§ 251.10 - Miscellaneous provisions.

§ 251.10 Miscellaneous provisions.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 87251, Oct. 31, 2024.

(a) Records —

(1) Commodities. State agencies, subdistributing agencies (as defined in § 250.3 of this chapter), and eligible recipient agencies must maintain records to document the receipt, disposal, and inventory of commodities received under this part that they, in turn, distribute to eligible recipient agencies. Such records must be maintained in accordance with the requirements set forth in § 250.16 of this chapter. Eligible recipient agencies must sign a receipt for program commodities which they receive under this part for distribution to households or for use in preparing meals, and records of all such receipts must be maintained.

(2) Administrative funds. In addition to maintaining financial records in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, subpart D, and USDA implementing regulations at 2 CFR part 400, State agencies must maintain records to document the amount of funds received under this part and paid to eligible recipient agencies for allowable administrative costs incurred by such eligible recipient agencies. State agencies must also ensure that eligible recipient agencies maintain such records.

(3) Household information. Each distribution site must collect and maintain on record for each household receiving TEFAP commodities for home consumption, the name of the household member receiving commodities, the address of the household (to the extent practicable), the number of persons in the household, and the basis for determining that the household is eligible to receive commodities for home consumption.

(4) Record retention. All records required by this section must be retained for a period of 3 years from the close of the Federal Fiscal Year to which they pertain, or longer if related to an audit or investigation in progress. State agencies may take physical possession of such records on behalf of their eligible recipient agencies. However, such records must be reasonably accessible at all times for use during management evaluation reviews, audits or investigations.

(b) Commodities not income. In accordance with section 206 of Pub. L. 98-8, as amended, and notwithstanding any other provision of law, commodities distributed for home consumption and meals prepared from commodities distributed under this part shall not be considered income or resources for any purposes under any Federal, State, or local law.

(c) Nondiscrimination. There shall be no discrimination in the distribution of foods for home consumption or availability of meals prepared from commodities donated under this part because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or handicap.

(d) Reports —

(1) Submission of Form FNS-667. Designated State agencies must identify funds obligated and disbursed to cover the costs associated with the program at the State and local level. State and local costs must be identified separately. The data must be identified on Form FNS-667, Report of Administrative Costs (TEFAP) and submitted to the appropriate FNS Regional Office on a quarterly basis. The quarterly report must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the quarter to which it pertains. The final report must be submitted no later than 90 calendar days after the end of the fiscal year to which it pertains.

(2) Reports of excessive inventory. Each State agency must complete and submit to the FNS Regional Office reports to ensure that excessive inventories of donated foods are not maintained, in accordance with the requirements of § 250.17(a) of this chapter.

(e) State monitoring system.

(1) Each State agency must monitor the operation of the program to ensure that it is being administered in accordance with Federal and State requirements. State agencies may not delegate this responsibility.

(2) Unless specific exceptions are approved in writing by FNS, the State agency monitoring system must include:

(i) An annual review of at least 25 percent of all eligible recipient agencies which have signed an agreement with the State agency pursuant to § 251.2(c), provided that each such agency must be reviewed no less frequently than once every four years; and

(ii) An annual review of one-tenth or 20, whichever is fewer, of all eligible recipient agencies which receive TEFAP commodities and/or administrative funds pursuant to an agreement with another eligible recipient agency. Reviews must be conducted, to the maximum extent feasible, simultaneously with actual distribution of commodities and/or meal service, and eligibility determinations, if applicable. State agencies must develop a system for selecting eligible recipient agencies for review that ensures deficiencies in program administration are detected and resolved in an effective and efficient manner.

(3) Each review must encompass, as applicable, eligibility determinations, food ordering procedures, storage and warehousing practices, inventory controls, approval of distribution sites, reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and civil rights.

(4) Upon concurrence by FNS, reviews of eligible recipient agencies which have been conducted by FNS Regional Office personnel may be incorporated into the minimum coverage required by paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(5) If deficiencies are disclosed through the review of an eligible recipient agency, the State agency must submit a report of the review findings to the eligible recipient agency and ensure that corrective action is taken to eliminate the deficiencies identified.

(f) Limitation on unrelated activities.

(1) Activities unrelated to the distribution of TEFAP foods or meal service may be conducted at distribution sites as long as:

(i) The person(s) conducting the activity makes clear that the activity is not part of TEFAP and is not endorsed by the Department (impermissible activities include information not related to TEFAP placed in or printed on bags, boxes, or other containers in which commodities are distributed). Recipes or information about commodities, dates of future distributions, hours of operations, or other Federal, State, or local government programs or services for the needy may be distributed without a clarification that the information is not endorsed by the Department;

(ii) The person(s) conducting the activity makes clear that cooperation is not a condition of the receipt of TEFAP commodities for home consumption or prepared meals containing TEFAP commodities (cooperation includes contributing money, signing petitions, or conversing with the person(s)); and

(iii) The activity is not conducted in a manner that disrupts the distribution of TEFAP commodities or meal service.

(2) Eligible recipient agencies and distribution sites shall ensure that activities unrelated to the distribution of TEFAP foods or meal service are conducted in a manner consistent with paragraph (f)(1) of this section.

