q10/random_k4/random_4.md

Domestic Food Assistance:
Summary of Programs

Updated February 19, 2026

Congressional Research Service

https://crsreports.congress.gov

R42353

Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs

Summary
Since the 1930s, the federal government has administered programs to provide food to the hungry
and to other vulnerable populations in the United States. Such efforts date back to the Great
Depression, when the government became involved in distributing agricultural surpluses to
households and school lunch programs.

The relationship between food assistance and the farm economy has persisted over time, with
many programs having the mutual goals of feeding people in need and supporting the agricultural
sector. Most programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food
and Nutrition Service (FNS), including the largest—the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP). SNAP and several other FNS programs have historically been reauthorized in
the farm bill, an omnibus reauthorization and extension of dozens of farm, food, and nutrition
laws. FNS also administers programs included in a separate child nutrition reauthorization
process, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children
(WIC) and the National School Lunch Program.

Other food assistance programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services’ (HHS’) Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Those
programs include ACL meal programs for seniors authorized under the Older Americans Act
(OAA), and FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP), which includes a focus on
individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.

Although each of the programs discussed in this report provides for food in some way, the
methods through which they accomplish this goal vary. For example, some programs provide
food assistance to low-income households broadly, whereas others are targeted to specific
populations (e.g., infants, children, seniors). The type of assistance can also differ. SNAP and
certain other programs provide benefits redeemable for groceries, whereas others distribute foods
or support prepared meals (e.g., the school lunch program). Some programs also support local
feeding organizations’ operating costs.

All of the programs aim to reduce hunger in some way. Over the past 30 years, USDA has
monitored trends in food insecurity—a related concept to hunger—in order to assess national
progress toward reducing food-related hardship and collect data that is used in evaluating
domestic feeding programs. For 2024, USDA estimated that 13.7% of U.S. households were food
insecure at some point during the year, meaning that they could not afford or obtain adequate
food due to a lack of resources. Such households included 49.7 million individuals.
Approximately 5.4% of U.S. households experienced very low food insecurity, a more severe kind
of food insecurity that reflects reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns. USDA
announced the discontinuation of its food insecurity reports in 2025.

This report begins with a brief overview of hunger and food insecurity in the United States, and
then describes the domestic food assistance programs in three sections: those administered by (1)
USDA FNS, (2) HHS ACL, and (3) DHS FEMA. It includes information about each program,
including its authorizing language, administering agency, eligibility criteria, services provided,
and participation and funding levels. It also compares and contrasts features across programs.

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Contents

Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Hunger and Food Insecurity ...................................................................................................... 1
Food Insecurity Rates in Recent Years ............................................................................... 2
Program Variation ..................................................................................................................... 4
USDA FNS Programs ...................................................................................................................... 5
Farm Bill ................................................................................................................................... 6
WIC and Child Nutrition Programs .......................................................................................... 7
HHS ACL Programs ...................................................................................................................... 16
DHS FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program ..................................................................... 20

Figures

Figure 1.Trends in U.S. Food Insecurity, 2005-2024 ...................................................................... 3

Tables

Table 1. Overview of Farm Bill Food Assistance Programs ........................................................... 9
Table 2. Overview of WIC and Child Nutrition Programs ............................................................ 12
Table 3. Overview of Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Programs ...................................... 18
Table 4. Overview of FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program ......................................... 22

Contacts

Author Information ........................................................................................................................ 23

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Background
This report gives an overview of the major federal programs that provide food assistance within
the United States, including the territories. The report begins by discussing common concepts and
themes across the network of domestic food assistance programs. It then breaks out discussions of
programs by administering agency in the following report sections: (1) “USDA FNS Programs”
(see Table 1 for farm bill programs and Table 2 for WIC and child nutrition programs), (2) “HHS
ACL Programs” (Table 3), and (3) “DHS FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program” (Table
4). The tables within this report are intended to provide summary information, which can help
illustrate the ways in which domestic food assistance programs are both similar and different.

There are aspects of other federal programs that support nutrition in the general population, such
as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS’) Dietary Guidelines for
Americans, coverage of medical foods and social determinants of health initiatives within
Medicaid, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) research on and
promotion of nutrition interventions.1 Researchers have also linked certain non-food benefits,
such as tax credits and cash assistance, with reductions in food insecurity.2 These other linkages
between federal programs and nutrition are not discussed in this report.

Hunger and Food Insecurity

Congress has long been interested in issues of hunger and allocating federal resources to address
hunger in this country. The federal programs discussed in this report pursue the goal of providing
food to low-income and needy populations, seeking to prevent hunger. Some of these programs,
such as food stamps and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), have deep roots dating to
the Great Depression era. More recently, many policymakers are concerned not just with the
economic challenges of purchasing enough food, but with the public health concerns of
improving diet quality, reducing obesity, and preventing diet-related disease.3

Over time, government officials and researchers have developed ways to evaluate trends
associated with hunger, with the goal of identifying vulnerable populations that need assistance
and understanding if efforts to prevent hunger are working. Hunger, however, is a challenging
concept to measure. Instead, food security and food insecurity are the prevailing terms used to
describe the ability to access adequate food.

“Food security” and “food insecurity,” as defined by USDA, focus on economic and other access-
related reasons associated with an individual’s ability to purchase or otherwise obtain enough to
eat. USDA’s use of these terms came out of a decades-long collaboration between federal
agencies and private-sector researchers to improve the measurement of hunger in the U.S.
population.4 This consortium concluded that hunger, as an individual-level physiological

1 Other examples include Head Start, which provides funds that go, in part, to providing meals, and emergency disaster
relief programs administered by the Department of Homeland Security such as the Stafford Act Public Assistance
Program, which provides sustenance as part of disaster recovery.
2 For example, see Paul R. Shafer et al., “Association of the Implementation of Child Tax Credit Advance Payments
With Food Insufficiency in US Households,” JAMA Network Open, vol. 5, no. 1 (2022).
3 For a brief history of anti-hunger policies in the past 50 years, see Tufts University, Report of the 50th Anniversary of
the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, and Health: Honoring the Past, Taking Actions for our Future,
Boston, MA, March 2020, pp. 8-12.
4 For further background, see National Research Council, Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States: An
Assessment of the Measure, Washington, DC, 2006, pp. 23-51, https://www.nap.edu/catalog/11578/food-insecurity-
and-hunger-in-the-united-states-an-assessment.

