The Emergency Food Assistance Program
June 15, 2022
(TEFAP): Background and Funding
Kara Clifford Billings
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal food distribution program that
Analyst in Social Policy
supports food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other emergency feeding organizations

serving low-income Americans. Federal assistance takes the form of federally purchased
commodities—including fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains—and funding for administrative

costs. Food aid and funds are distributed to states using a statutory formula that takes into
account poverty and unemployment rates. TEFAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food
and Nutrition Service (FNS).
TEFAP was established as the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program by the Emergency Food Assistance Act of
1983. The Emergency Food Assistance Act continues to govern program operations, while the Food and Nutrition Act
authorizes funding for TEFAP’s entitlement commodities. TEFAP also incorporates bonus commodities, which are
distributed at USDA’s discretion throughout the year to support different crops using separate budget authority. A smaller
amount of discretionary funding is appropriated annually to cover administrative and distribution costs under Emergency
Food Assistance Act authority. In addition to normal aid, additional commodities and administrative funds have been
distributed through TEFAP in recent years as a result of USDA’s Trade Mitigation Food Purchase and Distribution Program
and supplemental appropriations from COVID-19 pandemic response laws. In FY2021, federal spending on TEFAP was
nearly $1.6 billion.
FNS coordinates the purchasing of commodities and the allocation of commodities and administrative funds to states, and
provides general program oversight. State agencies—often state departments of health and human services, agriculture, or
education—determine program eligibility rules and allocations of aid to feeding organizations (called recipient agencies).
States often task food banks, which operate regional warehouses, with distributing foods to other recipient agencies. TEFAP
aid makes up a modest proportion of the food and funds available to emergency feeding organizations, which are reliant on
private donations as well.
TEFAP is the primary federal program supporting emergency feeding organizations. Other related food distribution programs
focus on specific subpopulations; for example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Emergency Food
and Shelter Program distributes food to organizations serving homeless individuals and USDA’s Commodity Supplemental
Food Program distributes food to organizations serving older individuals with low incomes.
TEFAP is typically amended and reauthorized through farm bills. Most recently, the 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334) extended
funding for TEFAP’s entitlement commodities through FY2023. The law also funded new projects aimed at facilitating
donations from farmers and other agricultural producers, processors, and distributors to emergency feeding organizations.
Recent program developments include the program’s use in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, grants aimed at expanding
TEFAP’s reach into underserved areas, and TEFAP’s receipt of trade mitigation commodities.
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Introduction
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP; previously the Temporary Emergency Food
Assistance Program) provides federally purchased commodities and a smaller amount of cash
support to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other types of emergency
feeding organizations serving low-income households and individuals.1 Commodities include
fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains, among other foods.2 In addition to serving individuals,
TEFAP’s domestic commodity purchases support the agricultural economy by reducing supply on
the market, thereby increasing food prices. TEFAP is administered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
TEFAP was established under the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 in an effort to dispose
of government-held agricultural surpluses and alleviate hunger in the wake of a recession and
declining food stamp benefits.3 Since then, TEFAP has evolved into a permanent program that
operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories.4 The program was
most recently reauthorized by the 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334).
At the federal level, TEFAP is administered by FNS in collaboration with USDA’s purchasing
agency, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). At the state level, TEFAP is administered by a
state distributing agency designated by the governor or state legislature; generally, they are state
departments of health and human services, agriculture, or education. Federal commodities and
funds may flow through the state or directly to feeding organizations (called recipient agencies)
based on how the state structures the program.5 States will often task food banks with processing
and distributing food to local feeding organizations. Food banks typically operate regional
warehouses and distribute food to other organizations rather than to households directly.6 Figure
1 depicts the flow of commodities and funds through TEFAP.

1 The 1990 farm bill (P.L. 101-624) removed “Temporary” from the program title.
2 USDA, FNS, USDA Foods Available List for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) 2022, August 30,
2021, https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/usda-foods-available-list-tefap.
3 See Appendix C for further legislative history.
4 Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Throughout
this report, the term states includes these other jurisdictions. For an explanation of appropriated mandatory funding, see
CRS Report RS20129, Entitlements and Appropriated Entitlements in the Federal Budget Process.
5 Consistent with statute and regulations, this report uses the term recipient agency to describe organizations receiving
TEFAP support. Emergency feeding organizations are the most common type of recipient agency.
6 See “Program Administration” for further discussion of federal, state, and local roles. C. Cabili, E. Eslami, and R.
Briefel, White Paper on the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), prepared by Mathematica for the Office of
Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2013, https://www.fns.usda.gov/
white-paper-emergency-food-assistance-program-tefap.
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The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Background and Funding

Figure 1. Flow of Foods and Funds through TEFAP

Source: Adapted from USDA, FNS, White Paper on the Emergency Food Assistance Program, 2013.
a. States may distribute food to recipient agencies directly or task recipient agencies with food distribution to
other recipient agencies. States often delegate this responsibility to food banks.
TEFAP is part of a larger web of food assistance programs.7 Some of these programs provide cash
assistance while others primarily distribute food. TEFAP foods may reach individuals who do not
qualify for other food assistance programs or supplement the assistance that individuals receive
through other programs. Related federal programs include the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s (FEMA’s) Emergency Food and Shelter Program, which, among its other services for
homeless individuals, provides food through shelters, food banks, and food pantries.8 In addition,
USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program distributes monthly food packages to low-
income elderly individuals through local organizations, which can include food banks and
pantries.9 The Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which USDA operated from May 2020 to
May 2021, provided funds to suppliers to prepare food boxes for distribution to food banks and
other nonprofit organizations serving households in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.10
This report begins by describing the population using emergency food assistance. It goes on to
discuss the TEFAP program, including its administration at the federal, state, and local levels,
eligibility rules, and funding structure. The report concludes by summarizing TEFAP’s role in
disaster response and recent reauthorizations. Appendix A lists total TEFAP funding from the
program’s inception in 1983 to present; Appendix B lists TEFAP funding by state; and Appendix
C provides a brief legislative history of TEFAP.
Definitions
Emergency feeding organizations (EFOs): “The term ‘emergency feeding organization’ means a public or
nonprofit organization that administers activities and projects (including the activities and projects of a charitable
institution, a food bank, a food pantry, a hunger relief center, a soup kitchen, or a similar public or private
nonprofit eligible recipient agency) providing nutrition assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress
through the provision of food to needy persons, including low-income and unemployed persons.”
Common types of EFOs:

Food banks: “The term ‘food bank’ means a public or charitable institution that maintains an established
operation involving the provision of food or edible commodities, or the products of food or edible

7 See CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs.
8 For more information, see CRS Report R42766, The Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program and
Homeless Assistance.
9 For more information, see CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs.
10 For more information, see CRS Report R46681, USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs: Response to the COVID-19
Pandemic.
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commodities, to food pantries, soup kitchens, hunger relief centers, or other food or feeding centers that, as
an integral part of their normal activities, provide meals or food to feed needy persons on a regular basis.”

Food pantries: “The term ‘food pantry’ means a public or private nonprofit organization that distributes
food to low-income and unemployed households, including food from sources other than the Department of
Agriculture, to relieve situations of emergency and distress.”

Soup kitchens: “The term ‘soup kitchen’ means a public or charitable institution that, as an integral part of
the normal activities of the institution, maintains an established feeding operation to provide food to needy
homeless persons on a regular basis.”
Source: Section 201A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7501)
The Demand for Emergency Food Assistance
According to an analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) data by USDA’s Economic
Research Service (ERS), an estimated 8.7 million households (6.7%) obtained emergency food
from a food bank, food pantry, or church in 2020, up from 5.7 million households (4.4%) in 2019
(see Figure 2). Soup kitchens were utilized at a lower rate: by approximately 451,000 households
(0.4%) in 2020 and 693,000 households (0.5%) in 2019.11 It is likely these are underestimates of
the population using emergency food assistance because the sample excluded households with
incomes over 185% of the poverty guidelines that did not report any indications of food
insecurity on screening questions, and the CPS does not fully capture households who are
homeless or in tenuous housing arrangements. For comparison, a survey by Feeding America, a
nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, estimated that approximately 15.5 million
households accessed its network of feeding organizations in 2013 (the same year, ERS estimated
that 6.9 million households obtained emergency food). The Feeding America network represents
a large segment of emergency feeding organizations nationwide.12
The ERS findings for 2019 and 2020 track with other data indicating increased use of emergency
feeding organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis by the Urban Institute, a
nonprofit research organization, found that 19.7% of nonelderly adults received free food from
food banks, food pantries, churches, shelters, and similar organizations in December 2020, up
from 13.2% in December 2019.13

