USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

August 20, 2020 R46488

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs:
August 20, 2020
FY2020 Appropriations
Randy Alison Aussenberg
The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) was enacted on
Specialist in Nutrition
December 20, 2019. This omnibus bil included appropriations for the U.S. Department
Assistance Policy
of Agriculture (USDA), of which USDA’s domestic food assistance programs are a part.
Prior to its enactment, the federal government had continued to operate for the first
Kara Clifford Billings
nearly three months of the fiscal year under continuing resolutions (CRs). This report
Analyst in Social Policy
focuses on the enacted appropriations for USDA’s domestic food assistance programs

and, in some instances, policy changes provided by the omnibus law. CRS Report
R45974, Agriculture and Related Agencies: FY2020 Appropriations, provides an

overview of the entire FY2020 Agriculture and Related Agencies portion of the law as wel as a review of the
reported bil s and CRs preceding it. Subsequent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response laws provided
supplemental appropriations and new policies for the food assistance programs.
Domestic food assistance funding is primarily mandatory but also includes discretionary funding. Most of the
programs’ funding is for open-ended, appropriated mandatory spending—that is, terms of the authorizing law
require full funding and funding may vary with program participation (and in some cases inflation). The largest
mandatory programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp
Program) and the child nutrition programs (including the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast
Program). Though their funding levels are dictated by the authorizing law, in most cases, appropriations are
needed to make funds available for obligation and expenditure. The three largest discretionary budget items are
the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the Commodity
Supplemental Food Program (CSFP); and federal nutrition program administration.
The domestic food assistance funding is, for the most part, administered by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service
(FNS). The enacted FY2020 appropriation provides over $98 bil ion for domestic food assistance (Table 1). This
is a decrease of approximately $5.2 bil ion from FY2019. Declining participation in SNAP is responsible for most
of the difference. Approximately 93% of the FY2019 appropriations for domestic food assistance are for
mandatory spending. Some highlights of the associated appropriations accounts are summarized below.
For SNAP and other programs authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act, such as The Emergency Food Assistance
Program (TEFAP) commodities, the FY2020 appropriations law provides approximately $67.9 bil ion. Certain
provisions of the law affect SNAP policies. For example, it continues a policy in the FY2017 through FY2019
appropriations laws that limited USDA’s implementation of December 2016 regulations regarding SNAP
retailers’ inventory requirements. USDA must amend its final rule to define “variety” more expansively and must
“apply the requirements regarding acceptable varieties and breadth of stock.”
For the child nutrition programs (the National School Lunch Program and others), the enacted law provides
approximately $23.6 bil ion. This includes discretionary funding for school meals equipment grants ($30 mil ion)
and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) demonstration projects ($35 mil ion), and a general provision that
provides an additional $9 mil ion for farm-to-school efforts, and a general provision that provides $5 mil ion for
school breakfast expansion grants. The law includes policy provisions related to processed poultry from China,
requirements for schools’ paid lunch pricing, and vegetables in school breakfasts.
For the WIC program, the law provides $6.0 bil ion while also rescinding $1 bil ion in prior-year carryover
funding. The law includes new funding for telehealth grants.
For the Commodity Assistance Program account, which includes funding for the Commodity Supplemental Food
Program (CSFP), TEFAP administrative and distribution costs, and other programs, the law provides just over
Congressional Research Service

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

$322 mil ion. The law includes nearly $80 mil ion in discretionary funding for TEFAP administrative and
distribution costs.
For Nutrition Programs Administration, the law provides nearly $156 mil ion.
Congressional Research Service

link to page 17 link to page 6 USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

he Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94) was enacted on December
20, 2019.This omnibus bil included appropriations for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
T (USDA), of which USDA’s domestic food assistance is a part. Prior to its enactment, the
government had continued to operate for the first nearly three months of the fiscal year under
continuing resolutions (CRs).
This report focuses on USDA’s domestic food assistance programs; their funding; and, in some
instances, policy changes provided by the enacted FY2018 appropriations law. USDA’s domestic
food assistance programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,
formerly the Food Stamp Program), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,
and Children (WIC), and the child nutrition programs (such as the National School Lunch
Program). The domestic food assistance funding is, for the most part, administered by USDA’s
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).1 CRS Report R45974, Agriculture and Related Agencies:
FY2020 Appropriations, provides an overview of the entire FY2020 Agriculture and Related
Agencies appropriations law as wel as a review of the reported bil s and CRs preceding its
enactment.
With its focus on appropriations, this report discusses programs’ eligibility requirements and
operations minimal y. See CRS Report R42353, Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of
Programs, for more background.
Overview of FY2020 USDA-FNS Funding
This section focuses on the funding provided by the FY2020 annual appropriations law (P.L. 116-
94). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response supplemental appropriations are
summarized in a subsequent section (“COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriations”).
Domestic food assistance—SNAP and child nutrition programs in the mandatory spending
accounts, and WIC and other programs in the discretionary spending accounts—represents nearly
two-thirds of the FY2020 Agriculture appropriations act (Figure 1).
The federal budget process treats discretionary and mandatory spending differently.2
 Discretionary spending is controlled by annual appropriations acts and receives
most of the attention during the appropriations process. The annual budget
resolution3 process sets spending limits for discretionary appropriations. Agency
operations (salaries and expenses) and many grant programs are discretionary.
 Mandatory spending—though carried in the appropriation—is controlled by
budget rules during the authorization process.4 Appropriations acts then provide
funding to match the parameters required by the mandatory programs’
authorizing laws. For the domestic food assistance programs, these laws are
typical y reauthorized in farm bil 5 and child nutrition reauthorizations.6