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condition, was difficult to measure through a household survey. They recommended food security
and food insecurity as alternative concepts that captured the economic reasons for inadequate
food and/or nutritional intake, rather than individual behaviors that may result in the physical
condition of being hungry (for example, dieting or missing a meal due to illness). The resulting
food security measure was deployed in a multi-question “Food Security Supplement” to the
Census’s Current Population Survey (CPS) starting in 1995.5 In 2006, a National Academies
panel convened at the request of USDA evaluated the measure, recommending its continued use
with some refinements to the food security and insecurity definitions.6

Since 2006, USDA has recognized a spectrum of four levels of food security, listed below from
highest to lowest:

Food Security:

High  food  security—Households  had  no  problems,  or  anxiety  about,  consistently
accessing adequate food.

Marginal  food  security—Households  had  problems  at  times,  or  anxiety  about,
accessing adequate food, but the quality, variety, and quantity of their food intake were
not substantially reduced.

Food Insecurity:

Low food security—Households reduced the quality, variety, and desirability of their
diets due to a lack of money or resources, but the quantity of food intake and normal
eating patterns were not substantially disrupted.

Very low food security—At times during the year, eating patterns of one  or more
household members were disrupted and food intake reduced because the household
lacked money and other resources for food.7

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) has historically funded the Food Security Supplement
and published annual reports analyzing findings from the survey.8 In fall 2025, USDA announced
that it would be discontinuing the survey and reports after the release of its 2024 findings.9
Findings from ERS’s 2024 report are presented in the next section.

Food Insecurity Rates in Recent Years

In 2024, ERS found that 13.7% of U.S. households (where “household” includes one or more
members) were food insecure.10 This was similar to the food insecurity rate in 2022 and 2023, but

5 The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 U.S. households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, primarily used
to report monthly labor force statistics such as the labor force participation and unemployment rates. For some months,
the basic questions of the CPS are supplemented with special topical questions, such as the Food Security Supplement
or the Annual Social and Economic Supplement, which produces annual poverty statistics.
6 USDA, ERS, “Food Security in the U.S. - CNSTAT Assessment,” January 8, 2025, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/
food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security/cnstat-assessment (accessed February 2,
2026).
7 USDA, ERS, “Food Security in the U.S. – Measurement,” January 8, 2025, http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-
nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/measurement.aspx (accessed February 2, 2026).
8 USDA, Economic Research Service, “Food Security in the U.S. - History & Background,” January 8, 2025,
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/history-background (accessed
February 2, 2026).
9 USDA, “USDA Terminates Redundant Food Insecurity Survey,” September 20, 2025, https://www.usda.gov/about-
usda/news/press-releases/2025/09/20/usda-terminates-redundant-food-insecurity-survey.
10 Matthew P. Rabbitt et al., Household Food Security in the United States in 2024, USDA, ERS, Report No. ERR-358,
(continued...)

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a statistically significant increase compared to rates in 2016 through 2021.11 As shown in Figure
1, the national household food insecurity rate reached recent highs of nearly 15% following the
Great Recession, declined to a low of 10.5% in 2019 and 2020, then increased again following
the COVID-19 pandemic.12

Figure 1.Trends in U.S. Food Insecurity, 2005-2024
(figure is interactive in HTML version of this report)

Source: CRS, adapted from USDA, Economic Research Service (ERS), “Food Security in the U.S. - Key Statistics
& Graphics,” January 8, 2025, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/
key-statistics-graphics (accessed December 2025), using data from the U.S. Census Bureau‘s Current Population
Survey, 2005-2023 Food Security Supplements and USDA, ERS, Household Food Security in the United States in
2024 (December 2025).
Notes: “Low food security” and “very low food security” are subsets of all food insecurity. Low food security
means that households reduced the quality, variety, and desirability of their diets due to a lack of financial
resources, but the quantity of food intake and normal eating patterns were not substantially disrupted. Very low
food security means that at times during the year, eating patterns of one or more household members were
disrupted and food intake reduced because the household lacked money or other resources for food.

In summary, findings for 2024 include the following:

•  13.7% of U.S. households (18.3 million) were food insecure at some point during

the year. Such households included 49.7 million individuals.
•  Of these households, 11.1 million experienced low food security, and 7.2

million experienced very low food security.

December 2025 (hereinafter, “USDA, ERS 2024”). These may be underestimates, as the CPS uses address-based
sampling and therefore does not capture individuals who are homeless and does not fully capture those in temporary
housing arrangements, as discussed in Matthew P. Rabbitt et al., Statistical Supplement to Household Food Security in
the United States in 2024, USDA, ERS, Report No. AP-126, December 2025.
11 Statistically significant at the 90% confidence level. The percentages shown in this report are estimates based on a
sample. A different randomly drawn sample from the same population would likely produce a slightly different
estimate. ERS performed statistical tests to avoid mistaking sampling variability for real differences. A difference
between estimates is “statistically significant” at the 90% confidence level if it is large enough that fewer than 10% of
all possible survey samples would show a difference of that size, even if there were no real change in the population.
12 USDA, ERS 2024, p. 17.