11 Households utilizing food pantries in 2020 included 24.8 million individuals, and households utilizing soup kitchens
included 867,000 individuals. Food pantry use was defined as “receiving emergency food from a church, food pantry,
or food bank.” A. Coleman-Jensen, M.P. Rabbitt, C.A. Gregory, and A. Singh, Statistical Supplement to Household
Food Security in the United States in 2020, AP-091, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service,
September 2021, pp. 22-23, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/102072/ap-091.pdf?v=2176.1; and A.
Coleman-Jensen, M.P. Rabbitt, C.A. Gregory, and A. Singh, Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the
United States in 2019, AP-084, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2020, pp. 21-
23, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99289/ap-084.pdf?v=6449https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/
pub-details/?pubid=94869.
12 Feeding America’s network includes 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries, according to FeedingAmerica.org,
Our Network, http://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/food-bank-network.html. In 2000, Feeding America’s network
included 80% of emergency feeding organizations according to J.C. Ohls et al., The Emergency Food Assistance
System—Findings From the Provider Survey, prepared by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. for the Food and Rural
Economics Division, Economic Research Service, USDA, October 2002, p. 2, https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/
pub-details/?pubid=46507.
13 Elaine Waxman, Poonam Gupta, and Dulce Gonzalez, “Charitable Food Use Increased Nearly 50 Percent from 2019
to 2020,” Urban Institute, March 2021, https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/103825/charitable-food-
use-increased-nearly-50-percent-from-2019-to-2020_0.pdf.
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Data on the number of TEFAP food recipients are not available, in part because TEFAP
commodities are mixed in with other commodities provided by emergency feeding organizations
and because of “the transient nature of participation.”14
Figure 2. Households Using Emergency Feeding Organizations, 2007-2020

Source: CRS graphic based on data contained in statistical supplements to Household Food Security in the United
States, USDA Economic Research Service, for 2005-2020.
Notes: Number and percentage of households who reported that they received emergency food from a food
pantry, food bank, or church in the last 12 months. This may be an underestimate of the number of households
using food pantries due to the fact that the Census’s Current Population Survey (CPS) Food Security Supplement
focuses on households with incomes under 185% of the poverty guidelines and excludes homeless individuals and
underrepresents those in tenuous housing arrangements.
Characteristics of Emergency Food Recipients
Food insecurity is common among households using emergency feeding organizations.15
According to the ERS analysis, 55.9% of households using emergency feeding organizations
were food insecure in 2020, meaning that they had difficulty providing enough food for all of
their members at times during the year due to a lack of resources (the comparable percentage was
65.7% in 2019).16 Roughly half of these households experienced very low food security, meaning

14 USDA, FNS, Nutrient and MyPyramid Analysis of USDA Foods in Five of Its Food and Nutrition Programs,
prepared by Westat for the Office of Research and Analysis, January 2012, p. 3-84, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/
default/files/ops/NutrientMyPyramid.pdf.
15 Food security focuses on economic and access-related factors associated with an individual’s ability to purchase food
or otherwise obtain enough to eat, as opposed to hunger, which is considered a physiological condition. For more
information on the differences between food insecurity and hunger, see CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food
Assistance: Summary of Programs.
16 A. Coleman-Jensen, M.P. Rabbitt, C.A. Gregory, and A. Singh, Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security
in the United States in 2020, AP-091, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2021,
pp. 22-23, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/102072/ap-091.pdf?v=2176.1; A. Coleman-Jensen, M.P.
Rabbitt, C.A. Gregory, and A. Singh, Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in the United States in 2019,
AP-084, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2020, pp. 21-23,
https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/99289/ap-084.pdf?v=6449https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-
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that the food intake of some household members was reduced and normal eating patterns were
disrupted due to limited resources.
According to the ERS analysis, in 2020 households obtaining emergency food from a food bank,
pantry, or church were more likely to have incomes below 185% of poverty compared to other
respondents (63% vs. 20%) and to include children (41% vs. 29%).17 Meanwhile, according to the
2014 Feeding America survey, individuals using meal programs (e.g., soup kitchens and shelters)
were generally single-person households and were more likely to be homeless. In 2013, just over
70% of households using the Feeding America network of meal programs had a single member
and nearly 34% were homeless or living in temporary housing.18
In addition, emergency feeding organizations may act as a safety net for food insecure households
who are ineligible for or do not participate in other federal food assistance programs. For
example, in the case of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), households may
have an income too high to qualify for assistance but still experience difficulty purchasing food,
or they may fail to meet other program eligibility rules.19 Among households using feeding
organizations affiliated with Feeding America’s network, a little more than half (55%) reported
receiving SNAP benefits in 2013.20
Program Administration
Federal Role
FNS is responsible for allocating TEFAP aid to states (see “State Allocation Formula”) and
coordinating the ordering, processing, and distribution of commodities. Specifically, FNS decides
which foods will be available in the USDA Foods catalog and allocates entitlement aid and
administrative funds to states. States and recipient agencies then place orders for certain
quantities and types of commodities (discussed under “Types of Foods”) based on their
entitlement allocation. FNS collaborates closely with USDA’s purchasing agency—the
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)—to process and fulfill the orders.21 AMS and FNS also
collaborate to purchase and distribute bonus commodities throughout the year that are not based
on state requests but rather USDA’s discretion to support different crops. Selected vendors
deliver both entitlement and bonus commodities to state-selected distribution points.22
FNS also issues regulations and guidance and provides general oversight of states’ TEFAP
operations. FNS provides oversight by reviewing and approving state TEFAP plans, which are

details/?pubid=94869.
17 Coleman-Jensen, M.P. Rabbitt, C.A. Gregory, and A. Singh, Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in
the United States in 2020, AP-091, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2021, pp.
22-24, https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/102072/ap-091.pdf?v=2176.1.
18 Weinfield et al., Hunger in America 2014, Feeding America, prepared by Westat and the Urban Institute, August
2014, pp. 91, 100-102, http://help.feedingamerica.org/HungerInAmerica/hunger-in-america-2014-full-report.pdf.
19 For more information on SNAP eligibility, see CRS Report R42505, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits.
20 Weinfield et al., Hunger in America 2014, Feeding America, prepared by Westat and the Urban Institute, August
2014, http://help.feedingamerica.org/HungerInAmerica/hunger-in-america-2014-full-report.pdf.
21 C. Cabili, E. Eslami, and R. Briefel, White Paper on the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), prepared by
Mathematica for the Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, August
2013, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/TEFAPWhitePaper.pdf.
22 Section 203B of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7505); 7 C.F.R. §251.4.
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documents that outline each state’s operation of TEFAP. States are required to submit
amendments to the plan for approval “when necessary to reflect any changes in program
operations or administration as described in the plan, or at the request of FNS, to the appropriate
FNS Regional Office.”23
State Role
TEFAP is administered at the state level by an agency designated by the governor “or other
appropriate State executive authority” that enters into an agreement with FNS.24 States most
commonly administer TEFAP through a health/human services, agriculture, or education
department.25 State agencies administering TEFAP are responsible for creating eligibility and
other program rules (see “Eligibility Rules for Individuals and Households”), which are outlined
in state plans approved by FNS.26 They are also responsible for selecting and overseeing recipient
agencies.
Federal regulations allow states to delegate a number of responsibilities to recipient agencies,
including selecting and subcontracting with other recipient agencies.27 States often delegate the
ordering and distribution of USDA Foods to regional food banks, which receive foods and make
deliveries to other recipient organizations, such as food pantries.28 According to a 50-state
analysis conducted by Feeding America in 2020, nearly all states reported that commodities were
delivered by vendors directly to recipient agencies (often to food banks for distribution to other
organizations).29 States cannot delegate their responsibility to set eligibility rules or oversee
recipient agencies.30
States must review at least 25% of recipient agencies contracting directly with the state (e.g., food
banks) at least once every four years, and at least one-tenth or 20 (whichever is fewer) of other
recipient agencies each year.31 If the state finds deficiencies in the course of review, the state
agency must submit a report with the findings to the recipient agency and ensure that corrective
action is taken.

