In the July 29, 2016, Federal Register, USDA's
Food and Nutrition Service ("FNS") issued four final
rules regarding school nutrition programs: (i) the Administrative Reviews in the School Nutrition
Programs final rule, which revises the state agency
administrative review process of the National School Lunch Program
and School Breakfast Program to establish a unified accountability
system and ensure that school meals comply with program
requirements (effective September 27, 2016); (ii) the Local School Wellness Policy Implementation under
the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act final rule, which requires
all local educational agencies that participate in the National
School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs to meet expanded local
school wellness policy requirements, such as establishing minimum
content requirements for the local school wellness policies,
ensuring stakeholder participation in the development and updates
of such policies, and periodic disclosure (effective August 29,
2016); (iii) the Eliminating Applications through Community
Eligibility as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
final rule, which establishes requirements for state agencies,
local educational agencies, and schools operating the Community
Eligibility Provision, a reimbursement option that allows the
service of school meals to all children at no-cost in high-poverty
schools without collecting household applications (effective August
29, 2016); and (iv) the Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School
as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act final rule,
which adopts interim National School Lunch Program and School
Breakfast Program regulations as final, addressing nutrition
standards for all foods sold in schools, including food not sold
under the lunch and breakfast programs (effective September 27,
2016).
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