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•  On average, food insecure households experienced food insecurity in seven

months out of the year.13

•  Food insecure households include those who receive food assistance through

federally funded programs and those who do not.14 In 2024, nearly 60% of food
insecure households reported participating in SNAP, WIC, or the NSLP in the last
month.15 While research has demonstrated that certain food assistance programs
can reduce food insecurity, they do not always eliminate the condition entirely.16

USDA-ERS also analyzes food insecurity rates for different subpopulations and household types,
finding subgroups above and below the national rates of food insecurity.17 Some examples of
these findings for 2024 include the following:

•  9.9% of households that included an older adult (aged 65 or older) (4.4 million

households) were food insecure. This rate was higher (11.3%) among older adults
living alone.

•  18.4% of households with children (6.7 million households) were food insecure.
However, not all members of the household are affected by food insecurity in the
same way. Adults tend to shield children from food insecurity, and children often
receive food benefits (such as free school meals) that are not accessible to adults.
In 2024, ERS estimated that roughly half of food insecure households with
children actually included a child experiencing food insecurity (representing 7.3
million children in 3.3 million households).
•  This included 751,000 children living in 318,000 households in which

children experienced very low food security, meaning that they were hungry,
skipped a meal, or did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough
money for food.

•  24.4% of households headed by Black, non-Hispanic individuals; 10.1% of

households headed by White, non-Hispanic individuals; and 20.2% of households
headed by Hispanic individuals were food insecure.

Program Variation

There are a number of domestic food assistance programs.18 Although each of the programs
discussed in this report provides for food in some way, the ways in which they accomplish this

13 Further discussion of the duration of food insecurity can be found on page 16 of USDA, ERS 2024.
14 Households’ receipt of food assistance is measured separately on the survey. Their receipt of such assistance is not
taken into account in the food insecurity questions. However, in some cases, households may interpret benefits such as
SNAP to be a monetary resource, which could affect their responses to the food insecurity questions and whether they
get classified as “food insecure.”
15 This is likely an underestimate because survey respondents tend to underreport participation in assistance programs.
16 For example, see Travis A. Smith and Christian A. Gregory, “Food Insecurity in the United States: Measurement,
Economic Modeling, and Food Assistance Effectiveness,” Annual Review of Resource Economics, vol. 15, no. 1
(2023), pp. 279-303.
17 Refer to the 2024 report for additional measures of food security (e.g., regions, states, populations of interest).
18 The list of programs discussed in this report is largely consistent with a list of 18 programs (at the time) identified by
the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a 2010 review as focusing primarily on providing food assistance or
coordinating food assistance activities (this report adds the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program [GusNIP],
given permanent authorization in 2018, and the Summer EBT program, given permanent authorization in 2022). When
looking more broadly at programs that included a food or nutrition component, the GAO report identified 70 such
(continued...)

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goal vary. For example, programs vary with respect to the target population (e.g., pregnant
women, children, older individuals), eligibility requirements, types of assistance provided (e.g.,
grocery benefits, commodity foods, prepared meals), and settings (e.g., foods for consumption at
home, meals served in institutional settings).

One way to examine this variation is to compare the populations eligible for these domestic food
assistance programs. For instance, the WIC program is available to children under the age of five,
while the school meals programs (the NSLP and School Breakfast Program [SBP]) become
available to school-age children. Another way to examine this variation is to compare the benefits
that these programs provide. Within this constellation of programs, federal resources provide
benefits redeemable for uncooked foods, cash assistance to support program operations, USDA-
purchased commodity foods (discussed further in the next section), and prepared meals. While
some programs provide specific foods (e.g., through the federal and state requirements for “food
package” in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and WIC), SNAP gives benefits that
may be redeemed for a wide variety of foods at authorized retailers. OAA programs provide
prepared meals that not only assist those who lack adequate resources to purchase food, but can
also assist those who lack the functional capacity to prepare a meal on their own.

The following sections of the report and the accompanying tables provide more details about the
services, eligibility, participation, and funding for each program. They help illustrate the
similarities and differences between the programs, including the extent to which they provide
similar or distinct forms of assistance to similar or distinct populations.

USDA FNS Programs
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers domestic food assistance programs
authorized in the farm bill (Table 1)19 as well as WIC and Child Nutrition Programs (Table 2).
Table 1 and Table 2 provide details on the FNS programs, including services provided,
eligibility, participation, and funding. (The tables in this report describe normal program
operations, which may differ during disasters and emergencies.20)

The FNS national office works in concert with FNS’s regional offices21 and state agencies. With
respect to SNAP (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program), state agencies and legislatures
have a number of options and waivers that can affect SNAP program operations from state to
state.22 With respect to school meals programs (NSLP and SBP), state departments of education
and school districts play a role in administering these programs. WIC and the Child and Adult
Care Food Program (CACFP) are often coadministered by state and local health departments.

Several FNS programs distribute USDA-purchased foods as a primary or secondary means of
assistance. Those programs include The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP),
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), NSLP, Summer Food Service Program, and

federal programs at the time; see U.S. Government Accountability Office, Domestic Food Assistance: Complex System
Benefits Millions, but Additional Efforts Could Address Potential Inefficiency and Overlap among Smaller Programs,
GAO-10-346, April 2010, pp. 51-53.
19 The Community Food Projects and Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) are administered by the
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
20 For more information on FNS program operations during disasters and emergencies, see USDA, FNS, “Disaster
Assistance,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster.
21 See also the USDA, FNS, “FNS Regional Offices,” http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-regional-offices.
22 USDA, FNS, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Options Report 17th Edition, August 2025,
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/waivers/state-options-report.