23 Section 202A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7503).
24 7 C.F.R. §251.2.
25 USDA, FNS, TEFAP State Contacts, https://www.fns.usda.gov/contacts.
26 Individual state plans are often available on the state agency’s website that administers TEFAP. A list of state
agencies that administer TEFAP is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/contacts. According to Section 202A of the
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7503), state plans must include eligibility rules.
27 7 C.F.R. §251.2, 7 C.F.R. §251.5; C. Cabili, E. Eslami, and R. Briefel, White Paper on the Emergency Food
Assistance Program (TEFAP), prepared by Mathematica for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition
Service, Office of Policy Support, August 2013, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/
TEFAPWhitePaper.pdf.
28 Feeding America, The Emergency Food Assistance Program: State Guide, February 2020,
https://feedingamericaaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Resource_Feeding-America-TEFAP-State-by-State-
Guide.pdf; Washington State Department of Agriculture, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP):
Distribution National Survey 2015, AGR 609-574. Per Section 202A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983
(codified at 7 U.S.C. §7503), state plans must describe how the state will give recipient agencies an opportunity to
provide input on the commodities selected.
29 Washington State Department of Agriculture, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Distribution
National Survey 2015, AGR 609-574. Larger states often reported multiple, regional warehouses while smaller states
sometimes had one central warehouse.
30 7 C.F.R. §251.5.
31 7 C.F.R. §251.10.
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Local Role
Organizations that are eligible for TEFAP aid are referred to as recipient agencies in the
Emergency Food Assistance Act. According to the statute, recipient agencies are public or
nonprofit organizations that administer
 emergency feeding organizations;
 charitable institutions;
 summer camps or child nutrition programs;
 nutrition projects operating under the Older Americans Act of 1965; or
 disaster relief programs.32
The first category of organizations—emergency feeding organizations—receive priority under
TEFAP statute and regulations and the majority of TEFAP aid.33 Emergency feeding organizations
are defined as public or nonprofit organizations “providing nutrition assistance to relieve
situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to needy persons, including
low-income and unemployed persons.”34 They include food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens,
and other organizations serving similar functions.
Recipient agencies are responsible for serving and distributing TEFAP foods to individuals and
households. As discussed above, they may also have additional responsibilities as delegated by
the state agency; for example, food banks may be tasked with distributing food to subcontracted
recipient agencies like food pantries and soup kitchens, which in turn distribute foods or serve
prepared meals to low-income individuals and families.
Recipient agencies must adhere to program rules. For example, they must safely store food and
comply with state and/or local food safety and health inspection requirements.35 Recipient
agencies must also maintain records of the commodities they receive and a list of households
receiving TEFAP foods for home consumption.36 There are also restrictions on the types of
activities that can occur at distribution sites. Recipient agencies must ensure that any unrelated
activities are conducted in a way that makes clear that the activity is not part of TEFAP and that
receipt of TEFAP foods is not contingent on participation in the activity.37 Activities may not
disrupt food distribution or meal service and may not be explicitly religious.38 In addition,
recipient agencies may not engage in recruitment activities designed to persuade an individual to
apply for SNAP benefits.39

32 Section 201A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7501).
33 Section 203B of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7505) gives states the option to
give emergency feeding organizations priority. When they cannot meet the full demand of all eligible recipient
organizations, states must give priority to emergency feeding organizations according to TEFAP regulations (7 C.F.R.
§251.4). The statement that emergency feeding organizations receive the majority of TEFAP aid is based on CRS
communication with the Food and Nutrition Service in September 2018.
34 Section 201A of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7501).
35 7 C.F.R. §250.14.
36 7 C.F.R. §251.10.
37 Ibid.
38 Ibid; USDA, FNS, Further Clarification on the Prohibition Against Explicitly Religious Activities As Part of TEFAP
and CSFP Activities, FD-142, November 28, 2016, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/fdd/FD-142-
Prohibition-Religious-Activities.pdf.
39 USDA, FNS, Prohibition of SNAP Recruitment and Promotion Activities by FDPIR and TEFAP Administering
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Characteristics of Emergency Feeding Organizations
The most recent census of emergency feeding organizations was conducted in 2000 by USDA’s Economic
Research Service (ERS).40 ERS found that there were approximately 400 food banks, 32,700 food pantries and
5,300 soup kitchens in the United States in 2000.41 These organizations were reliant on both private and public
donations, including TEFAP support. According to the survey, TEFAP foods comprised 14% of foods distributed by
the emergency food assistance system and TEFAP administrative funds comprised 12% to 27% of organizations’
operating costs in 2000.42 However, this proportion may fluctuate from year to year.
Most food banks in the ERS survey were secular, nonprofit organizations, while the majority of food pantries and
soup kitchens were nonprofit organizations associated with a religious group.43 Food banks were likely to be
affiliated with a national organization, including Feeding America (previously Second Harvest), United Way,
Foodchain, Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and Catholic Charities.44 All types of emergency feeding organizations
were dependent on volunteers.45
Eligibility Rules for Individuals and Households
Under broad federal guidelines, states set eligibility rules for individuals and households
participating in TEFAP. Eligibility rules differ for organizations distributing commodities directly
to households (e.g., food pantries) and organizations providing prepared meals (e.g., soup
kitchens). States must develop income-based standards for households receiving foods directly,
but cannot set such standards for individuals receiving prepared meals. However, organizations
serving prepared meals must serve predominantly needy persons, and states “may establish a
higher standard than ‘predominantly’ and may determine whether organizations meet the
applicable standard by considering socioeconomic data of the area in which the organization is
located, or from which it draws its clientele.”46
Income eligibility rules for households receiving TEFAP foods directly vary by state. Many states
limit income eligibility to household incomes at or below 185% of the poverty guidelines.47 Some
states also confer household eligibility based on participation in other federal and state programs
(known as categorical eligibility).48

Agencies, Policy Memorandum No. FD-143, May 2017, https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods/prohibition-snap-
recruitment-and-promotion-activities-fdpir-and-tefap-administering-agencies.
40 Feeding America published a study in 2014 of its network of feeding organizations (discussed in this report).
However, while the Feeding America network comprises a large portion of the emergency feeding network, it is not a
nationally representative sample of organizations.
41 J.C. Ohls et al., The Emergency Food Assistance System—Findings From the Provider Survey, 16-2, prepared by
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. for the Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, USDA,
October 2002, https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=46507.
42 Ibid; see pp. 133-134 for TEFAP’s proportion of foods and pp. 45, 77, 110 for its proportion of operating costs.
43 J.C. Ohls et al., The Emergency Food Assistance System—Findings From the Provider Survey, 16-2, prepared by
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. for the Food and Rural Economics Division, Economic Research Service, USDA,
October 2002, pp. 16 and 50, https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=46507.
44 Ibid, p. 81.
45 Ibid, pp. 39, 72, 108.
46 7 C.F.R. §251.5.
47 Examples include Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wisconsin. Individual
state plans can usually be found on the state agency’s website that administers TEFAP. A list of state agencies that
administer TEFAP is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/contacts.
48 See page 10 of Feeding America, The Emergency Food Assistance Program: State Guide, February 2020,
https://feedingamericaaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Resource_Feeding-America-TEFAP-State-by-State-
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States may also create other eligibility rules for households’ receipt of TEFAP foods, such as
requiring identification or proof of residency within the state or a specific locality.49 However,
according to federal regulations, length of residency cannot be a criterion.50
Funding and Appropriations
Federal assistance through TEFAP is primarily provided in the form of USDA-purchased
domestic agricultural commodities (USDA Foods). A smaller amount of assistance is provided in
the form of cash support for administrative and distribution costs.
There are two types of TEFAP commodities: entitlement commodities and bonus commodities.
Funding for entitlement commodities is considered appropriated mandatory spending, meaning
that the authorizing law sets the level of spending but an annual appropriation is needed to
provide funding.51 Funding for bonus commodities is not included in the TEFAP appropriation
and is instead provided by separate USDA budget authority. These funds are used by USDA for
bonus commodity purchases for the program throughout the year. TEFAP's administrative funds
are discretionary spending and require an annual appropriation.52
In FY2022, there is $981 million available for TEFAP entitlement purchases and administrative
funds, including funds from the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) (discussed further in the “COVID-19
Pandemic Response” section). USDA may also distribute bonus commodities in FY2022. In
FY2021 (the most recent year with complete data), USDA distributed $701 million in bonus
commodities through TEFAP.53
Commodity Food Support
Entitlement Commodities
Mandatory funding for TEFAP commodities is authorized by Section 27 of the Food and
Nutrition Act (codified at 7 U.S.C. §2036). The act authorizes $250 million annually plus
additional amounts each year in FY2019 through FY2023 as a result of amendments made by the
2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334). In FY2019, the additional amount was $23 million; for each of
FY2020-FY2023, the additional amount is $35 million. Both the base funding of $250 million
and the additional amounts are adjusted for food price inflation in accordance with USDA’s

