Tuesday Morning - January 5, 2021 An Update on Federal and State Policy Issuesfrom SNA Table of Contents COVID-19 Policy Updates Congress Passes School Meal Program Relief Funds FNS Publishes State Guidance on Coronavirus Pandemic EBT Federal Policy Federal Register: SFSP 2021 Reimbursement Rates HHS/USDA Publish Dietary Guidelines for 2020-2025 Save the Date for the 49th Legislative Action Conference: March 8-10, 2021 State Snapshots Missouri Proposes Bill to Create Breakfast After the Bell Program Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Congressional Management Foundation Webinar Mystery Chat Corner COVID-19 Policy Updates Congress Passes School Meal Program Relief Funds On December 22, 2020, Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law, a stimulus package to provide relief to those affected by COVID-19. This stimulus bill distributes emergency relief funds to school meal programs based on a formula that takes into account the level of reimbursement a program received in 2019 and the reimbursement received during the pandemic. Read SNA's full press release. Back to the top FNS Publishes State Guidance on Coronavirus Pandemic EBT On December 30, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published state guidance on Coronavirus Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT). P-EBT assists families of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals dealing with school closures. These resources provide State Agencies with guidance and policy for navigating P-EBT, including a Question and Answers document. Back to the top School nutrition professionals at Enfield Public Schools in Connecticut worked hard to prepare school meals-to-go for students over the holidays. Federal Policy Federal Register: SFSP 2021 Reimbursement Rates On December 31, 2020, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published the notice, "Summer Food Service Program; 2021 Reimbursement Rates." This notice announces the annual adjustments to School Year (SY) 2020-21 reimbursement rates for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). The reimbursement for breakfast has been raised to $2.46, an increase of 8.75 cents from the previous reimbursement rate. The lunch reimbursement is now $4.25 (16.25 cent increase), and snack has increased to 99.75 cents (4.25 cent increase). These adjusted rates will be in effect from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Back to the top HHS/USDA Publish Dietary Guidelines for 2020-2025 On December 29, 2020, USDA and Health and Human Services (HHS) published the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines. These guidelines provide science-based recommendations designed to foster healthy dietary patterns for all Americans—this edition also includes infants and toddlers. The guidelines also emphasized several Federal nutrition programs like the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program as examples of a healthy dietary pattern. Back to the top Save the Date for the 49th Legislative Action Conference: March 8-10, 2021 Mark your calendars for the 49th Legislative Action Conference, March 8-10, 2021—a virtual event—to experience The Power of One: The Impact of Many. Stay tuned for more details about this exciting event! Register now for #LAC21! Back to the top State Snapshots Missouri Proposes Bill to Create Breakfast After the Bell Program HB 595 requires all public schools to implement a breakfast after the bell program, including any student who arrives late or arrives by a different transportation mode. Back to the top Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Next month, join us for our Webinar Wednesday and learn about USDA Foods. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. Making the Most of USDA Foods Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 3:00 pm ET When it comes to USDA Foods, diverting what you will use and using what you divert has never been more important. Join ACDA and SNA representatives to learn how to make the most of USDA Foods as you plan for next school year. Back to the top Congressional Management Foundation Webinar The VIRTUAL Citizen-Advocate's Toolkit Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 3:00 pm ET Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping in touch with constituents is among the most important job aspects for Members of Congress. With most Members of Congress taking steps to observe social distancing protocols, congressional offices quickly adopted the use of virtual platforms to communicate with the people they represent. This presentation will highlight and provide tips for effectively using virtual advocacy strategies for engaging lawmakers including virtual meetings, emailing staff, social media, online and telephone town hall meetings, and more. Back to the top Mystery Chat Corner On January 5th in 1952, which British Prime Minister makes his first official visit to the United States? A: Winston Churchill Back to the top