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Child and Adult Care Food Program. USDA commodity foods are also provided to the HHS-
ACL’s Nutrition Services Incentive Program (Table 3). These programs distribute “entitlement
commodities” (an amount of USDA foods to which grantees are entitled by law) as well as
“bonus commodities” (USDA food purchases based on the needs of the agricultural producers).23

 These domestic food assistance programs have a historical, and in most respects, ongoing
relationship with farming and agriculture. For example, the first Food Stamp Program, a pilot
program in the late 1930s and early 1940s, sold orange and blue “food stamps” to program
participants.24 While $1 would provide a program participant with $1 in value of “orange stamps”
that could be spent on any food, the program participant would also receive an additional 50 cents
worth of “blue stamps,” which could only be used to purchase agricultural products that were in
surplus. Commodity donation programs that supported the post-Depression farm economy were
precursors to the National School Lunch Program.25 TEFAP and several of the child nutrition
programs still benefit from USDA commodity foods as well as USDA’s donation of bonus
commodities, which USDA purchases based on agricultural producers’ identification of surplus
goods or need for price support. In more contemporary examples, the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-
79), 2010 child nutrition reauthorization (P.L. 111-296), and USDA initiatives include efforts to
promote “farm-to-school” endeavors, seeking, for example, to facilitate school cafeterias’
purchasing from local and regional farms.26

USDA Food Assistance Resources

•

•

FNS Website: https://www.fns.usda.gov—Program descriptions, press releases, current policy guidance and
regulations, and participation and spending data. Information is available on SNAP, WIC, food distribution,
and child nutrition programs.

FNS Office of Policy Support, Research and Analysis: https://www.fns.usda.gov/research-analysis—
USDA-sponsored data, research, and analysis on participation in and effectiveness of USDA, FNS programs.

•  USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) Food and Nutrition Assistance Products:

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/—ERS provides research on USDA-administered
nutrition assistance programs and related topics.

Farm Bill

Table 1 lists the FNS programs that are typically reauthorized by the farm bill. The farm bill is an
omnibus reauthorization and extension of dozens of farm, food, and nutrition laws. Most recently,
Congress passed the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334) (hereinafter, the “2018
farm bill”), which made changes to the programs and extended their funding through FY2023
(subsequent laws have continued to provide annual funding for the programs27). The 2018 farm

23 For more on the procurement of USDA foods, see CRS Report R48141, Trends in USDA Procurement of U.S. Food
and Agricultural Products. For more information on FNS’s distribution of commodities, see USDA, FNS website,
“Food Distribution & Emergency Assistance,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods.
24 USDA, FNS, “A Short History of SNAP,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/short-history-snap.
25 Gordon W. Gunderson, “The National School Lunch Program: Background and Development,” USDA, FNS,
https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/program-history.
26 See, for example, USDA, FNS, “The Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program,” https://www.fns.usda.gov/f2s/farm-to-
school.
27 See P.L. 118-22, P.L. 118-58, and P.L. 119-37.

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bill included 12 titles on topics ranging from conservation, rural development, and research to
horticulture.28 The nutrition title, Title IV, included all of the programs listed in Table 1.

Farm bill nutrition programs have their authorizing language primarily in the

•  Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (P.L. 88-525 as amended; codified at 7 U.S.C.

§§2011 et seq.),

•  Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (P.L. 98-8 as amended; codified at 7

U.S.C. §§7501 et seq.), and

•  Agriculture Consumer and Protection Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-86 as amended;

codified at 7 U.S.C. §612c note).

The primary food assistance program in the farm bill is SNAP. In 2024, CRS estimated, primarily
using the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO’s) June 2024 baseline estimates, that
approximately 81% of the 2018 farm bill spending was in the nutrition title (Title IV).29 This is
nearly all due to the mandatory spending associated with SNAP. Formerly referred to as the Food
Stamp Program, the federal program name change to SNAP was included in the 2008 farm bill
(P.L. 110-246). Further detail on SNAP, beyond Table 1, is available in CRS Report R42505,
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits.

Farm bill nutrition programs have generally been under the jurisdiction of the House Agriculture
Committee and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.30 CRS In Focus
IF12255, Farm Bill Primer: SNAP and Nutrition Title Programs also summarizes these programs
and policies.

WIC and Child Nutrition Programs

Table 2 lists the programs authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (P.L.
79-396 as amended; codified at 42 U.S.C. §§1751 et seq.) and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966
(P.L. 89-642 as amended; codified at 42 U.S.C. §§1771 et seq.). Broadly, the programs contained
in these laws are the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children
(WIC) as well as the child nutrition programs. These programs support food and nutrition starting
during pregnancy and early infancy (in the case of WIC) and continuing through childhood.31

Two programs—WIC and the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program for Children
(Summer EBT)—provide electronic benefits to eligible households that are redeemable for
groceries at participating retailers. WIC is available to women during pregnancy and postpartum
and to children from birth through age four, and includes nutrition and breastfeeding support
services in addition to food benefits. Summer EBT is targeted toward households with school-age
children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, and benefits are provided during the
summer months when school is out.

28 For more information on the farm bill, see CRS Report RS22131, What Is the Farm Bill?
29 See CRS In Focus IF12233, Farm Bill Primer: Budget Dynamics; compiled using the Congressional Budget Office
(CBO) June 2024 baseline for the five largest titles and amounts indicated in law for programs in other titles. Once
CBO’s baseline reflects the FY2025 budget reconciliation law (P.L. 119-21), Title IV’s share is expected to decrease.
30 The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, described in the table, was passed and financed by the 2008 farm bill. It
amended the Russell National School Lunch Act—a statute typically reauthorized elsewhere and in the jurisdiction of
the House Education and the Workforce committee.
31 Exceptions include individuals with disabilities over the age of 18 attending K-12 schools participating in the lunch
or breakfast programs, and older adults who attend CACFP adult day care centers.

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Other programs provide food in schools, day care centers, and other institutional settings. NSLP
and SBP subsidize lunches and breakfasts served in participating schools, offering the highest
reimbursement rates for meals served for free or at a reduced price. CACFP offers similar
reimbursements for meals served in child care settings, including at centers and day care homes,
as well as a limited number of adult day care centers. NSLP and CACFP also support afterschool
snacks for children from low-income households or low-income areas. During the summertime,
eligible children can access free meals through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and
NSLP Seamless Summer Option (SSO), which typically serve meals on-site at summer
recreational locations. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) sponsors fresh fruit and
vegetable snacks in selected elementary schools nationwide. FFVP is sometimes referred to as a
child nutrition program, but in this report it is included in the farm bill programs (Table 1)
because FFVP has been more often amended by omnibus farm bills than child nutrition
reauthorization legislation.