Guide.pdf.
49 See individual state plans for state-specific eligibility rules, which can usually be found on the state agency’s website
that administers TEFAP. A list of state agencies that administer TEFAP is available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/
contacts. For a summary of state policies as of February 2020, see Feeding America, The Emergency Food Assistance
Program: State Guide, February 2020, https://feedingamericaaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/
Resource_Feeding-America-TEFAP-State-by-State-Guide.pdf.
50 7 C.F.R. §251.5(b); Feeding America, The Emergency Food Assistance Program: State Guide, February 2020,
https://feedingamericaaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Resource_Feeding-America-TEFAP-State-by-State-
Guide.pdf.
51 For an explanation of appropriated mandatory spending, see CRS Report R44582, Overview of Funding Mechanisms
in the Federal Budget Process, and Selected Examples.
52 Funding for TEFAP’s entitlement commodities is typically contained in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) account and appropriations for administrative costs is typically contained in the Commodity
Assistance Program account of annual appropriations acts.
53 USDA, FNS, “FY2023 USDA Explanatory Notes – Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 35-134, https://www.usda.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/34FNS2022Notes.pdf.
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Thrifty Food Plan.54 Appropriations may also provide additional discretionary funding for
commodities beyond the levels set in the Food and Nutrition Act. For FY2022, the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103) and accompanying report language provided $399.75
million for TEFAP entitlement commodities.55
Historically, appropriations laws have allowed states to convert a portion of their funds for
entitlement commodities into administrative funds.56 In past years, states were allowed to convert
10% of funds; FY2018 and FY2019 appropriations acts increased the proportion to 15%, and
FY2020-FY2022 appropriations acts increased the proportion to 20%.57 States typically exercise
this option; for example, in FY2021, states converted $54.7 million out of a possible $68.4
million in eligible funds.58 States are also allowed to carry over entitlement commodity funds into
the next fiscal year.59
Within USDA, FNS works closely with AMS to determine which entitlement foods are available
for TEFAP. FNS also solicits input from state and local agencies. According to statute, USDA
must, “to the extent practicable and appropriate, make purchases based on (1) agricultural market
conditions; (2) preferences and needs of States and distributing agencies; and (3) preferences of
recipients.”60
TEFAP’s Authorizing Laws
The Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983: governs TEFAP operations and authorizes discretionary
funding for administrative costs (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7501-7516)
The Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (previously the Food Stamp Act): Section 27 authorizes mandatory
funding for TEFAP commodities (codified at 7 U.S.C. §2036)
Bonus Commodities
Bonus commodities are purchased at USDA’s discretion throughout the year using separate
budget authority. USDA’s purchases of bonus commodities are based on agricultural surpluses or
other economic problems, as raised by farm and industry organizations and assessed by USDA’s
own commodity experts. The amount and type of bonus commodities that USDA purchases for

54 Amounts are adjusted using the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), a USDA-calculation that estimates the cost of purchasing a
nutritionally adequate low-cost diet. The TFP is the cheapest of four diet plans meeting minimal nutrition requirements
devised by USDA. USDA calculates the cost of the TFP each year to account for food price inflation; additionally, in
2021 USDA reassessed the contents of the TFP (often thought of as a market basket of goods), which resulted in an
increase to TEFAP entitlement commodity funding starting in FY2022. USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food
Assistance Program (TEFAP): Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) Adjustment of TEFAP Funding,” FNS-GD-2021-0086, August
16, 2021.
55 “Explanatory Statement Submitted by Ms. DeLauro, Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, Regarding
the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2471, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022,”
Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 168, no. 42, book 3 (March 9, 2022), p. H1715, https://www.congress.gov/
117/crec/2022/03/09/168/42/CREC-2022-03-09-bk3.pdf.
56 States may also convert any amount of administrative funds into food funds, but this happens to a lesser extent.
57 For FY2002-FY2008, states were allowed to convert $10 million of entitlement commodity funds into administrative
funds. For FY2009-FY2017, states were allowed to convert 10% of entitlement commodity funds into administrative
funds.
58 USDA, FNS, “FY2023 USDA Explanatory Notes – Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 35-134, https://www.usda.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/34FNS2022Notes.pdf.
59 This has occurred since FY2015 as a result of a provision in the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79).
60 Section 27 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §2036(b)).
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TEFAP fluctuates from year to year, and depends largely on agricultural market conditions. States
and recipient agencies are not required to accept bonus foods.
USDA’s purchases of bonus commodities stem from two authorities: Section 32 of the Act of
August 24, 1935 and the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).61 Section 32 is a permanent
appropriation that sets aside the equivalent of 30% of annual customs receipts to support the farm
sector through the purchase of surplus commodities and a variety of other activities.62 The CCC is
a government-owned entity that finances authorized programs that support U.S. agriculture. Its
operations are supported by USDA’s Farm Service Agency. The CCC has permanent, indefinite
authority to borrow up to $30 billion from the U.S. Treasury to finance its programs.63
Section 32 has historically financed TEFAP commodities to a greater extent than the Commodity
Credit Corporation.64 Unlike CCC support, which is normally limited to price-supported
commodities (such as milk, grains, and sugar), Section 32 is less constrained in the types of
commodities that may be provided, and can include meats, poultry, fruits, vegetables, and
seafood.
In FY2021, USDA distributed $701 million in bonus commodities through TEFAP.65 The level of
bonus commodities has fluctuated substantially over time (see Figure 3).
Trade Mitigation Purchases
In 2018 and 2019, the Trump Administration announced two trade aid packages aimed at assisting
farmers impacted by retaliatory tariffs, using CCC authority.66 The first trade aid package,
announced in August 2018, included $1.2 billion in purchases of commodities for distribution to
TEFAP and other domestic food assistance programs.67 The second trade aid package, announced
in May 2019, provided another $1.4 billion for such purposes.68 In total, USDA distributed $1.1
billion worth of trade mitigation foods through TEFAP in FY2019 and $1.2 billion in FY2020.69
The Biden Administration has not announced any plans to purchase trade mitigation
commodities.

61 For Section 32 purchasing authorities, see Section 32 of the act of August 24, 1935 (P.L. 74-320). For CCC
purchasing authorities, see Section 5 of the CCC Charter Act. The Secretary’s authority to donate such commodities to
TEFAP is established by Section 17 of the Commodity Distribution Reform and WIC Amendments Act Of 1987.
62 For more information, see CRS Report RL34081, Farm and Food Support Under USDA’s Section 32 Program.
63 For more information, see CRS Report R44606, The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC).
64 CRS communication with the Food and Nutrition Service in September 2018.
65 USDA, FNS, “FY2023 USDA Explanatory Notes – Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 35-134, https://www.usda.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/34FNS2022Notes.pdf.
66 For more information, see CRS Report R45310, Farm Policy: USDA’s 2018 Trade Aid Package; and CRS Report
R45865, Farm Policy: USDA’s 2019 Trade Aid Package.
67 For more information, see CRS Report R45310, Farm Policy: USDA’s 2018 Trade Aid Package; and CRS Report
R45865, Farm Policy: USDA’s 2019 Trade Aid Package. USDA, “USDA Announces Details of Assistance for
Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation,” press release, August 27, 2018, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-
releases/2018/08/27/usda-announces-details-assistance-farmers-impacted-unjustified. The largest purchases announced
include pork, sweet cherries, apples, pistachios, dairy, and almonds.
68 USDA, “USDA Announces Support for Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation and Trade Disruption,” press
release, May 23, 2019, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/23/usda-announces-support-farmers-
impacted-unjustified-retaliation-and.
69 USDA, FNS, “FY2023 USDA Explanatory Notes – Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 35-134, https://www.usda.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/34FNS2022Notes.pdf.
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Types of Foods
USDA-purchased agricultural products (USDA Foods) in TEFAP include a variety of products,
such as meats, eggs, vegetables, soup, beans, nuts, peanut butter, cereal, pasta, milk, and juice.70
Most foods are nonperishable and ready for distribution when delivered to states, although some
foods, such as some meat, dairy, and fresh produce, require refrigeration.71 States and recipient
agencies can request entitlement commodities from a list of USDA Foods.
In contrast, USDA selects bonus foods based on market conditions. In FY2021, bonus food
purchases included “asparagus, beans, peas, lentils, butter, milk, cheese, eggs, orange juice,
grapefruit juice, fish, shrimp, chicken, turkey, bison, beef, pork, grapes, raisins, cherries, fig
pieces, plums, apricots, dates, cranberries, blueberries, peaches, walnuts, pistachios and
almonds.”72
According to a 2012 USDA study, TEFAP foods were relatively nutritious compared to foods in
the average American diet.73 The study found that TEFAP entitlement and bonus foods delivered
to states in FY2009 scored 88.9 points out of a possible 100 points on the Healthy Eating Index—
a measure of compliance with federal dietary guidelines—compared to 57.5 points scored by the
average American diet.74 Keeping in mind that TEFAP foods are generally meant to supplement
diets, the study also found that these foods would supply 81% of fruits, 69% of vegetables, 98%
of grains, 171% of protein, 36% of dairy, 84% of oils, and 39% of the maximum solid fats and
added sugars recommended for a 2,000-calorie diet.75
Administrative Cash Support
TEFAP provides funds to cover state and recipient agency costs related to processing, storing,
transporting, and distributing USDA-purchased commodities, as well as administrative costs
related to determining eligibility, training staff, recordkeeping, and other activities.76
Administrative funds can also be used to support states’ food recovery efforts.77