1 Nutrition Programs Administration funding funds USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), and
the bill also provides some funding initially to FNS that is routinely transferred to other federal agencies.
2 See CRS Report R44582, Overview of Funding Mechanism s in the Federal Budget Process, and Selected Examples.
3 See CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An Introduction .
4 See CRS Report 98-560, Baselines and Scorekeeping in the Federal Budget Process.
5 P.L. 113-79. See CRS In Focus IF10783, Farm Bill Primer: Budget Issues.
6 P.L. 111-296. See CRS Report R44373, Tracking Child Nutrition Reauthorization in the 114th Congress: An
Overview.
Congressional Research Service

1

link to page 7 link to page 7 link to page 7

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

Figure 1. Scope of Agriculture and Related Agencies Appropriations
FY2020 budget authority total: $152.6 bil ion

Source: The Congressional Research Service (CRS) (see CRS Report R45974, Agriculture and Related Agencies:
FY2020 Appropriations).
Notes: SNAP = Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; CCC = Commodity Credit Corporation; FCIC =
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation; Section 32 = Funds for Strengthening Markets, Income and Supply; WIC =
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; CSFP = Commodity Supplemental
Food Program.
Domestic food assistance funding (Table 1) largely consists of open-ended, appropriated
mandatory programs—that is, it varies with program participation (and in some cases inflation)
under the terms of the underlying authorization law. The largest mandatory programs include
SNAP and the child nutrition programs (including the National School Lunch Program and
School Breakfast Program). Though their funding levels are dictated by the authorizing law, in
most cases appropriations are needed to make funds available.
The three largest discretionary budget items are WIC, the Commodity Supplemental Food
Program (CSFP), and federal nutrition program administration.
The enacted FY2020 appropriation would provide over $98 bil ion for domestic food assistance
(Table 1). This is a decrease of approximately $5.2 bil ion from FY2019. A forecast of declining
participation in SNAP is responsible for most of the difference. (COVID-19 supplemental
appropriations provided another $15.5 bil ion for the SNAP account.) Over 95% of the FY2019
appropriations are for mandatory spending.
Table 1 summarizes funding for the domestic food assistance programs, comparing FY2020
levels to those of prior years. In addition to the accounts’ appropriations language, the enacted
appropriation’s general provisions include additional funding, rescissions, and/or policy changes.
These are summarized in this report.

Congressional Research Service

2

link to page 8 link to page 8 link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 8 link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9
Table 1. Domestic Food Assistance Appropriations, P.L. 116-94
(Budget authority in mil ions of dol ars)

FY2017
FY2018
FY2019
FY2020

House-
Senate-
Enacted
Change:
Mand. (M)
P.L. 115-
P.L. 115-
Admin.
Passed
Passed
P.L. 116-
FY2019 to FY2020
Program
or Disc. (D)
31
141
P.L. 116-6
Requesta
H.R. 3055
H.R. 3055
94
Enacted
Child Nutrition Programsb

Account Totalc (including transfers)

22,794.0
24,254.1
23,140.8
23,943.2
24,041.6
23,602.6
23,615.1
+474.3
2.0%
National School Lunch Program
M
12,339.8
13,133.2
12,091.8
12,726.2
12,726.2
12,507.5
12,507.5
+415.7
3.4%
School Breakfast Program
M
4,470.2
4,807.4
4,816.2
4,929.3
4,929.3
4,831.4
4,831.4
+15.2
0.3%
Child and Adult Care Food Program
M
3,490.9
3,832.7
3,815.3
3,839.7
3,839.7
3,835.7
3,835.7
+20.4
0.5%
Special Milk Program
M
9.2
8.8
8.1
7.2
7.2
7.1
7.1
-1.0
-12.3%
Summer Food Service Program
M
627.1
563.8
519.5
551.9
551.9
526.4
526.4
+6.9
1.3%
State Administrative Expenses
M
279.1
297.3
302.6
315.1
315.1
314.9
314.9
+12.3
4.1%
Commodity Procurement for Child
M
1,428.1
1,461.8
1,436.5
1,472.6
1,472.6
1,420.0
1,420.0
-16.5
-1.1%
Nutrition
School Meals Equipment, Breakfast
D
25.0
30.0
30.0
0.0
35.0
30.0
30.0
0.0
0.0%
Grants
Summer Meal Demonstrations
D
23.0
28.0
28.0
0.0
50.0
28.0
35.0
+7.0
+25.0%
Special Supplemental Nutrition
D
6,350.0d
6,175.0e
6,075.0f
5,750.0g
6,000.0h
6,000.0h
6,000.0h
-75.0
-1.2%
Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance

Program (SNAP)b
Account Totalc

78,480.7
74,013.5
73,476.9
69,069.9i
71,093.9
69,163.3
67,886.3j
-5,590.6
-7.6%
SNAP Benefits
M
67,754.4
63,039.0
62,299.4
57,496.4
57,496.4
n/a
56,164.4
-6,135.0
-9.8%
Contingency Reserve Fund
M
3,000.0
3,000.0
3,000.0
3,000.0
5,000.0
3,000.0
3,000.0k
0.0
0.0%
CRS-3

link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 8 link to page 9 link to page 9 link to page 9

