Tuesday Morning - September 22, 2020 An Update on Federal and State Policy Issuesfrom SNA Table of Contents COVID-19 Policy Updates USDA Publishes SFSP Reimbursement Waiver and Q&A on SFSP/SSO Clarification on NSLP/SBP Meal Pattern Rules for SY 2020-21 Federal Policy Representative Davis Introduces Operation Feed Our Kids Act Senator McConnell Responds to Letter from SNA Member State Snapshots South Carolina Introduces Resolution to Recognize School Nutrition Director Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Mystery Chat Corner COVID-19 Policy Updates USDA Publishes SFSP Reimbursement Waiver and Q&A on SFSP/SSO On September 11, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released two documents: Nationwide Waiver to “ Allow Reimbursement for Meals Served Prior to Notification of Approval and Provide Flexibility for Pre-approval Visits in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).” This waiver allows SFSP operators to forgo the requirement that reimbursements shall not be paid for meals served at a site before the sponsor has received written notification that the site has been approved for participation. This waiver expires on December 31, 2020. Questions and Answers Relating to the Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option Operations through December 2020. This memorandum includes questions and answers intended to provide clarification to State Agencies and program operators on issues related to recently published waivers for SFSP and SSO during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back to the top Clarification on NSLP/SBP Meal Pattern Rules for SY 2020-21 SNA continues to receive inquiries regarding meal pattern requirements for school meal programs operating the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs (NSLP/SBP). In April 2020, a federal district court ruling struck down USDA’s 2018 final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Flexibilities for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Requirements. The ruling eliminated NSLP/SBP meal pattern flexibilities, reverting back to the 2012 meal patterns for grades K-12, which required flavored milk to be fat free; all grains to be whole-grain rich; and school lunches and breakfasts to meet sodium target 2. However, USDA’s COVID–19: Nationwide Waiver to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Child Nutrition Programs waived for all states the requirement to serve meals that meet the meal patterns during school year 2020-21. USDA is allowing school meal programs to use this meal pattern flexibility if they cannot meet the 2012 meal pattern requirements. In the August 21, 2020 FNS document, Questions and Answers for the Child Nutrition Programs during School Year 2020-2021 – #5, FNS addresses the issue on pages 5 and 6. School nutrition professionals operating NSLP/SBP should contact their State Agencies for more information on the waiver process. Back to the top In La Crosse, Wisconsin, school nutrition staff at Holmen School District prepare over 2,000 meals each day for home delivery. First, school meals are ordered online by each family, then individually packaged meals are delivered by bus to the community. Federal Policy Representative Davis Introduces Operation Feed Our Kids Act On September 21, 2020, Representatives Rodney Davis (IL-13), Jim Costa (CA-20), Don Bacon (NE-2), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-3) introduced the bipartisan bill H.R.8325, Operation Feed our Kids Act. The bill's title is in reference to the Operation Feed Our Kids Working Group call hosted by SNA this past May on the impacts of COVID-19 on participation, revenue, staffing concerns, and feasible meal service methods. Therefore, this Act directs the USDA to extend child nutrition waivers granted under CARES ACT authority for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. In addition, this bill extends the waiver authority deadline until December 31, 2021. Back to the top Senator McConnell Responds to Letter from SNA Member On September 21, 2020, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sent a letter to an SNA member in Kentucky in response to an action alert on the impact of COVID-19 on child nutrition programs. This letter illustrates Congress's past actions on school nutrition issues, including Senator McConnell signing onto a letter encouraging USDA to provide operators' the flexibility to continue to serve meals. Also, McConnell assures that as a Senate Agriculture Committee member, he will monitor all further efforts to improve child nutrition programs. Read the full letter. Back to the top State Snapshots South Carolina Introduces Resolution to Recognize School Nutrition Director SR 1270 or HR 5557 is a resolution to recognize and congratulate School Nutrition Director Cindy Jacobs of Laurens Country School District for her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since school closures, she and her staff have served over 600,000 meals to students between March and July. Back to the top Mark Your Calendars Upcoming SNA Webinar Next week, join us for the first webinar in SNA’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Series and learn about the importance of building intentionally inclusive leadership. If you missed a particular webinar, catch up with SNA’s on-demand webinars. Growing as an Intentional Inclusionist® Thursday, October 1, 2020, 3:00 PM ET Viewing diversity and inclusion as a leadership function is vital for teams. During this training, Dr. Nika White will empower and equip participants to build their inclusion leadership competencies. Our first installment in this series is designed specifically for leaders of teams. These may include school nutrition directors, managers, state agency, and industry professionals. Back to the top Mystery Chat Corner On September 22, 1985, the first annual benefit concert held for American Farmers was hosted in Champaign, Illinois, and founded by which three musicians? A: Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young Back to the top