70 USDA, FNS, USDA Foods Available List for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) 2022, August 30,
2021, https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/usda-foods-available-list-tefap.
71 C. Cabili, E. Eslami, and R. Briefel, White Paper on the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), prepared by
Mathematica for the Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, August
2013, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/TEFAPWhitePaper.pdf. USDA added mixed fresh produce
boxes to its TEFAP offerings in 2021 following the completion of the separate Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
For more information, see USDA, FNS, “TEFAP Fresh Produce,” March 30, 2021, https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/
fresh-produce.
72 USDA, FNS, “FY2023 USDA Explanatory Notes – Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 35-133, https://www.usda.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/34FNS2022Notes.pdf.
73 See USDA, FNS, Nutrient and MyPyramid Analysis of USDA Foods in Five of Its Food and Nutrition Programs,
prepared by Westat for the Office of Research and Analysis, January 2012, p. 3-76 to 3-84, https://fns-
prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/ops/NutrientMyPyramid.pdf.
74 Federal dietary guidelines refer to the 2010 USDA Food Patterns, which are based on the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
75 USDA, FNS, Nutrient and MyPyramid Analysis of USDA Foods in Five of Its Food and Nutrition Programs,
prepared by Westat for the Office of Research and Analysis, January 2012, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/
files/ops/NutrientMyPyramid.pdf.
76 Section 204 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7508).
77 Section 203D and Section 204 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. 7§507). Also see
C. Cabili, E. Eslami, and R. Briefel, White Paper on the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), prepared by
Mathematica for the Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, August
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The Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 authorizes $100 million to be appropriated annually
for administrative costs.78 In recent years, annual appropriations acts have provided
approximately $80 million in discretionary funding for TEFAP administrative funds.79
The Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 also authorizes up to $15 million to be appropriated
for TEFAP infrastructure grants (and this authority was extended by the 2018 farm bill). Funds
were last appropriated for these grants in FY2010.80 In FY2021, USDA made $100 million
available for new Reach and Resiliency grants that will include infrastructure improvements
(discussed below).81
The statute specifies that administrative funds must be made available to states, which must in
turn distribute at least 40% of the funds to emergency feeding organizations.82 However, states are
required to match whatever administrative funds they keep. As a result, states typically send
nearly all of these funds to emergency feeding organizations.83
States can convert any amount of their administrative funds to food funds, but this happens to a
lesser extent than the conversion of food funds to administrative funds.84
Other Funding
Farm to Food Bank Projects
The 2018 farm bill (§4018 of P.L. 115-334) authorized projects to support the harvesting,
processing, packaging, and/or transportation of raw or unprocessed commodities from
agricultural producers, processors, and distributors to emergency feeding organizations—termed
Farm to Food Bank Projects by USDA. The law provided $4 million in annual mandatory
funding for the projects from FY2019 to FY2023 and required at least a 50% nonfederal match. It
also required states to include a plan of operations for Farm to Food Bank Projects in their state
TEFAP plans in order to receive funding. The law gave USDA discretion to determine how funds
would be allocated to such states; through rulemaking published in October 2019, USDA
established that funds would be allocated the same way as current TEFAP entitlement funds:

2013, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/TEFAPWhitePaper.pdf.
78 Section 204 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act Of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7508).
79 The amount was $81 million in FY2022 and $79.6 million in FY2021 and FY2020, according to the committee
reports accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103), Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2021 (P.L. 116-260), and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94).
80 USDA, FNS, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) General Infrastructure Grant,
https://www.fns.usda.gov/emergency-food-assistance-program-tefap-general-infrastructure-grant; Section 209 of the
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7511a).
81 USDA, “USDA to Invest $1 Billion to Purchase Healthy Food for Food Insecure Americans and Build Food Bank
Capacity,” June 4, 2021, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/06/04/usda-invest-1-billion-purchase-
healthy-food-food-insecure-americans.
82 Section 204 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act Of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7508).
83 For the percentage of administrative funds distributed to recipient organizations by state, see USDA, FNS,
“Percentage of TEFAP Administrative Funds Passed Through from State Agencies to Emergency Feeding
Organizations: FY2020,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/percentage-tefap-administrative-funds-passed-through-state-
agencies-emergency-feeding.
84 USDA, FNS, “FY2023 USDA Explanatory Notes – Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 35-134, https://www.usda.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/34FNS2022Notes.pdf.
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based on state’s shares of households in poverty and unemployed persons (see the “State
Allocation Formula” section).85
FNS awarded Farm to Food Bank funds to 19 states in FY2020, 24 states in FY2021, and 29
states in FY2022 that submitted plans to implement projects.86 Projects typically focus on setting
up state-level infrastructure to facilitate relationships between agricultural donors and feeding
organizations, rescuing or gleaning commodities, processing foods into end products, and
distributing foods through food bank networks. Some states are using funds to support statewide
initiatives, while others have funded specific projects carried out by a single organization or
group of organizations. Likewise, some projects support various agricultural sectors while others
focus on specific commodities (e.g., blueberries and cheese). In many cases, federal funding is
supporting pre-existing state and local initiatives.87
Reach and Resiliency Grants
In June 2021, the Biden Administration announced its intent to use $100 million in funds
provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA; P.L. 117-2) for infrastructure grants for
emergency feeding organizations.88 FNS issued a Request for Applications for a first round of
Reach and Resiliency grants in December 2021 that explained that the grants would be awarded
competitively to TEFAP state agencies to expand the program into remote, rural, tribal, and low-
income areas currently underserved by TEFAP.89 Funds may be used for needs assessments,
equipment and supplies, building and warehouse renovations, mobile distribution infrastructure,
staff training, and outreach to underserved populations, among other activities. In June 2022, FNS
awarded $39 million in Reach and Resiliency funds to 38 states.90
Funding Trends
Figure 3 displays TEFAP funding for administrative costs, entitlement commodities, and bonus
commodities from the program’s inception (FY1983) to FY2021 in constant (inflation-adjusted)
dollars (see Appendix A for specific dollar amounts). Available TEFAP funding reached a recent
high in FY2020 as a result of additional funding for entitlement commodities and administrative
costs provided by COVID-19 pandemic response acts and the Trump Administration’s trade
mitigation program. Previously, spending was highest around the time of the program’s inception,

85 USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food Assistance Program: Implementation of the Agriculture Improvement Act of
2018,” 84 Federal Register 52997 October 4, 2019, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/10/04/2019-
21665/the-emergency-food-assistance-program-implementation-of-the-agriculture-improvement-act-of-2018. For more
information on Farm to Food Bank Projects, see USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food Assistance Program Farm to
Food Bank Project Grants,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/farm-to-food-bank-project-grants.
86 USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food Assistance Program Farm to Food Bank Project Grants,” March 4, 2021,
https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/farm-to-food-bank-project-grants.
87 USDA, FNS, “FY 2022 Farm to Food Bank Project Summaries,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/fy-2022-farm-food-
bank-project-summaries.
88 USDA, “USDA to Invest $1 Billion to Purchase Healthy Food for Food Insecure Americans and Build Food Bank
Capacity,” June 4, 2021, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2021/06/04/usda-invest-1-billion-purchase-
healthy-food-food-insecure-americans.
89 USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) Reach and Resiliency Grants: Fiscal Year 2022
Request for Applications (RFA),” CDFA 10.568, December 6, 2021.
90 USDA, FNS, “TEFAP Reach and Resiliency: Round One Projects,” June 1, 2022, https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/
reach-resiliency-grant-round-one-awards. Also see USDA, FNS, “TEFAP Reach and Resiliency Grant Initiative,”
https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/reach-resiliency-grant.
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when TEFAP served as a means for disposing of large stockpiles of government-held
commodities (for further legislative history, see Appendix C).
Figure 3. TEFAP Funding, FY1983-FY2021

Source: CRS calculations using USDA, FNS Congressional Budget Justifications for FY1983-FY2023. Amounts
are in FY2020 dol ars, adjusted for GDP inflation by CRS using Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
“Historical Tables: Table 10.1—Gross Domestic Product and Deflators Used in the Historical Tables: 1940–
2027.”
Notes: Graph displays food and administrative funds made available to states and USDA bonus purchases. State
funds are after conversion of any entitlement commodity funds to administrative funds, and administrative funds
to commodity funds, and include any entitlement food and administrative funds that states carried over from the
prior fiscal year. Graph does not include Farm to Food Bank Project funding.
In FY2009 and FY2010, entitlement food and administrative fund amounts include supplemental American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. ARRA included $100 mil ion in TEFAP commodity funding and
$50 mil ion in TEFAP administrative funding that was distributed in FY2009 and FY2010. An additional $28
mil ion in ARRA funds were reprogrammed as TEFAP administrative funds in FY2010.
State Allocation Formula
TEFAP’s entitlement commodity and administrative funds are allocated to states based on a
statutory formula that takes into account poverty and unemployment rates.91 Specifically, USDA
calculates each state’s share of the total national number of households with incomes below the
federal poverty level and each state’s share of the total national number of unemployed
individuals. A state’s share of households in poverty is then multiplied by 60% and its share of
unemployed individuals is multiplied by 40% to calculate the state’s share of TEFAP
commodities and funds. For example, if a state has 4% of all households in poverty and 2% of all
unemployed individuals, it would receive (4% x 60% = 2.4%) + (2% x 40% = 0.8%) = 3.2% of