FY2017
FY2018
FY2019
FY2020

House-
Senate-
Enacted
Change:
Mand. (M)
P.L. 115-
P.L. 115-
Admin.
Passed
Passed
P.L. 116-
FY2019 to FY2020
Program
or Disc. (D)
31
141
P.L. 116-6
Requesta
H.R. 3055
H.R. 3055
94
Enacted
State Administrative Costs
M
4,230.5
4,483.4
4,617.9
4,965.7
4,965.7
n/a
4,965.7
+347.8
+7.5%
Employment and Training (E&T)
M
456.0
476.7
487.7
513.7
513.7
n/a
613.7
+126.0
+25.8%
Nutrition Education and Obesity
M
414.0
421.0
433.0
441.0
441.0
n/a
441.0
+8.0
+1.8%
Prevention
TEFAP Commodities
M
316.0l
289.5
294.5
320.8
320.8
n/a
322.3
+27.8
+9.4%
Food Distribution Program on Indian
Mm
151.0
153.0
153.0
153.0
153.0
n/a
160.2
+7.2
+4.7%
Reservations
Commonwealth of Northern Mariana
M
12.2
12.1
12.1
12.1
12.1
n/a
12.1
0.0
0.0%
Islands
Puerto Rico and American Samoa
M
1,956.9
1,937.4
1,973.7
1,967.0
1,967.0
n/a
1,977.6n
+3.9
+0.2%
Commodity Assistance Program

Account Totalc

315.1
322.1
322.1
55.5
344.2
344.2
344.2
22.1
6.9%
Commodity Supplemental Food Program
D
236.1
238.1
222.9o
0.0
245.0
245.0
245.0
+22.1
+9.9%
WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
D
18.5
18.5
18.5
0.0
18.5
18.5
18.5
0.0
0.0%
TEFAP Administrative Costs
D
59.4
64.4
109.6o
54.4
79.6
79.6
79.6
-30.0
-27.4%
Nutrition Program Administration
D
170.7
153.8
164.7
152.0
154.0
160.9
155.9
-8.8
-5.3%
Office of the Under Secretary
D
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.8
0.0
0.0%
Total, Domestic Food Assistance

108,111.3
104,919.4
103,180.3
96,971.4
101,634.3
99,271.1
98,002.3
-5,178.0
-5.0%
(Title IV)p
Source: The Congressional Research Service (CRS), compiled from tables in the joint explanatory statements or committee reports for the referenced appropriations
acts or bil s. Excludes supplemental appropriations not included in annual appropriations acts.
a. The FY2020 Administration request reflected in this column is from the FNS budget request submitted to Congress in March 2019.
b. FNS programs that are open-ended mandatory programs (e.g., SNAP and the child nutrition programs), the programs do not necessarily have the authority to spend
al of the appropriated funds. For such programs’ historical spending, see also FNS expenditure data at http://www.fns.usda.gov/data-and-statistics.
c. “Account Total” includes amounts for the programs listed below as wel as other programs not listed.
CRS-4

d. The FY2017 enacted law (§745) rescinded $850 mil ion in WIC carryover funds.
e. The FY2018 enacted law rescinded $800 mil ion in WIC carryover funding. Both reported bil s would also have rescinded carryover funds: H.R. 3268 (§741) would
have rescinded $600 mil ion; S. 1603 (§741) would have rescinded $800 mil ion.
f.
The FY2019 enacted law (§723) rescinded $500 mil ion in WIC carryover funding. The House-reported and Senate-passed bil s also would have rescinded carryover
funds: H.R. 5961 (§723) would have rescinded $300 mil ion; H.R. 6147 (§724) would have rescinded $400 mil ion.
g. The Administration also requested a rescission of $1 bil ion in WIC carryover funding.
h. The FY2020 enacted law (§723) also rescinds $1 bil ion in WIC carryover funding. The House- and Senate-passed bil s also would have rescinded carryover funds:
the House-passed bil (§723) would have rescinded $800 mil ion; the Senate-passed bil (§722) would have rescinded $800 mil ion.
i.
This is the Administration’s FY2020 SNAP request for current law at the time of the request. The Administration also prop osed multiple SNAP legislative measures.
If these proposals were enacted, the Administration estimated they would have reduced the SNAP request for FY2020 by approximately $17.4 bil ion.
j.
The explanatory statement indicates that the bil provides $5 mil ion for the nationwide implementation of the National Accuracy Clearinghouse (Section 4011 of
P.L. 115-334).
k. The FY2020 contingency reserve is available through September 30, 2022, and the law extends the availability of prior-year contingency reserve funding. Section 786
extends the availability of prior-year contingency reserve funds. Reserve funds provided in P.L. 115-141 are available until September 30, 2020; reserve funds
provided in P.L 116-6 are available until September 30, 2021.
l.
The FY2017 enacted law provided $297 mil ion required by the Food and Nutrition Act and an additional $19 mil ion for TEFAP commodities provided in general
provisions (§748).
m. A portion of FDPIR funding (nutrition education) is discretionary.
n. The FY2020 enacted law (§776) provides an additional $6 mil ion for the study of Puerto Rico’s nutrition assistance program included in H. Rept. 116-107.
o. The FY2019 enacted law transferred $30.0 mil ion in CSFP prior-year funds to TEFAP for administrative expenses. This transfer is included in the TEFAP
Administrative Costs total for FY2019 in this table but not in the Commodity Assistance Program account total.
p. Title IV totals do not include additions and rescissions provided in bil s’ general provisions.
CRS-5

