments submitted in response to this proposed rule will be included in the record and will be made available to the public. Please be advised that the substance of the comments and the identity of the individuals or entities submitting the comments will be subject to public disclosure. The Food and Nutrition Service will make the comments publicly available on the internet via https://www.regulations.gov.
Child Nutrition Programs Meal Patterns final rule:
Federal Register :: Public Inspection: Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Updates & Reminders:
Claims - Submit claim data online through the CNP Web Database.
- May Claim Month - 60 Day Deadline, July 30, 2024
- June Claim Month - 60 Day Deadline, August 29, 2024
- The final claim will not be accepted if it is not in the Pending Approval status by the 60-Day claim deadline (see below). Upward amended claims may be submitted throughout the 60-day period but no later than the 60-Day deadline. Be aware, claims in Error status cannot be paid and if help is needed from Child Nutrition the sponsor must contact Child Nutrition well in advance of the 60-Day Deadline.
Roundtable - NSLP Roundtable Discussion August 14, 2024 @ 2:00 p.m.
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