Historically, the WIC and child nutrition programs’ authorizing statutes were reauthorized
approximately every five years. However, the most recent reauthorization as of the cover date of
this report, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296), was signed into law in
December 2010. It reauthorized these programs through FY2015. Certain provisions from that
law expired after September 30, 2015, but the vast majority of child nutrition and WIC programs
and activities have continued under subsequent appropriations laws.32 Additional amendments
were made to summer meals programs in the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-
328), which allowed meal delivery in rural areas and permanently authorized the Summer EBT
program.33

WIC and the child nutrition programs have generally been under the jurisdiction of the House
Committee on Education and Workforce and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and
Forestry. For further details (beyond Table 2 information) on these programs and their
reauthorizations, see

•  CRS In Focus IF10266, Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview
•  CRS Report R46234, School Meals and Other Child Nutrition Programs:

Background and Funding

•  CRS Report R44115, A Primer on WIC: The Special Supplemental Nutrition

Program for Women, Infants, and Children

•  CRS Report R41354, Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization: P.L. 111-296

32 These concepts are discussed in CRS In Focus IF10266, Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR): An Overview.
33 For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11633, Summer Food for Children: An Overview of Federal Aid.

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FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$106,766c

Table 1. Overview of Farm Bill Food Assistance Programs

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Program Information

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program)

Food and Nutrition Act (7 U.S.C.
§§2011 et seq.)/administered by
USDA, FNS

Description: Provides benefits (through the use of electronic benefit transfer cards) that supplement low-
income recipients’ food purchasing power. Benefits vary by household size, income, and expenses (like
shelter and medical costs) and averaged nearly $188 per person per month in FY2025. In lieu of SNAP
benefits, (1) Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
receive nutrition assistance program (NAP) block grants to serve their low-income populations, and (2) the
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR, discussed below) serves certain Native
American households. SNAP funding also supports related grants, like SNAP Employment & Training (E&T).
Eligibility: Under federal rules, eligible households must meet tests for gross income (monthly cash income
below 130% of the federal poverty guidelines), net income (monthly cash income subtracting SNAP
deductible expenses at or below 100% of the federal poverty guidelines), and liquid assets (for FY2026,
under $3,000 in assets or under $4,500 if elderly or disabled household members). However, households
with elderly or disabled members do not have to meet the gross income test. The state option of broad-
based categorical eligibility also allows for the modification of some financial eligibility rules, including
increasing the gross income limit to up to 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and increasing or
eliminating the asset limit. The vast majority of SNAP state agencies have opted into broad-based categorical
eligibility. Recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance, Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), or state-funded General Assistance are categorically eligible for SNAP. SNAP also has
nonfinancial eligibility rules for households such as work requirements and citizenship-related rules.a
Data: In FY2025, SNAP served an average of 42.4 million individuals in 22.6 million households each month.
In FY2023, the most recent year of available data, approximately 39% of participants were under age 18,
20% were age 60 or older, and 10% were disabled nonelderly adults.b

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Food and Nutrition Act, Section 4(b)
(7 U.S.C. §2013(b))/administered by
USDA, FNS

Description: Provides, in lieu of SNAP benefits, a food package of USDA commodities to low-income
households on Indian reservations and to Native American families residing in Oklahoma or in designated
areas near Oklahoma. In 2024, three states and 107 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) administered the
program.
Eligibility: In addition to geographic eligibility requirements, FDPIR has income requirements similar but
not identical to SNAP’s. By law, households that participate in FDPIR may not participate in SNAP and vice
versa.
Data: In FY2025, FDPIR had on average, 58,000 participants per month.

$239

CRS-9

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Program Information

The Food and Nutrition Act, Section
27 and The Emergency Food
Assistance Act (7 U.S.C. §§2036 &
7501 et seq.)/administered by USDA,
FNS

Community Food Projects

Food and Nutrition Act, Section 25 (7
U.S.C. §2034)/administered by USDA,
NIFA

Description: Provides USDA-purchased food commodities (and cash support for distribution costs)
through states to local emergency feeding organizations (e.g., food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens)
serving the low-income population.
Eligibility: States select local emergency feeding organization grantees and set income thresholds for
households picking up food within a federal range (states must set the threshold between 185% and 300% of
the federal poverty guidelines, unless they receive an exemption from USDA to set a higher threshold).
There are no income restrictions on individuals who receive prepared meals (e.g., at a soup kitchen).
Data: Information on the number of recipients or the average value of foods received in TEFAP is not
available.

Competitive grants to nonprofit organizations for programs that improve access to locally produced food
for low-income households. Eligibility for grants will vary according to requests for applications. Grant
program requires grantees’ matching funds. In FY2024, USDA awarded grants to 19 projects in 16 states
and the District of Columbia (DC).

Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP)

Food Conservation and Energy Act of
2008, Section 4405 (7 U.S.C.
§7517)/administered by USDA, NIFA

Competitive grants for projects that increase low-income consumers' purchase of fruits and vegetables by
providing incentives at SNAP points of purchase and (added by the 2018 farm bill) providing produce
prescriptions to SNAP/Medicaid participants. In FY2024, USDA awarded grants to 26 projects in 18 states,
DC, and two territories.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

Agriculture and Consumer Protection
Act of 1973, Section 4(a) (7 U.S.C.
§612c note)/administered by USDA,
FNS

Description: Provides supplemental monthly food packages to primarily low-income elderly persons.
Eligibility: Elderly persons (age 60+) who have access to a local CSFP project and household income below
130% of the federal poverty guidelines.
Data: In FY2025, approximately 700,000 individuals participated in CSFP each month across programs in 50
states, DC, and seven ITOs.