link to page 7 USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

President’s FY2020 Budget Request
Table 1 compares the enacted funding to the House- and Senate-reported bil s, prior years’
enacted funding, and the President’s FY2020 budget request. The President’s budget request
includes the Administration’s forecast for programs with open-ended funding such as SNAP and
the child nutrition programs; this assists the appropriations committees in providing funding
levels expected to meet obligations. The budget also includes the Administration’s requests for
discretionary programs. Additional y, it is a place for the Administration to include legislative
requests. The FY2020 request included SNAP and child nutrition legislative proposals.
The President’s FY2020 budget request included legislative proposals as follows:
 It included 14 legislative proposals pertaining to SNAP, the majority of which
had also been proposed in the President’s FY2019 budget request.7 The majority
of these proposals would have restricted SNAP eligibility or made changes to the
benefit calculation. This request also proposed to replace a portion of the SNAP
benefit with a box of USDA-purchased foods, to limit federal funding for states’
administrative costs, and to eliminate both nutrition education and
interoperability grant funding, as wel as several retailer and recipient integrity
policies. Together, these proposals were estimated by both the Administration and
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to reduce program spending in FY2020 and
over the 10-year budget window.8 None of these policies were enacted as part of
the FY2020 appropriation. In 2019, the Administration published several SNAP
regulations that relate to (but are not necessarily identical to) legislative changes
proposed in the budget: restricting categorical eligibility, changing utility cost
calculations, and expanding work-related rules.9
 It included four legislative proposals pertaining to child nutrition programs,
including changes that would increase verification of household applications for
school meals, limit participation in the Community Eligibility Provision, and
increase the maximum grant award in the Farm to School Grant program. It also
proposed changing funding for child nutrition programs. Currently, a portion of
funding for child nutrition programs comes from the Section 32 program; the
proposal would provide al funding through the Treasury.
 It requested no funding for a number of discretionary spending programs,
including the following:
 school meals equipment grants, which have received discretionary funding
since FY2009;
 the summer EBT demonstration, which has received discretionary funding
since FY2010;

7 USDA-FNS FY2020 Congressional Budget Justification, pp. 32-100 through 32-114, http://www.obpa.usda.gov/
32fns2020notes.pdf.
8 Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—CBO’s Estimate of the
President’s Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, May 9, 2019, https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2020-03/56249-2019-05-09-
snap.pdf.
9 See USDA-FNS regulations: “Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP),” (Proposed Rule) 84 Federal Register 35570, July 24, 2019; “ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program:
Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances” (Proposed Rule), 84 Federal Register
52809, October 3, 2019; “ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirements for Able-Bodied Adults Without
Dependents,” (Final Rule) 82 Federal Register 66782, December 5, 2019.
Congressional Research Service

6

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

 the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), which has received
annual discretionary funding since 1992; and
 the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), which has received
annual discretionary funding since 1969.
For SNAP and WIC, the President’s FY2020 budget request also incorporated certain
“current law proposals.” These activities do not require a change to authorizing law but
do entail changes to appropriations amount or appropriations language.
Domestic Food Assistance Appropriations Accounts
and Related General Provisions (P.L. 116-94)
Office of the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services
For the Under Secretary’s office, the enacted FY2020 appropriation provides $0.8 mil ion. This
office received approximately equal funding in FY2019.
SNAP and Other Programs under the Food and Nutrition Act
Appropriations under the Food and Nutrition Act (formerly the Food Stamp Act) support (1)
SNAP (and related grants); (2) a nutrition assistance block grant for Puerto Rico and nutrition
assistance block grants to American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands (al in lieu of SNAP); (3) the cost of food commodities as wel as administrative and
distribution expenses under the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR); (4)
the cost of commodities for TEFAP, but not administrative/distribution expenses, which are
covered under the Commodity Assistance Program budget account; and (5) Community Food
Projects.
The enacted appropriation provides approximately $67.9 bil ion for programs under the Food and
Nutrition Act. This is approximately $5.6 bil ion less than FY2019 appropriations. The difference
is largely due to a forecasted reduction in SNAP participation at the time of the FY2020
appropriations’ enactment.10 The enacted appropriation provides $3 bil ion for the SNAP
contingency reserve fund.11 Since enactment, the COVID-19 pandemic and related
unemployment has changed forecasts for FY2020 SNAP participation and spending.
Supplemental SNAP authorities and appropriations have been included in COVID-19 response
legislation.12

