The information reporting and recordkeeping requirements are necessary to ensure appropriate and efficient management of both programs.

This is a new information collection for the Waivers and State Plans (WiSP) application.

This notice sets forth the interpretation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture uses for the term “Federal public benefit” as used in Title IV of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. In doing so, this notice supersedes any prior interpretation in any notice or other document issued by any USDA agency. This notice also describes and preliminarily identifies the USDA programs that provide “Federal public benefits” within the scope of PRWORA.

The Federal-State Supplemental Nutrition Programs Agreement (form FNS-339) is an annual contract between USDA and each state, territory, and Indian Tribal Government agency seeking to operate one or more of the following programs: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), and the Seniors Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). 

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was signed into law in March 2021, provided USDA with $390 million and waiver authority for outreach, innovation, and program modernization in WIC and the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program. FNS is interested in understanding the implementation and outcomes related to these modernization efforts.

This is an affirmation of an interim rule as a final rule amending the FMNP regulations to codify three nondiscretionary provisions - authorize roadside stands, reduce the required amount of state matching funds, and increase the maximum federal benefit level - mandated in the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. 

This interim final rule amends the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program regulations to codify three FMNP nondiscretionary provisions mandated in the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

This final rule implements three FMNP-related nondiscretionary provisions mandated in the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 1998. The three provisions pertain to the use of program income as a state matching fund source, elimination of specific state plan ranking criteria used to determine funding preferences, and use of expansion funds to increase the value of benefits to recipients.