91 7 C.F.R. §251.3(h). Administrative funds use the same formula as commodities according to Section 204 of the
Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7508).
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TEFAP funds.92 As noted previously, states may carry over any extra food or administrative funds
for one fiscal year (e.g., from FY2021 to FY2022).
State Funding
States must match any administrative funds that are not allocated to emergency feeding
organizations or expended by the state on behalf of such organizations.93 In practice, most states
use 80% to 100% of their administrative funds to support emergency feeding organizations,
resulting in a small state match requirement.94
Beyond the state match, 14 states reported supplying additional state funds “to support the
TEFAP program either directly or indirectly” in a national survey conducted by the Washington
State Department of Agriculture in 2015.95
There is also a maintenance of effort requirement in TEFAP, meaning that states cannot reduce
their own funding or commodity support for recipient agencies below the level that they were
supporting such organizations at the program’s inception or FY1988 (when the maintenance of
effort went into effect)—whichever is later.96
Role of TEFAP During Disasters and Emergencies
There are two main ways TEFAP can be deployed in disaster response: (1) transferring TEFAP
foods to disaster response organizations for distribution to households (Disaster Household
Distribution programs) and (2) adjusting TEFAP program rules and/or distributing additional aid
through TEFAP. Both of these approaches have been used during the COVID-19 pandemic
(discussed in the next section).
During a presidentially declared disaster or emergency, USDA may approve state requests to
operate Disaster Household Distribution programs and repurpose USDA Foods (largely from
TEFAP) for direct distribution to households in areas affected by an emergency or disaster.97
USDA later replenishes or reimburses TEFAP and federal nutrition assistance programs for the
reprogrammed foods.98 Disaster Household Distribution facilitates faster distribution to

92 This explanation draws upon Appendix B of C. Cabili, E. Eslami, and R. Briefel, White Paper on the Emergency
Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), prepared by Mathematica for the Office of Policy Support, Food and Nutrition
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2013, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/
TEFAPWhitePaper.pdf.
93 Section 204 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7508).
94 USDA, FNS, “Percentage of TEFAP Administrative Funds Passed Through from State Agencies to Emergency
Feeding Organizations (EFO): FY2020,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/percentage-tefap-administrative-funds-
passed-through-state-agencies-emergency-feeding. Note that territories are exempt from the matching requirement if it
is under $200,000 (7 C.F.R. §251.9).
95 See Washington State Department of Agriculture, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Distribution
National Survey 2015, AGR 609-574.
96 Section 215 of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (codified at 7 U.S.C. §7516).
97 7 C.F.R. §250.69; USDA, FNS, Food Distribution Division, “USDA Foods Program Disaster Manual,” revised
September 2017, https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/fdd/disaster-manual.pdf; USDA, FNS, “USDA Foods
Disaster Assistance,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/usda-foods-disaster-assistance. Note that households cannot
receive both disaster SNAP benefits and disaster USDA Foods. USDA Foods for household consumption are most
often obtained from inventories intended for TEFAP, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, and the Food
Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
98 7 C.F.R. §250.69(g).
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households by reducing administrative requirements (e.g., removing eligibility determinations);
however, it temporarily results in lower USDA Foods inventory for TEFAP and other federal
nutrition assistance programs. USDA authorized Disaster Household Distribution using TEFAP
foods in several states in recent years, including during the COVID-19 pandemic.99
Additional foods may also be distributed through TEFAP to aid in disaster and emergency
response, and additional flexibilities may be provided. Congress may provide supplemental
funding for disaster or emergency feeding through TEFAP, as was the case during the COVID-19
pandemic and during hurricanes and wildfires in recent years.100 In addition, USDA and/or states
may adjust certain program rules during a disaster or emergency (e.g., by amending state plans).
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
TEFAP has been involved in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of both transferring
foods to Disaster Household Distribution programs and distributing a higher volume of foods
through TEFAP.101
During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, USDA authorized some states’ requests to
use TEFAP foods for Disaster Household Distribution. Following the presidential emergency
declaration for COVID-19, USDA approved requests from 21 states, Guam, and 33 tribal nations
to repurpose TEFAP foods for Disaster Household Distribution.102 These approvals had different
timeframes but typically ended by July 2020.
There was also additional federal aid distributed through TEFAP as a result of funding provided
by COVID-19 pandemic response acts. Specifically, supplemental appropriations for TEFAP
entitlement foods and administrative funds were provided by the Families First Coronavirus
Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127) ($400 million), the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) ($450
million), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2021 (P.L. 116-260) ($400 million). In
addition, the Biden Administration decided to use another $500 million in CARES Act funds for
TEFAP entitlement purchases and administrative funds and $100 million in ARPA funds for
Reach and Resiliency grants (discussed previously).103 These amounts and authorities are shown
in Table 1.
During the pandemic, USDA also encouraged states to make policy changes within TEFAP to
facilitate safe food distribution, such as expanding eligibility rules for participants and waiving
signature requirements for the receipt of TEFAP foods.104

99 For example, foods intended for TEFAP were used for disaster response in Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico following
Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria in 2017. For a list of FNS’s disaster response by state, see USDA, FNS, “State by
State FNS Disaster Assistance,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/state-by-state.
100 For example, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-123) provided $24 million in supplemental funding for
TEFAP commodities and administrative funds to jurisdictions that received a major disaster or emergency declaration
related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria or wildfires in 2017.
101 For further discussion of the use of TEFAP in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, see CRS Report R46681,
USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs: Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
102 USDA, FNS, “Disaster Household Distribution,” June 11, 2020, https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods/covid-19-
disaster-household-distribution.
103 USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Allocation of Supplemental Food and
Administrative Funds from Division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act),”
FNS-GD-2021-0083, August 4, 2021.
104 USDA, FNS, “Questions and Answers related to COVID-19 and the Emergency Food Assistance Program
(TEFAP),” May 22, 2020, https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/covid-19-qas.
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Table 1. COVID-19 Response Funding for TEFAP
Budget
Authority
(millions of
Authority
Description
dollars)
Families First Coronavirus Response
Supplemental funding for TEFAP entitlement foods,
400
Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127), Division
up to $100 mil ion of which could be used for
A, Title I, “Commodity Assistance
administrative costs (available through FY2021).
Program”
CARES Act (P.L. 116-136), Division B,
Supplemental funding for TEFAP entitlement foods,
450
Title I, “Commodity Assistance
up to $150 mil ion of which could be used for
Program”
administrative costs (available through FY2021).
CARES Act (P.L. 116-136), Division B,
Funding for USDA "to prevent, prepare for, and
500
Title I, “Office of the Secretary”
respond to coronavirus by providing support for
agricultural producers” (no expiration). USDA used
$500 mil ion for supplemental TEFAP entitlement
foods, up to $100 of which could be used for
administrative funds.a
Consolidated Appropriations Act,
Supplemental funding for TEFAP entitlement foods,
400
2021 (P.L. 116-260), Division N, Title
up to $80 mil ion of which could be used for
VII, Section 711
administrative costs (available through FY2021).
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Funding for USDA “to make loans and grants and
100
(ARPA; P.L. 117-2), Title I, Section
provide other assistance to maintain and improve
1001(b)(4)
food and agricultural supply chain resiliency” (no
expiration). USDA used $100 mil ion for TEFAP
Reach and Resiliency grants.b
Total

1,850
Source: CRS, based on the referenced laws and USDA funding announcements (cited below).
a. USDA, FNS, “The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Allocation of Supplemental Food and
Administrative Funds from Division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
Act),” FNS-GD-2021-0083, August 4, 2021.
b. USDA, FNS, “USDA Foods from Farm to Plate: Household Highlights, December 2021,” December 22,
2021.
Farm Bill Reauthorization
TEFAP is typically amended and reauthorized through farm bills. The 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-
334) extended TEFAP’s funding authorization, including an increase for entitlement
commodities, through FY2023.105 The law also authorized Farm to Food Bank Projects
(discussed previously) and provided $4 million in annual mandatory funding for such projects
through FY2023. The 2018 farm bill also required states to include, in their TEFAP state plans, a
plan to provide emergency feeding organizations and other recipient agencies with the
opportunity to provide input on commodity preferences and needs (e.g., in regard to USDA
Foods), such as through a state advisory board. In addition, the law required USDA to issue

105 For further discussion, see CRS Report R45525, The 2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334): Summary and Side-by-Side
Comparison.
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guidance outlining best practices to minimize food waste of commodities donated by non-USDA
entities.106
Prior farm bills have also increased funding for TEFAP’s entitlement commodities, including in
2014 (P.L. 113-79) and 2008 (P.L. 110-246). The 2014 farm bill also required USDA to develop a
plan to increase purchases of Kosher and Halal foods and allowed TEFAP funds to be spent over
two fiscal years.