10 See also USDA-FNS Congressional Budget Justification, p. 32-77, http://www.obpa.usda.gov/32fns2019notes.pdf.
As an appropriated, open-ended mandatory program, SNAP funding is not the same as SNAP spending. SNAP
regularly receives annual appropriations that are greater than the amount the program spends. Better measures for
SNAP program spending can be found in USDA-FNS’s costs data, available at http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/
SNAPmain.htm.
11 T hese funds, held in reserve, are available for a two year period, whereas the majority of SNAP funds are available
for one-year. T hese reserve funds are available for spending if the other SNAP appropriations are exhausted. A general
provision (§786) of the law extends the availability of contingency reserve funding provided in FY2018 and FY2019
appropriations laws (P.L. 115-141, P.L. 116-6, respectively). Each source of funding is extended an additional year,
with the FY2018 appropriations available through FY2020, and the FY2019 appropriations available through FY2021.
12 See CRS Insight IN11250, USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs’ Response to COVID-19: P.L. 116-127, P.L.
Congressional Research Service

7

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

The SNAP account also includes mandatory funding for TEFAP commodities. The enacted
appropriation provides just over $322 mil ion, according to the terms of the Food and Nutrition
Act. This is an increase ($27.8 mil ion, 9.4%) over the $294.5 mil ion provided in FY2019.
SNAP Account: Other General Provisions and Committee Report Language
SNAP-Authorized Retailers. The FY2017, FY2018, and FY2019 appropriations laws limited
USDA’s implementation of December 2016 regulations regarding SNAP retailers’ inventory
requirements, and the enacted FY2020 appropriation (§727) continues those limits.
Only SNAP-authorized retailers may accept SNAP benefits. On December 15, 2016, FNS
published a final rule to change retailer requirements for SNAP authorization.13 The final rule
would have implemented the 2014 farm bil ’s changes to inventory requirements for SNAP-
authorized retailers (P.L. 113-79, §4002). Namely, the 2014 farm bil increased both the varieties
of staple foods and the perishable items within those varieties that SNAP retailers must stock. In
addition to codifying the farm bil ’s changes, the final rule would have changed how staple foods
are defined, clarified limitations on retailers’ sale of hot foods, and increased the minimum
number of stocking units.14
Section 727 in the FY2020 enacted appropriation continues to require that USDA amend its final
rule to define variety more expansively and that USDA “apply the requirements regarding
acceptable varieties and breadth of stock” that were in place prior to P.L. 113-79 until such
regulatory amendments are made. In the meantime, USDA-FNS implemented other aspects of the
2016 final rule, such as increased stocking units.15 On April 5, 2019, USDA did publish a
proposed rule, proposing amendments to the definition of variety.16
Implementation of 2018 Farm Bill Nutrition Policies. The FY2020 enacted appropriation
provides funds for or amends several new programs or policies added by the nutrition title of the
2018 farm bil (P.L. 115-334).
Section 770 of the enacted appropriation provides $1 mil ion for the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive
Projects. This program was established in the 2018 farm bil (§4208). These bonus incentive
projects incentivize SNAP recipients’ purchase of fluid milk. This FY2020 funding is the first
appropriation the program has received since the provision was enacted.
Amending a SNAP provision added by the 2018 farm bil , Section 784 of the enacted
appropriation lengthens the time that facilities are protected from being excluded from the
program. The 2018 farm bill (§4007) required USDA to review the program operations of certain
facility types, but facilities were to be protected from losing authorization through 18 months
after enactment. The appropriation provision extends that protection through December 31, 2020.

116-136, and Related Efforts.
13 USDA-FNS, “Enhancing Retailer Standards in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),” 81 Federal
Register 90675-90699, December 15, 2016. For further information on this rulemaking and implementation following
the FY2017 appropriations law, see CRS Report R44650, Updated Standards for SNAP-Authorized Retailers.
14 T he proposed rule’s preamble states that, aside from the farm bill change, FNS is “using existing authority in
[SNAP’s authorizing statute] and feedback from a Request for Information that included five listening sessions in urban
and rural locations across the nation and generated 233 public comments.”
15 See USDA-FNS website, “Is My Store Eligible?” https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/my-store-eligible.
16 USDA-FNS, “Providing Regulatory Flexibility for Retailers in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP),” 84 Federal Register 13555-13562, April 5, 2019.
Congressional Research Service

8

link to page 18 USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

After a long-running five-state pilot, the 2018 farm bil (§4011) required USDA to implement
nationwide the National Accuracy Clearinghouse (NAC), a data system to detect concurrent
SNAP participation in multiple states. The explanatory statement accompanying the enacted
appropriation states that the conference agreement provides $5 mil ion for the nationwide
implementation of the NAC. (The NAC is not mentioned in the legislative text.)
Child Nutrition Programs17
Appropriations under the child nutrition account fund a number of programs and activities
authorized by the Richard B. Russel National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act.
These include the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP),
Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), Special
Milk Program (SMP), assistance for state administrative expenses, federal procurement of
commodities, state reviews of the integrity of school meal operations (“Administrative
Reviews”), Team Nutrition and education initiatives to improve meal quality and food safety, and
support activities such as technical assistance and studies/evaluations. (Child nutrition efforts are
also supported by a smal er amount of permanent mandatory appropriations and other funding
sources discussed in the section “Other Nutrition Funding Support”.)
The enacted FY2020 appropriation provides approximately $23.6 bil ion for the child nutrition
account. This is $474 mil ion more (2%) than the amount provided in FY2019, and includes a
transfer of approximately $13.5 bil ion from the Section 32 account.
In addition to appropriated mandatory funding, the enacted appropriation includes discretionary
funding for certain child nutrition activities. This includes the following:
 School Meals Equipment Grants.18 The enacted appropriation provides $30
mil ion, the same amount as FY2019. The grants provide funding for equipment
purchases that help schools serve healthier meals, improve food safety, and
establish, maintain, or expand the SBP. FNS distributes funds to state agencies,
which provide equipment grants to school food authorities on a competitive
basis. States prioritize schools in which at least half of the students are eligible
for free or reduced-price meals. Funding for school meal equipment assistance
grants has been included in annual appropriations acts since FY2013.19
 Summer Meals Demonstration Projects. The enacted appropriation provides
$35 mil ion, up from $28 mil ion in FY2019. This funding primarily supports
Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) projects, which provide electronic
food benefits on a SNAP or WIC EBT card over the summer months to
households with children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.
Summer EBT offers an alternative to the SFSP, which requires physical
attendance at a meal site. In FY2019, USDA awarded grants to four grantees
(Chickasaw Nation, Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin) to