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP)

Russell National School Lunch Act,
Section 19 (42 U.S.C. §1769a)
(expanded in Section 4304 of the
Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (P.L. 110-246)/administered by
USDA, FNS

Description: Provides grants to elementary schools to purchase fresh fruit and vegetable snacks to be
provided during the school day.
Eligibility: Program is nationwide in selected schools. States are required to select elementary schools in
which 50% or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Priority is placed on schools
where the highest proportion of children are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.
Data: Information on the number of FFVP recipients is not available.

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$552d

$5

$56e

$460

$243f

CRS-10

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)

Program Information

Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of
2008 (P.L. 110-246), Section 4231 (7
U.S.C. §3007)/administered by USDA,
FNS

Description: Provides grants to participating states to offer vouchers/coupons to low-income seniors that
may be used at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and other approved venues to purchase fresh produce.
Eligibility: Income eligibility criteria are established by states, within a framework established by FNS (e.g.,
participants must be at least 60 years old, household income no greater than 185% of federal poverty).
Data: In FY2024, SFMNP was operated by 56 agencies, including states, DC, U.S. territories, and ITOs. In
FY2022 (the latest year of available data), about 758,000 individuals received annual SFMNP
vouchers/coupons worth an average of $39.

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$21g

Source: Funding for SNAP, FDPIR, TEFAP, Community Food Projects, and CSFP are FY2026 appropriations from P.L. 119-37 and the accompanying explanatory
statement. SNAP’s and FDPIR’s funding are largely based on the demand for program’s benefits and services, so appropriations figures usually overestimate those programs’
annual cost. Funding for GusNIP, FFVP, and SFMNP are based on the mandatory funds authorized by the programs’ authorizing laws (explained further in the notes below).
Participation data are from USDA, FNS, “September 2025 Keydata Report,” December 23, 2025, https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/overview/keydata-sept2025, unless otherwise
noted. Data are preliminary for FY2025 and may be revised in future releases as reporting agencies finalize data.
a.
b.  USDA, FNS, Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2023, April 2025, https://www.fns.usda.gov/research/snap/characteristics-

See CRS Report R42505, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): A Primer on Eligibility and Benefits, for additional detail.

c.

fy23.
SNAP funding figure displayed includes FY2026 appropriated amounts for NAP block grants (approximately $3 billion for Puerto Rico, $12 million for American Samoa,
and an unspecified amount for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

d.  TEFAP appropriation for entitlement foods and administrative funds. Does not include the value of bonus foods distributed through TEFAP, which has ranged from $1

billion to $2 billion since FY2019. For more information, see CRS Report R45408, The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP): Background and Funding.

e.  GusNIP’s mandatory funding is provided by a transfer from the Commodity Credit Corporation; the transfer is authorized by the program’s authorizing language.

f.

g.

Amount shown is the authorized transfer amount for FY2026.
FFVP is funded by a mandatory transfer of funds from Section 32 of the Act of August 24, 1935. Amount shown is the authorized transfer amount for FY2026, from
USDA, FNS, “Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program: Allocation of Funds for Fiscal Year FY2026,” SP 16-2025, June 4, 2025, https://www.fns.usda.gov/ffvp/allocation-funds-
fy26.
SFMNP funding is provided by a transfer from the Commodity Credit Corporation; the transfer is authorized by the program’s authorizing language. Amount shown is
the authorized transfer amount for FY2026.

CRS-11

Table 2. Overview of WIC and Child Nutrition Programs

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Program Information

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Child Nutrition Act, Section 17 (42 U.S.C.
§1786)/administered by USDA, FNS

Description: Provides supplemental, nutrient-rich foods; nutrition education and counseling; and
breastfeeding promotion and support to low-income women, infants, and children. WIC benefits are
redeemable for a list of nutrient-rich foods specific to the participant’s eligibility category and medical
needs (for example, foods specifically recommended for an anemic pregnant woman). These foods are
specified in USDA, FNS regulations, although state agencies may further specify.
Eligibility: Pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age five with
household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines may be WIC eligible. Applicants
must be individually determined to be at “nutritional risk" by a health professional and must meet state
residency requirements. Applicants may meet income requirements based on receipt of TANF cash
assistance, SNAP, or Medicaid.
Data: In FY2025, an average of approximately 6.9 million individuals (up from 6.7 million in FY2024)
participated in WIC each month. This includes approximately 3.8 million children, 1.5 million infants,
and 1.5 million women. In FY2026, WIC is administered by all 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC),
five territories (American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands), and 32 ITOs.

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$8,200

WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP)

Child Nutrition Act, Section 17(m) (42 U.S.C.
§1786(m))/administered by USDA, FNS

Description: Provides grants to participating states to offer vouchers/coupons/EBT to WIC
participants that may be used in farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and other approved venues to
purchase fresh produce.
Eligibility: Women, infants over four months old, and children who are certified to receive WIC
Program benefits or who are on a waiting list for WIC certification are eligible to participate in the
FMNP.
Data: In FY2022, approximately 1.3 million WIC participants received annual FMNP benefits worth an
average of $26 per year. In FY2024, 49 agencies participated in WIC FMNP, including states DC, Guam,
Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and ITOs.

$10

CRS-12

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

School Breakfast Program (SBP)

Child Nutrition Act, Section 4 (42 U.S.C.
§1773)/administered by USDA, FNS

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
§§1751 et seq.)/administered by USDA, FNS

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$6,590

$18,692

Program Information

Description: Provides federal cash assistance for elementary and secondary schools that provide
breakfast to school children. Federal subsidies currently range from about 40 cents to $3.00 per meal
(depending on the type of meal and the recipient’s household income, with subsidies higher in Alaska,
Hawaii, and specified U.S. territories). Total amount of assistance can vary based on the number of free,
reduced-price, and paid lunches served.
Eligibility: Children are eligible to receive free school breakfasts if their family income is below 130%
of federal poverty guidelines, or if they receive TANF or SNAP benefits, or if they are considered a
migrant, runaway, or homeless child, or are in foster care. Children are eligible to receive reduced-
price school breakfasts if their family income is between 130% and 185% of federal poverty guidelines.
Children in states operating universal free meal policies, or in schools operating federal options such as
the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), receive meals for free.
Data: In FY2025, an average of 16.0 million students in approximately 91,000 schools participated in
SBP each school day.