106 USDA issued guidance regarding this provision on August 15, 2019; USDA, FNS, “Best Practices to Minimize
Food Waste of Privately Donated Foods to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) State Agencies and
Emergency Feeding Organizations,” August 15, 2019, https://www.fns.usda.gov/tefap/best-practices-minimize-food-
waste.
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Appendix A. TEFAP Funding, FY1983-FY2021
Table A-1. Total TEFAP Funding, FY1983-FY2021
Constant (inflation-adjusted) FY2021 dollars in millions
Disaster and
Trade
Annual
Annual
COVID-19
Mitigation
Fiscal
Administrative
Entitlement
Bonus
Foods and
Foods and
Year
Funds
Foods
Foods
Funds
Funds
Total
1983
124
-
2,062
-
-
2,186
1984
119
-
2,441
-
-
2,560
1985
130
-
2,222
-
-
2,352
1986
112
-
1,894
-
-
2,006
1987
109
-
1,841
-
-
1,950
1988
105
-
1,130
-
-
1,236
1989
101
324
274
-
-
699
1990
98
313
234
-
-
645
1991
94
286
168
-
-
548
1992
81
274
154
-
-
509
1993
79
281
186
-
-
546
1994
69
206
84
-
-
359
1995
67
109
59
-
-
235
1996
50
81
23
-
-
155
1997
67
210
47
-
-
324
1998
74
160
174
-
-
407
1999
72
141
169
-
-
382
2000
67
152
249
-
-
468
2001
67
149
478
-
-
694
2002
80
199
253
-
-
532
2003
86
187
347
-
-
619
2004
83
179
325
-
-
587
2005
79
176
208
-
-
463
2006
83
170
87
8
-
348
2007
74
166
74
-
-
313
2008
70
223
218
-
-
512
2009
109
413
459
a
-
980
2010
147
280
418
a
-
844
2011
83
269
277
-
-
629
2012
76
281
351
-
-
708
2013
73
282
260
6
-
622
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Disaster and
Trade
Annual
Annual
COVID-19
Mitigation
Fiscal
Administrative
Entitlement
Bonus
Foods and
Foods and
Year
Funds
Foods
Foods
Funds
Funds
Total
2014
77
301
335
-
-
713
2015
83
365
338
-
-
785
2016
86
355
339
-
-
780
2017
91
324
293
-
-
707
2018
97
306
329
26
-
758
2019
156
267
422
0
1,109
1,954
2020
141
95
735
623
1,225
2,818
2021
158
320
701
397
-
1,577
Source: CRS calculations using USDA, FNS Congressional Budget Justifications for FY1983-FY2023. Amounts
are in FY2021 dol ars, adjusted for GDP inflation by CRS using Office of Management and Budget (OMB),
“Historical Tables: Table 10.1—Gross Domestic Product and Deflators Used in the Historical Tables: 1940–
2027.”
Notes: Table displays food and administrative funds made available to states and USDA bonus purchases. State
funds are after conversion of any entitlement commodity funds to administrative funds, and administrative funds
to commodity funds, and include any entitlement food and administrative funds that states carried over from the
prior fiscal year. Table does not include Farm to Food Bank Project funding.
a. In FY2009 and FY2010, entitlement food and administrative fund amounts include supplemental American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding. ARRA included $100 mil ion in TEFAP commodity funding
and $50 mil ion in TEFAP administrative funding that was distributed in FY2009 and FY2010. An additional
$28 mil ion in ARRA funds were reprogrammed as TEFAP administrative funds in FY2010.
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Appendix B. TEFAP Spending by State, FY2021
Table B-1. TEFAP Expenditures by State, FY2021

Disaster
Annual
Annual
Foods and
Administrative
Entitlement
Administrative
Bonus Foods
Fundsa ($)
Foodsa ($)
Fundsb ($)
($)
Total ($)
Alabama
2,234,566
5,213,005
12,735,552
2,320,973
22,504,096
Alaska
306,209
1,010,458
1,261,130
11,121,878
13,699,675
Arizona
3,597,725
9,319,940
12,997,441
9,421,348
35,336,454
Arkansas
1,093,312
3,111,183
5,606,530
21,455,175
31,266,200
California
19,074,789
34,820,613
81,451,559
70,293,633
205,640,593
Colorado
2,007,123
5,249,934
7,943,662
11,324,221
26,524,940
Connecticut
812,829
2,369,160
7,117,482
5,103,024
15,402,495
Delaware
328,618
1,261,184
1,729,950
480,208
3,799,960
D.C.
275,960
793,330
2,108,325
5,880,538
9,058,153
Florida
12,451,135
21,538,939
39,894,655
52,865,168
126,749,897
Georgia
4,502,732
14,307,345
15,059,340
20,385,996
54,255,412
Hawaii
330,543
1,966,233
3,350,352
727,488
6,374,617
Idaho
513,793
1,045,402
3,322,469
1,320,259
6,201,923
Il inois
8,519,937
8,766,618
25,799,233
4,985,056
48,070,844
Indiana
3,287,341
5,664,601
13,305,907
3,484,295
25,742,144
Iowa
1,415,720
3,143,731
4,616,186
27,364,631
36,540,268
Kansas
1,264,294
3,321,397
6,615,640
15,635,430
26,836,762
Kentucky
2,183,373
4,249,620
10,459,775
5,872,554
22,765,322
Louisiana
2,705,277
2,745,296
12,521,585
10,847,098
28,819,257
Maine
341,519
927,968
2,139,261
15,211,473
18,620,220
Maryland
2,078,752
2,486,499
11,247,832
8,739,626
24,552,709
Massachusetts
1,806,376
3,591,589
13,095,060
1,186,759
19,679,783
Michigan
5,017,072
11,444,512
19,723,087
5,187,321
41,371,991
Minnesota
1,924,715
3,397,205
7,605,579
28,020,505
40,948,004
Mississippi
860,210
4,943,718
12,368,767
7,082,774
25,255,470
Missouri
1,372,169
8,676,176
9,250,899
13,316,447
32,615,691
Montana
590,306
457,986
1,954,108
8,137,031
11,139,431
Nebraska
634,915
1,753,363
2,055,986
1,676,763
6,121,026
Nevada
886,010
2,722,249
7,458,632
22,664,435
33,731,326
New Hampshire
407,010
1,037,148
2,188,628
1,383,032
5,015,818
New Jersey
3,708,953
8,581,649
14,017,454
2,966,519
29,274,575
New Mexico
1,157,065
3,356,009
3,570,134
1,589,649
9,672,858
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Disaster
Annual
Annual
Foods and
Administrative
Entitlement
Administrative
Bonus Foods
Fundsa ($)
Foodsa ($)
Fundsb ($)
($)
Total ($)
New York
9,408,430
23,538,877
45,515,593
16,079,821
94,542,721
North Carolina
4,611,381
12,113,311
19,932,759
6,692,602
43,350,053
North Dakota
339,386
494,825
977,282
12,099,464
13,910,957
Ohio
7,080,356
12,270,166
27,210,614
39,703,321
86,264,457
Oklahoma
990,107
2,846,251
11,653,941
28,716,809
44,207,108
Oregon
1,792,909
2,066,243
9,059,463
9,708,047
22,626,662
Pennsylvania
7,485,328
8,908,036
28,775,352
9,751,753
54,920,470
Rhode Island
376,449
529,538
3,225,591
28,376,304
32,507,882
South Carolina
1,690,848
7,343,822
10,663,462
5,058,396
24,756,528
South Dakota
277,042
805,142
1,798,034
1,231,581
4,111,798
Tennessee
2,496,557
6,757,945
15,622,829
10,237,665
35,114,996
Texas
12,498,157
40,491,764
53,245,321
1,953,003
108,188,244
Utah
1,472,686
2,885,666
4,684,800
14,075,826
23,118,978
Vermont
241,897
522,590
1,157,860
71,947,266
73,869,613
Virginia
3,678,337
6,294,032
11,711,212
5,053,428
26,737,009
Washington
3,853,732
7,398,245
16,365,669
9,952,095
37,569,741
West Virginia
938,220
2,136,981
4,361,404
181,245
7,617,850
Wisconsin
3,239,638
3,117,393
11,404,586
669,177
18,430,794
Wyoming
150,000
576,861
777,526
15,697,096
17,201,483
Northern
41,175
173,524
205,429
9,248,568
9,668,696
Mariana Islandsc
Guam
107,011
344,811
1,290,408
5,132,165
6,874,395
Puerto Rico
3,557,178
6,404,150
19,649,000
1,561,578
31,171,906
Virgin Islands
85,264
113,502
370,318
0
569,084
Total
154,116,347
335,558,763
736,303,331
701,178,517
1,927,143,046
Source: Data acquired through CRS communication with USDA on May 9, 2022.
Notes: Amounts may not sum to total due to rounding and the fol owing: (1) entitlement food total includes
$29 mil ion in spending on federal food procurement administrative expenses; (2) totals for administrative costs,
entitlement foods, and disaster aid include anticipated adjustments of $13,913, -$25,006,599, and $62,072,677,
respectively.
a. Entitlement foods and administrative funds categories include funds carried over from FY2020. Table shows
expenditures after conversion of any entitlement commodity funds to administrative funds, and
administrative funds to commodity funds.
b. Disaster Foods and Administrative Funds category includes COVID-19 response funding provided under
FFCRA (P.L. 116-127), the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136), and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2021
(P.L. 116-260).
c. USDA provided the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands with cash in lieu of commodities in
FY2021.
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Appendix C. Legislative History of TEFAP
Program Inception107
In 1982, the Reagan Administration created a discretionary dairy distribution program to dispose
of stockpiles of CCC-purchased commodities (namely, cheese and butter). This effort occurred in
the aftermath of reductions in federal food assistance (e.g., food stamps) legislated in 1981 and
1982 and in the midst of an economic recession and concern over hunger and homelessness.
USDA distributed the foods to states, which selected recipient organizations.
As the program developed, there were requests for additional types of commodities such as flour,
rice, and non-fat dry milk that USDA had purchased and put in storage. In addition, there were
reports of local organizations declining foods because of a lack of storage and distribution
capacity. These and other factors prompted pressure for federal cash assistance as well as
increased variety and volume of foods. In 1983, Congress followed up with funding for grants to
help with distribution costs and legislative authority that created the Temporary Emergency Food
Assistance Program (TEFAP) (P.L. 98-8 and P.L. 98-92). Establishment of TEFAP helped reduce
federal commodity inventory and storage costs, provided an alternative source of food assistance
for low-income individuals, and supported an expanding network of charitable emergency
feeding providers that also drew food and resources from private sources.108
Changes to TEFAP’s Funding109
USDA continued to distribute large amounts of CCC-purchased foods (including cheese, butter,
nonfat dry milk, cornmeal, flour, honey, and rice) through FY1988. That year, CCC holdings
began to drop substantially because of changes in agricultural policies and the economy, and the
Reagan Administration indicated plans to phase out TEFAP. Instead, Congress authorized a
specific level of funding (starting at $120 million for FY1989) for USDA to buy commodities for
distribution through TEFAP, entitling the program to a minimum level of support regardless of the
level of federal commodity holdings (P.L. 100-435). The law also created a separate program to
buy commodities for soup kitchens and food banks not receiving TEFAP commodities
(mandatory funding was provided at $40 million for FY1989). The separate program was
established out of a concern that some food banks had trouble meeting TEFAP rules, and that
most commodities for emergency feeding were going to local agencies that distributed food
packages directly to individuals and families (e.g., food pantries), rather than to soup kitchens,
homeless shelters, and other organizations serving meals in congregate settings.