17 Further background on these programs and related funding is provided in CRS Report R43783, School Meals
Program s and Other USDA Child Nutrition Program s: A Prim er.
18 For more information about these grants, see USDA-FNS’s resources for the FY2019 grants,
https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/fy-2019-nslp-equipment -assistance-grants-school-food-authorities.
19 T he American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (P.L. 111-5) provided $100 million for school meals equipment
assistance grants. Appropriations acts in FY2010 and FY2013 through FY2019 have provided subsequent funding for
these grants.
Congressional Research Service

9

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

implement projects through summer 2022.20 Funding for summer meal
demonstrations was original y appropriated in FY2010 and has been included in
annual appropriations acts since FY2015.21
Attempts were made in Congress to reauthorize the child nutrition programs and WIC in 2016,
but reauthorization was not completed.22 Some provisions of the operating law nominal y expired
at the end of FY2015, but nearly al operations continued via funding provided in appropriations
laws since that time, including the FY2020 enacted appropriation. The enacted appropriation also
continues to extend two expiring provisions: mandatory funding for an Information
Clearinghouse (through FY2021) and food safety audits (through FY2020).
Child Nutrition Programs: General Provisions
Two general provisions in the FY2020 enacted appropriation include additional funding for child
nutrition activities:
 Farm to School Grants. Section 742 of the enacted appropriation provides $9
mil ion for farm-to-school efforts. This funding primarily supports competitive
grants to assist schools and other local entities in implementing farm-to-school
initiatives. This is in addition to $5 million in permanent mandatory funding, for
a total of $14 mil ion available in FY2020. This compares to a total of $10
mil ion available for farm-to-school activities in FY2019.
 School Breakfast Expansion Grants. Section 763 of the enacted appropriation
provides $5 mil ion for grants to support the expansion of school breakfast
programs, $1 mil ion of which is for grants to Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana
Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa. This is the first
dedicated funding for the grants, which were authorized by the Healthy, Hunger-
Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296) (however, breakfast expansion is included
in the purposes of school meal equipment grants, discussed above). According to
statute, USDA is to al ocate the grants on a competitive basis to state agencies,
which are to distribute grants to local educational agencies that include schools in
which at least 75% of children are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.23
FY2020 general provisions also included policy provisions:
 Processed Poultry from China. The enacted appropriation includes a policy
provision (§738) to prevent any raw or processed poultry imported from China
from being included in the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast
Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service

20 USDA-FNS, “2021 USDA Explanatory Notes for Committee on Appropriations: Food and Nutrition Service,” p. 34 -
41, available at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/32fns2021notes.pdf.
21 Summer meal demonstrations were originally funded by the FY2010 appropriations law ( P.L. 111-80).
22 Committees of jurisdiction marked up bills in the 114th Congress, but Congress did not complete reauthorization.
T here was no significant reauthorization activity in the 115 th Congress. As of the date of this report, leadership on both
committees of jurisdiction (the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and the House Committee on
Education and Labor) have announced plans to work on reauthorization in the 116 th Congress. T he child nutrition
reauthorization process is discussed in CRS In Focus IF10266, Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview.
23 Section 23 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, codified at 42 U.S.C. 1793.
Congressional Research Service

10

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

Program. This policy has been included in enacted appropriations laws since
FY2015.24
 Paid Lunch Pricing. For school year 2020-2021, Section 747 of the enacted
appropriation changes federal policy related to the pricing of paid (full-price)
school meals. Included in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-
296), and first implemented in the 2011-2012 school year, this policy required
schools annual y to review their revenue from paid lunches and to determine,
using a calculation specified in law and regulations, whether paid lunch prices
had to be increased.25 The purpose of the calculation was to ensure that federal
funding intended for free and reduced-price meals was not subsidizing full-price
meals. For school year 2020-2021, the enacted appropriation requires a smal er
subset of schools—only those with a negative balance in their nonprofit school
food service account as of December 31, 2019—to be subject to this calculation
and potential y required to raise prices. The same provision was included in the
FY2018 and FY2019 enacted appropriation acts (pertaining to school years 2018-
2019 and 2019-2020).
 Vegetables in School Breakfasts. Section 749 of the enacted appropriation
increases the frequency with which starchy vegetables can be substituted for
fruits in the School Breakfast Program. Under current regulations, schools are
al owed to substitute vegetables for the required servings of fruits (at least one
cup daily, and at least five cups weekly) in school breakfasts. The regulations
also specify that, “the first two cups per week of any such substitution must be
from the dark green, red/orange, beans and peas (legumes) or ‘Other
vegetables’26 subgroups.”27 This excludes the starchy vegetable subgroup, which
includes items such as corn, plantains, and white potatoes. The enacted
appropriation specifies that appropriated FY2020 funds cannot be used to enforce
this requirement in school year 2019-2020 or school year 2020-2021, thereby
al owing schools to substitute any type of vegetables for any or al of the required
daily and weekly servings of fruits. The same change was made by the FY2019
appropriations act.