(3) Termination for violation. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(4) of this section, State agencies shall immediately terminate from further participation in TEFAP operations any eligible recipient agency that distributes or permits distribution of materials in a manner inconsistent with the provisions of paragraph (f)(1) of this section.

(4) Termination exception. The State agency may withhold termination of an eligible recipient agency's or distribution site's TEFAP participation if the State agency cannot find another eligible recipient agency to operate the distribution in the area served by the violating organization. In such circumstances, the State agency shall monitor the violating organization to ensure that no further violations occur.

(g) Use of volunteer workers and non-USDA commodities. In the operation of the Emergency Food Assistance Program, State agencies and eligible recipient agencies shall, to the maximum extent practicable, use volunteer workers and foods which have been donated by charitable and other types of organizations.

(h) Maintenance of effort. The State may not reduce the expenditure of its own funds to provide commodities or services to organizations receiving funds or services under the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 below the level of such expenditure existing in the fiscal year when the State first began administering TEFAP, or Fiscal Year 1988, which is the fiscal year in which the maintenance-of-effort requirement became effective, whichever is later.

(i) Recruitment activities related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Any entity that receives donated foods identified in this section must adhere to regulations set forth under § 277.4(b)(6) of this chapter.

(j) Projects to harvest, process, package, or transport donated commodities —

(1) Definition of project. These projects, also known as Farm to Food Bank Projects, are defined as the harvesting, processing, packaging, or transportation of unharvested, unprocessed, or unpackaged commodities donated by agricultural producers, processors, or distributors for use by emergency feeding organizations under section 203D of the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983.

(2) Availability and allocation of funds. Funds for the costs of carrying out a Farm to Food Bank Project will be allocated to States as follows:

(i) Funds made available to the Department for Farm to Food Bank Projects will be distributed to States that have submitted an approved State plan describing a plan of operation for a Farm to Food Bank Project.

(ii) Funds for Farm to Food Bank Projects will be distributed each fiscal year to State agencies with an approved State plan for a project in that fiscal year using the funding formula defined in § 251.3(h).

(iii) Funds will be available to State agencies for one year from the date of allocation.

(3) Purpose and use of funds. State agencies may only use funds made available under this paragraph (j) for the costs of carrying out a Farm to Food Bank Project.

(i) Farm to Food Bank Projects must have a purpose of:

(A) Reducing food waste at the agricultural production, processing, or distribution level through the donation of food;

(B) Providing food to individuals in need; and

(C) Building relationships between agricultural producers, processors, and distributors and emergency feeding organizations through the donation of food.

(ii) Project funds may only be used for costs associated with harvesting, processing, packaging, or transportation of unharvested, unprocessed, or unpackaged commodities donated by agricultural producers, processors, or distributors for use by emergency feeding organizations.

(iii) Project funds cannot be used to purchase foods or for agricultural production activities such as purchasing seeds or planting crops.

(4) Matching of funds —

(i) State matching requirement. The State must provide a cash or in-kind contribution at least equal to the amount of funding received under this paragrpah (j) for a Farm to Food Bank Project.

(ii) Allowable contributions. States shall meet the match requirement in paragraph (a)(4) of this section by providing allowable contributions as described at § 251.9(c); contributions must only be for costs which would otherwise be allowable as a Farm to Food Bank Project cost.

(iii) Emergency feeding organization contributions. Cash or in-kind contributions from emergency feeding organizations that partner with the State agency to administer the Farm to Food Bank Project are allowable.

(iv) Food donations. Donations of foods, including the value of foods donated as a part of a Farm to Food Bank Project, cannot count toward the match requirement in paragraph (j)(4) of this section.

(5) Reallocation of funds. If, during the course of the fiscal year, the Department determines that a State will not expend all of the funds allocated to the State for a fiscal year under this paragraph (j), the Department shall reallocate the unexpended funds to other States that have an approved State Plan describing a plan of operation for a Farm to Food Bank Project during that fiscal year or the subsequent fiscal year.

(6) Reporting requirements. Each State agency to which Farm to Food Bank Project funds are allocated for a fiscal year must submit a report describing use of the funds. The data must be identified on Form SF-425, Federal Financial Report, and submitted to the appropriate FNS Regional Office on a semiannual basis. The report must be submitted no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the period to which it pertains. The final report must be submitted no later than 90 calendar days after the end of the fiscal year to which it pertains.

(7) Cooperative agreements. State agencies that carry out a Farm to Food Bank Project may enter into cooperative agreements with State agencies of other States to maximize the use of commodities donated under the project.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 0584-0313)

[51 FR 12823, Apr. 16, 1986. Redesignated and amended at 52 FR 17934, May 13, 1987; 53 FR 15357, Apr. 29, 1988; 59 FR 16975, Apr. 11, 1994; 62 FR 53731, Oct. 16, 1997; 64 FR 72907, Dec. 29, 1999; 72 FR 24184, May 2, 2007; 81 FR 23115, Apr. 19, 2016; 81 FR 92556, Dec. 20, 2016; 84 FR 53002, Oct. 4, 2019]