Description: Provides federal assistance, in the form of cash and commodities, to elementary and
secondary schools that provide lunch to school children. Federal subsidies currently range from 44
cents to $4.86 per meal (depending on the type of meal and the recipient’s household income, with
subsidies higher in Alaska, Hawaii, and specified U.S. territories). Total amount of federal assistance can
vary based on the number of free, reduced-price, and paid lunches served. There are also options for
schools to provide summer meals through NSLP’s Seamless Summer Option and afterschool snacks
through the NSLP Afterschool Snack component.
Eligibility: Children are eligible to receive free school lunches if their household income is below 130%
of federal poverty guidelines, or if they receive TANF or SNAP benefits, or if they are considered a
migrant, runaway, or homeless child, or are in foster care. Children are eligible to receive reduced-
price school lunches if their household income is between 130% and 185% of federal poverty guidelines.
Children in states operating universal free meal policies, or in schools operating federal options such as
CEP, receive meals for free.
Data: In FY2025, an average of 29.9 million students in approximately 94,000 schools participated in
NSLP each school day.

CRS-13

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

Russell National School Lunch Act, Section 13
(42 U.S.C. §1761)/administered by USDA,
FNS

Program Information

Description: Provides federal cash assistance and some commodity foods to local public and private
nonprofit “service institutions” running summer youth programs, camps, or other recreation sites that
serve low-income children during their summer break or during lengthy school-year breaks. Sites may
be schools, camps, community centers, and other locations. As of summer 2023, institutions may also
deliver meals to low-income children in rural areas. Sponsors receive per-meal/snack subsidies as well
as assistance with operating costs.
Eligibility: Children age 18 or younger and certain individuals with disabilities over the age of 18, who
either live in low-income areas or meet program eligibility rules similar to the eligibility rules for the
school lunch program.
Data: In June 2025, summer meals were served at about 35,000 sites to 2.4 million children and youth
each summer day.a

Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program (Summer EBT)

Russell National School Lunch Act, Section
13A (42 U.S.C. §1762)/administered by
USDA, FNS

Special Milk Program

Child Nutrition Act, Section 3 (42 U.S.C.
§1772)/administered by USDA, FNS

Description: Summer EBT provides electronic benefits that can be redeemed for groceries to
households with eligible children over the summer months. Eligible households in participating
jurisdictions receive a $40 per child, per month grocery benefit (adjusted annually for inflation) that
they can redeem at SNAP-authorized retailers. Special program rules exist for certain Indian tribal
organizations, certain territories, and children attending year-round schools.
Eligibility: Children who receive free or reduced-price meals during the school year are automatically
enrolled in Summer EBT (though families may opt out). States participating in the program must also
establish an application process—using the same eligibility criteria as free and reduced-price school
meals—for other children.
Data: In summer 2025, 37 states, DC, four territories, and five ITOs operated Summer EBT, with a
peak of 8.5 million children receiving benefits in June 2025.

Description: Provides public or nonprofit schools or child care institutions that do not participate in
other federal meal programs with a per-half pint reimbursement for part of the cost of milk served to
children/students.
Eligibility: Any child at a participating school or half-day prekindergarten program can receive milk
through the Special Milk Program. Children may either buy milk or receive it free, depending on the
school’s choice of program options.
Data: In FY2025, roughly 65,000 half-pints of milk were served on average daily through the Special
Milk Program.b

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$905

$4,357

$5

CRS-14

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$4,521

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

Program Information

Russell National School Lunch Act, Section 17
(42 U.S.C. §1766)) / Administered by the
USDA, FNS

Description: Provides cash subsidies to participating child care centers, family day care homes, after-
school programs, and nonresidential adult-care centers for the meals and snacks they serve to children,
the elderly, and chronically disabled persons. In child care centers and nonresidential adult-care settings,
per-meal/snack subsidy payments are the same as those for school meals and child care centers. Family
day care homes are reimbursed according to a tiered system. Federal subsidies currently range from
about 40 cents to $4.60 per meal (depending on the type of meal and the recipient’s household income,
with higher subsidies in Alaska, Hawaii, and specified U.S. territories).
Eligibility: (Child care centers) Children’s eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and snacks is the
same as for school meals programs. Children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals may not be
charged separate meal fees (however, child care centers may incorporate meal costs into tuition). (Day
care homes) There are no individual eligibility determinations; rather, day care homes receive a subsidy
for every meal served, and the size of the subsidy is based on whether the home is a Tier I or Tier II
home. Day care homes located in a low-income area or that are operated by a low-income provider
receive a higher, Tier I reimbursement rate; other homes receive a lower, Tier II rate per meal. Families
may not be charged separate meal fees but meal costs may be incorporated into tuition. (Adult services)
Elderly (age 60+) or chronically disabled persons attending participating nonresidential adult-care
centers. Both for-profit and nonprofit centers are eligible to participate. Adults are eligible for free or
reduced meals based on income guidelines that are the same as in school meals programs, or if they
receive SNAP, FDPIR, Supplemental Security Income, or Medicaid.
Data: In FY2025, the average daily participation of children and adults was approximately 4.7 million
(4.6 million children and 117,600 older adults). Of the children served, approximately 3.9 million were
in child care centers and 627,000 were in family day care homes.