24 In 2017, China exported nearly 500 pounds of processed chicken that was sourced from other countries. China did
not export any poultry to the United States in 2018 or 2019. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service recognized
the equivalency of China’s poultry slaughter system in November 2019. China is now eligible to export domestically
raised, processed chicken to the United States. Raw chicken exports are prohibited because of animal disease risks. For
more information, see CRS In Focus IF10148, Chicken Im ports from China.
25 Section 205 of the Healthy, Hunger-free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296) (an amendment to the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act codified at 42 U.S.C. 1760(p)). For more information on paid lunch pricing requirements,
see CRS Report R45486, Child Nutrition Program s: Current Issues.
26 T he “Other vegetables” subgroup includes “all other fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables, cooked or raw, such as
artichokes, asparagus, avocado, bean sprouts, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers,
eggplant, green beans, green peppers, iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, turnips, wax beans, and
zucchini.” (7 C.F.R. §210.10(c)(2)(iii)(E)).
27 7 C.F.R. §220.8(c), footnote c.
Congressional Research Service

11

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

WIC Program28
Although WIC is a discretionary funded program, since the late 1990s the practice of the
appropriations committees has been to provide enough funds for WIC to serve al projected
participants.29
The FY2020 enacted appropriation provides $6.0 bil ion for WIC; however, the law also rescinds
available carryover funds from past years. This funding level is $75 mil ion less than the FY2019
appropriation. The enacted appropriation also includes set-asides for WIC breastfeeding peer
counselors and related activities (“not less than $90 mil ion”) and infrastructure ($14.0 mil ion).
The peer counselor set-aside is equal to FY2018 levels. The breastfeeding peer counselor set-
aside is $30 mil ion more than in FY2019. The infrastructure set-aside is a decrease of $5 mil ion
from FY2019.
The enacted appropriation (§723) rescinds $1 bil ion in prior-year (or carryover) WIC funds.
Commodity Assistance Program
The Commodity Assistance Program budget account supports several discretionary programs and
activities: (1) Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), (2) funding for TEFAP
administrative and distribution costs, (3) the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP),
and (4) special Pacific Island assistance for nuclear-test-affected zones in the Pacific (the
Marshal Islands) and areas affected by natural disasters.
The FY2020 enacted appropriation provides over $344 mil ion for this account, a $22 mil ion
(7%) increase from FY2019. Within the account,
 CSFP receives $245 mil ion (an increase of approximately $22 mil ion or about
10%);
 TEFAP Administrative Costs receives nearly $80 mil ion, down from $110
mil ion in FY2019 (however, the FY2019 law included a transfer of $30 mil ion
in prior-year CSFP funds). In addition to this discretionary TEFAP funding, the
law al ows the conversion of up to 20% of TEFAP entitlement commodity funds
(included in the SNAP account discussed above) to funds for administrative and
distribution costs; and
 WIC FMNP receives $18.5 mil ion, the same level as FY2019.
Nutrition Programs Administration
This budget account funds federal administration of al the USDA domestic food assistance
program areas noted previously; special projects for improving the integrity and quality of these
programs; and the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, which provides nutrition education
and information to consumers (including various dietary guides).

28 Further background on this program and related funding is provided in CRS Report R44115, A Primer on WIC: The
Special Supplem ental Nutrition Program for Wom en, Infants, and Children .
29 Economic Research Service (ERS), The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Economic Issues, 2015 Edition ,
EIB-134, January 2015, p. 19.
Congressional Research Service

12

link to page 17 link to page 18 USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