107 Adapted from CRS Report RL30164, The Emergency Food Assistance Program and Emergency Feeding Needs;
and CRS Issue Brief IB85095, Commodity Donations to the Poor: The Temporary Emergency Food Assistance
Program. (These reports are no longer available.)
108 Further discussion of the history and expansion of the emergency feeding network is in Doug O’Brien, Erinn Staley,
Stephanie Uchima, Eleanor Thompson, and Halley Torres Aldeen, The Charitable Food Assistance System: The
Sector’s Role in Ending Hunger in America, UPS Foundation and the Congressional Hunger Center, 2004,
https://www.hungercenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/The-Charitable-Food-Assistance-System-Americas-
Second-Harvest.pdf.
109 Adapted from CRS Report RL30164, The Emergency Food Assistance Program and Emergency Feeding Needs;
and CRS Issue Brief IB85095, Commodity Donations to the Poor: The Temporary Emergency Food Assistance
Program. (These reports are no longer available.)
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In 1990, the omnibus farm bill (P.L. 101-624) changed funding for TEFAP and the soup kitchen
program from appropriated mandatory to discretionary (dependent on annual appropriations
decisions). The law also removed the word “Temporary” from the program title. Over the next
few years, funding for TEFAP declined, reaching an all-time low in FY1996. However, that same
year, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA; P.L. 104-
193) reinstated appropriated mandatory funding ($100 million per year through FY2002) for
TEFAP’s entitlement foods, partly in an effort to provide a safety net for households losing access
to food stamps as a result of other provisions in the law. PRWORA also incorporated the soup
kitchen program into TEFAP.
Following these changes, funding generally increased in the late 1990s and early to mid-2000s.
There was another dip in appropriations in FY2006 and FY2007, but the 2008 farm bill raised
annual entitlement purchases to $250 million starting in FY2009 (indexed annually for food-price
inflation in later years).110 There were also supplemental funds available for TEFAP in FY2009
and FY2010 as a result of ARRA. In addition, the 2014 farm bill increased mandatory funding for
TEFAP’s entitlement commodities by a Congressional Budget Office (CBO)-estimated $125
million over five years.111 Total funding from FY2011 to FY2018 hovered around $600-$700
million annually.112
Recent Changes and Increases in Spending
As discussed in this report, there has been an influx of federal aid in TEFAP in recent years. The
2018 farm bill increased funding for TEFAP’s entitlement foods by a CBO-estimated $105
million over five years. It also provided mandatory funding of $4 million for each of FY2019-
FY2023 for new Farm to Food Bank Projects. These projects, which provide funds directly to
local organizations, are emblematic of a recent debate over USDA’s food purchasing role in
TEFAP. This debate resurfaced at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and contributed to
USDA’s creation of a temporary program, the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which
attempted to expedite the federal purchasing process.113
In August 2018, the Trump Administration announced an additional $1.2 billion for TEFAP bonus
purchases as part of its trade aid package.114 These and another round of purchases ($1.4 billion)
were distributed through TEFAP in FY2019 and FY2020.115 In FY2020 and FY2021, TEFAP saw
another influx of aid as lawmakers aimed to use the program to address increased demand for

110 See CRS Report RL33934, The 2008 Farm Bill: A Summary of Major Provisions and Legislative Action (available
to congressional clients upon request).
111 See CRS Report R43332, SNAP and Related Nutrition Provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill (P.L. 113-79).
112 USDA, FNS Congressional Budget Justifications for FY2008-FY2020, available at USDA, “Congressional
Justifications: Archived USDA Explanatory Notes,” https://www.usda.gov/obpa/congressional-justifications.
113 USDA, AMS webinar on April 21, 2020, recording available at https://www.ams.usda.gov/selling-food-to-usda/
farmers-to-families-food-box.
114 For more information, see CRS Report R45310, Farm Policy: USDA’s 2018 Trade Aid Package; and CRS Report
R45865, Farm Policy: USDA’s 2019 Trade Aid Package. USDA, “USDA Announces Details of Assistance for
Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation,” press release, August 27, 2018, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-
releases/2018/08/27/usda-announces-details-assistance-farmers-impacted-unjustified. The largest purchases announced
include pork, sweet cherries, apples, pistachios, dairy, and almonds.
115 USDA, “USDA Announces Support for Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation and Trade Disruption,” press
release, May 23, 2019, https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/05/23/usda-announces-support-farmers-
impacted-unjustified-retaliation-and.
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food assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.116 In total, approximately $1.9 billion was
available for TEFAP in FY2019, $2.7 billion was available for TEFAP in FY2020, and nearly
$1.6 billion was available in FY2021—more than double the amount available in recent prior
years. It is unclear whether this level of spending is a new normal for TEFAP, or whether it will
return to previous levels.

Author Information

Kara Clifford Billings

Analyst in Social Policy

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other
than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not
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copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

116 Nicholas Kulish, “‘Never Seen Anything Like It’: Cars Line Up for Miles at Food Banks,” April 8, 2020, New York
Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/business/economy/coronavirus-food-banks.html.
Congressional Research Service
R45408 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED
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