Tuesday Morning - November 2, 2021 An Update on Federal and State Policy Issues from SNATable of Contents COVID-19 Policy Updates SNA Briefs White House & USDA on Supply Chain Challenges USDA Q&A for CN Programs Emergency Procurement USDA COVID Flexibilities Q&A Roundup Federal Policy Build Back Better Act Includes $10 Billion in Nutrition Programs U.S. House Committee on Agriculture to Hold Supply Chain Hearing New Procurement/Supply Chain Tip Sheets from USDA Bill to Authorize White House Hunger Conference State Snapshots Kentucky Bill to Require State Supplemental Funding Mark Your Calendars The Diversity Dilemma Congressional Management Foundation FY2022 Farm to School RFA Webinars Getting Familiar with the FY 2022 Farm to School RFA Getting Your Grant Package Together Mystery Chat Corner COVID-19 Policy Updates SNA Briefs White House & USDA on Supply Chain Challenges Last week, at the invitation of the White House Domestic Policy Council, SNA briefed members of the Administration's Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials on the impact of supply chain issues on child nutrition programs. Seven SNA members participated in the call, including members of SNA's Executive Committee and operators representing small and large districts from across the country. The group detailed various procurement challenges school nutrition programs have faced this school year, expressed appreciation for regulatory waivers and the announcement of new funds, and urged the Administration to provide additional support for programs struggling to secure foods and supplies for students. SNA continues to conduct weekly calls with USDA officials regarding supply chain disruptions and is urging members to share their stories regarding the impact on programs and utilize SNA's Supply Chain Resources.USDA Q&A for CN Programs Emergency Procurement On October 15, USDA FNS issued a memorandum, “Questions and Answers for Child Nutrition Programs Emergency Procurement Due to Supply Chain Disruptions.” This memorandum provides SFAs with key information that can be used to conduct noncompetitive procurements when experiencing certain supply chain disruptions as a result of COVID-19.USDA COVID Flexibilities Q&A Roundup USDA has issued a series of question-and-answer documents on flexibilities and waivers for the child nutrition programs intended to support effective operations and provide meals while also supporting social distancing in order to reduce the exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). A compilation of these Q&As can be found on USDA’s website.COVID-19 Stories from the Front Lines Kristi Ritchie, head cook with La Grande (Ore.) High School, hands out lunches on Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021. A shortage of five-compartment lunch trays led to students receiving plastic bag lunches. Read more. Back to the top Federal PolicyBuild Back Better Act Includes $10 Billion in Nutrition Programs On October 28, the Biden Administration announced the revised Build Back Better Framework for the Build Back Better Act . The framework, which includes a $10 billion investment in nutrition programs, will expand the Community Eligibility Provision to reach an additional 8.7 million children.Section 24001 increases the CEP multiplier, which is used to determine the rate of federal reimbursement to schools, from 1.6 to 2.5 and lowers the participation threshold for schools to elect CEP from 40% to 25% of identified students. Additionally, it allows for statewide election of CEP. These changes are in effect through FY26. The bill also creates a national Summer EBT program for two years, invests $250 million in the Healthy Food Incentives Program and provides $30 million for school kitchen grants. View a complete summary.U.S. House Committee on Agriculture to Hold Supply Chain Hearing The U.S. House Committee on Agriculture will hold a hearing, “The Immediate Challenges to our Nation’s Food Supply Chain,” at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, November 3. The hearing will be broadcast live on the Committee’s website. New Procurement/Supply Chain Tip Sheets from USDA USDA’s Team Nutrition initiative has developed tip sheets to help School Food Authorities navigate meal service flexibilities and supply chain issues during this dynamic school year. Resources include: Summary of Flexibilities Table of Flexibilities Flexibilities in Practice School Meals Supply Chain Issues For more information and additional resources, visit Team Nutrition’s Planning for a Dynamic School Environment webpage at fns.usda.gov/tn/planning-dynamic-school-environment.Bill to Authorize White House Hunger Conference On October 26, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced H.R. 5724, a bill to authorize a White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger and Health. The bill follows a letter signed by all 25 Committee Chairs in the United States House of Representatives and addressed to President Joseph R. Biden Jr., urging him to convene a national conference on food, nutrition, hunger and health. Back to the top State Snapshots Kentucky Bill to Require State Supplemental Funding BR360 was prefiled in the Kentucky legislature on October 26. The bill would require the Kentucky Department of Education to provide supplemental funding for any School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program costs that are not already covered by federal funds.Mark Your Calendars School Nutrition Association Webinars Learn about hot topics in school nutrition and earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) with SNA’s popular professional development webinars. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. The Diversity Dilemma 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, November 10, 2021 This leadership workshop will challenge you to create true diversity and explore the myth that "difference automatically produces diversity." Attendees will analyze how their organization(s) may be unknowingly impacted by the culture they have created or inherited. You’ll leave this session with the action steps you can take to address your own diversity dilemma. Congressional Management Foundation Using Research to Connect the Dots Between You and Your Lawmaker 3 p.m. ET Wednesday, December 1, 2021 Despite the narrative presented by Hollywood screenwriters and the mainstream media, lawmakers are human, too. Before being elected, these politicians have careers, attend school, volunteer and achieve college degrees. This presentation will explore some strategies for using research to help connect the dots between the issues you're advocating for and those on your member's current agenda. FY2022 Farm to School RFA Webinars Review the important details of the FY 2022 Farm to School Grant RFA and key characteristics of competitive Farm to School Grant applications Getting Familiar with the FY 2022 Farm to School RFA 2:30 p.m. ET Monday, November 8, 2021 This webinar will provide an overview of the FY 2022 Farm to School Grant Program RFA. Get familiar with the requirements of the RFA and how to submit your completed application on grants.gov. Getting Your Grant Package Together 2:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, November 9, 2021 Explore the key characteristics of a competitive Farm to School Grant application. Review the required components and provide technical assistance on how to submit a complete application. Attendees will learn tips and tricks for writing a succinct application that clearly outlines your farm to school project. On November 2, 1889, these two states became the 39th and 40th addition to the United States of America. A: North Dakota and South Dakota Back to the top