The enacted appropriation provides nearly $156 mil ion for this account, a decrease of
approximately $9 mil ion from FY2019.30 As in FY2019 and prior years, the law sets aside $2
mil ion for the fel owship programs administered by the Congressional Hunger Center.
COVID-19 Supplemental Appropriations for FY2020
As of the date of this report, two FY2020 supplemental appropriations acts to respond to the
COVID-19 pandemic included funding and/or policies for USDA-FNS domestic food assistance
programs.31
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA; P.L. 116-127) provided a $400 mil ion
supplemental appropriation for TEFAP, $100 mil ion for nutrition assistance block grants to
territories in lieu of SNAP, and $500 mil ion for WIC.
FFCRA also included policy provisions related to USDA-FNS programs. The act gave USDA the
authority to issue waivers of certain WIC and child nutrition program requirements.32 The act also
authorized P-SNAP (Pandemic Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), a new program
al owing USDA to approve state plans to provide electronic benefit cards to households with
children who would normal y receive free or reduced-price school meals, but whose schools are
closed due to the pandemic. (This program is also known as P-EBT [Pandemic Electronic Benefit
Transfer].) The P-EBT provision also provides open-ended, mandatory funding. In addition,
FFCRA al owed for temporary increases to SNAP benefits, partial y suspended the SNAP time
limit for nondisabled adults without dependents (ABAWDs) who work less than 80 hours per
month,33 and al owed USDA to adjust certain administrative requirements during the COVID-19
public health emergency designation.
Subsequently, the CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) appropriated over $25 bil ion in additional funding
for certain USDA-FNS programs “to prevent, prepare, and respond to coronavirus” (amounts
shown in Table 2). Some of these funds may be used to fund the policies included in FFCRA.
The additional $8.8 bil ion for child nutrition programs might be used to implement waivers that
increase federal costs that were authorized by FFCRA. Also, while the additional $15.5 bil ion for
SNAP might be used to fund increases in participation and spending during the pandemic
general y, some of that increase is due to the emergency al otments authorized by FFCRA.
Table 2. Supplemental Appropriations for USDA-FNS Programs Due to COVID-19
(Dol ars in mil ions)
P.L. 116-127
P.L. 116-136
USDA-FNS Program
(March 18, 2020)
(March 27, 2020)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
a

SNAP contingency reserve

15,510
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa
100
200

30 In FY2017, the appropriations law provided a $17.7 million set -aside for FNS’s relocation and related expenses.
T hese funds are available until expended.
31 For more information, see CRS Insight IN11250, USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs’ Response to COVID-
19: P.L. 116-127, P.L. 116-136, and Related Efforts.
32 For a list of waivers USDA has issued during the COVID-19 pandemic for domestic food assistance programs, see
USDA-FNS, “ FNS Response to COVID-19,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19.
33 Jessica Shahin, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – Families First Coronavirus Response Act and
Impact on T ime Limit for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), USDA-FNS, March 20, 2020,
https://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/FFCRA-Impact -on-ABAWD-T imeLimit.pdf.
Congressional Research Service

13

link to page 18 USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

P.L. 116-127
P.L. 116-136
USDA-FNS Program
(March 18, 2020)
(March 27, 2020)
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

100
Child Nutrition Programs

8,800
The Emergency Food Assistance Programb
400
450
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC)
500

Total
1,000
25,060
Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) based on the specified laws. This table only
includes supplemental appropriations, not new policies that may have an impact on direct spending. Al funding in
this table is designated as emergency and does not count against budget caps.
a. In addition to the specified supplemental amounts for the SNAP account in the CARES Act ( P.L. 116-136),
the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127, §1101) authorized and appropriated open-ended
funding for the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. The amount displayed does not
include the P-EBT funding.
b. The supplemental TEFAP appropriations are contained in the Commodity Assistance Program account.
States may use up to $100 mil ion of the $400 mil ion provided by P.L. 116-127 and $150 mil ion of the
$450 mil ion provided by P.L. 116-136 for food storage and distribution costs.
Other Nutrition Funding Support
Domestic food assistance programs also receive funds from sources other than appropriations:
 In addition to appropriated funds from the child nutrition account for commodity
foods (which provides over $1.4 bil ion), USDA purchases entitlement and bonus
commodity foods for the child nutrition programs using Section 32 funds—a
permanent appropriation.34 For FY2020, the enacted appropriation (§714)
specifies that up to $485 mil ion from Section 32 is to be available for child
nutrition entitlement commodities, the same amount as FY2019. The amount of
bonus commodities is not predetermined but rather based on USDA’s assessment
of agricultural needs throughout the year.
 The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) for selected elementary schools
nationwide is financed with permanent, mandatory funding from Section 32. The
underlying law (Section 19 of the Richard B. Russel National School Lunch Act)
provides $150 mil ion, adjusted annual y for inflation, at the beginning of every
school year. For FY2020, the inflation-adjusted amount is $175.5 mil ion.35
 The Food Service Management Institute (technical assistance to child nutrition
providers, also known as the Institute of Child Nutrition) is funded through a
permanent annual appropriation of $5 mil ion.
 The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition program receives nearly $21 mil ion of
mandatory funding per year (FY2002-FY2023) outside of the regular
appropriations process.36

34 For further background, see CRS Report RL34081, Farm and Food Support Under USDA’s Section 32 Program .
35 USDA-FNS, “Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: Allocation of Funds for Fiscal Year 2020,” SP 29 -2019, May 30,
2019, available at https://www.fns.usda.gov/ffvp/fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-program-allocation-funds-fiscal-year-2020.
36 Authorizing language at Section 4402 of the 2002 farm bill (P.L. 107-171), most recently amended by Section 4201
of the 2018 farm bill (P.L. 115-334), codified at 7 U.S.C. §3007.
Congressional Research Service

14

USDA Domestic Food Assistance Programs: FY2020 Appropriations

Author Information

Randy Alison Aussenberg
Kara Clifford Billings
Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy
Analyst in Social Policy

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan
shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot 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
subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in
its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or
material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to
copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

Congressional Research Service
R46488 · VERSION 1 · NEW
15

Download PDF

Download EPUB

Revision History

Aug. 20, 2020

HTML · PDF

Metadata

Topic areas

Domestic Social Policy

Health Policy

Appropriations

Report Type: CRS Report

Source: CRSReports.Congress.gov

Raw Metadata: JSON