Source: Funding data are FY2026 appropriations from P.L. 119-37 and the accompanying explanatory statement unless otherwise noted. Appropriations for child nutrition
programs may not match final expenditures for the fiscal year because spending fluctuates with the number of meals served in the programs and because funds are available
for two fiscal years. Participation data are from USDA, FNS, “September 2025 Keydata Report,” December 23, 2025, https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/overview/keydata-
sept2025, unless otherwise noted below. Participation data are preliminary for FY2025 and may be revised in future releases as reporting agencies finalize data.
a.  USDA, FNS, “October 2025 Keydata Report,” January 23, 2026, https://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/overview/keydata-oct25.
b.  Daily average half-pints served in the Special Milk Program were estimated by CRS based on the average number of half pints served per month divided by an

estimated 20 operating days per month.

CRS-15

Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs

HHS ACL Programs
The Administration on Aging (AOA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), Administration for Community Living (ACL) administers domestic food assistance
programs authorized under the Older Americans Act (OAA). These programs provide formula
grants to states, U.S. territories, and Indian tribal organizations to support congregate meals in
group settings (e.g., senior centers, community centers, schools, and houses of worship) and
home-delivered meals to older individuals.34 AOA also administers the Nutrition Services
Incentive Program (NSIP), which provides funds to the same entities to purchase food for these
programs. While OAA’s nutrition services programs provide food assistance in the form of a
prepared meal to older individuals living in the community, the stated purpose of the program is
not only to reduce hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, but also to promote socialization, as
well as the health and well-being of older individuals.35 Table 3 provides details on the HHS ACL
programs, including eligibility, services provided, and funding.

Older individuals who meet certain income and other requirements may also be eligible for other
domestic food assistance programs administered by USDA, such as the SNAP, SFMNP, CSFP,
and CACFP. Moreover, other services funded under OAA provide outreach, education, and
referral to assist eligible older individuals in accessing these USDA benefits and programs. While
senior nutrition programs are administered by AOA, there continues to be program coordination
between HHS ACL and USDA FNS. At the federal level, states and other entities may choose to
receive all or part of their NSIP allotments in the form of USDA commodities.36 Obligations for
NSIP commodity procurement are funded under an agreement between ACL and FNS.37

At the state level, HHS ACL and USDA FNS nutrition services programs that target seniors may
be jointly administered under state aging and disability agencies, who are primarily responsible at
the state level for administering OAA-funded programs. According to findings from an evaluation
of the OAA nutrition services programs, 8 in 10 State Units on Aging (SUAs)—designated state-
level agencies38—had a nutrition program administrator (NPA) who plans, develops, administers,
implements, and evaluates OAA nutrition services. In 40% of SUAs with an NPA, the NPA has
program responsibilities for OAA nutrition services as well as USDA programs such as SNAP
and SFMNP.39 Whether a state agency has some responsibility for administering HHS ACL and
USDA FNS programs and services may depend on whether the agency functions as an

34 The Older Americans Act (OAA) statute defines “older individual” as an individual aged 60 and older. For more
information on programs and funding under the OAA, see CRS Report R43414, Older Americans Act: Overview and
Funding.
35 42 U.S.C. §3030d-21.
36 The Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP) was originally established by the OAA in 1974 as the Nutrition
Program for the Elderly and administered by USDA. Congress transferred the administration of NSIP from USDA to
HHS AOA in 2003. In 2006, pursuant to P.L. 109-365, Congress rescinded states’ option to receive commodities.
However, in 2007, this option was reinstated through P.L. 110-19 (effective April 23, 2007), which authorized the
transfer of NSIP funds from HHS to USDA for the purchase of commodities and related expenses.
37 Most entities choose to receive their share of NSIP funds in cash, rather than commodities. In FY2024, four states
chose to receive a portion of their share of the nutrition services incentive funds in commodities: Delaware, Kansas,
Massachusetts, and Montana. The FY2024 total value for these commodities was $2.26 million (USDA, FNS, 2026
Explanatory Notes, pp. 34-100 and 34-114).
38 At the state-level, a State Unit on Aging (SUA) may be referred to as a Department, Office, Bureau, Commission,
Council, or Board for older adults, seniors, aging, the elderly, and/or adults with physical disabilities.
39 James Mabli et al., “Final Report: Process Evaluation of Older Americans Act Title III-C Nutrition Services
Program,” Mathematica Policy Research, September 30, 2015, p. 15.

Congressional Research Service

16

Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs

independent administrative agency or part of an umbrella agency that also has responsibility for
other health and human services.

SUAs may also collaborate with USDA programs. Most SUAs reported that they also collaborate
with SNAP (56%) and SFMNP (62%), but collaborate less so with other USDA programs, such
as CSFP, CACFP, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).40 Collaboration
activities with SNAP and SFMNP included promoting older-adult access to these programs,
participating in committees and workshops as well as training and assistance programs, and
policy planning activities.41 Also, older adults participating in SNAP can use their benefits as a
voluntary contribution toward the OAA meal if the nutrition service provider is authorized by
USDA to accept SNAP benefits for this purpose and the older adults choose to do so.

Congress has reauthorized and amended the OAA numerous times since it was first enacted in
1965. The last OAA reauthorization occurred in 2020, when the 116th Congress enacted the
Supporting Older Americans Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-131), which extended the act’s authorization
of appropriations for most programs, including senior nutrition, through FY2024. While
authorization of appropriations for most OAA programs expired at the end of FY2024
(September, 30, 2024), Congress has continued to appropriate funding for OAA authorized
activities.

The 2020 OAA reauthorization made several changes to the nutrition services programs. First, it
added reducing malnutrition as a purpose of the nutrition services programs and similarly
included screening for malnutrition in the definition of disease prevention and health promotion
services under the act. It clarified that the officer or employee responsible for federal
administration of the nutrition services programs be a registered dietician or registered dietician
nutritionist, and that nutrition programs specify that meals adjusted to meet special dietary needs
include those adjusted for cultural considerations and preferences and “medically tailored meals.”
It further required states to decrease administrative burdens and direct services to the greatest
need when transferring funds between the congregate and home-delivered nutrition programs.
Finally, it required the Assistant Secretary to conduct a Nutrition Services Impact Study to assess
how to measure and evaluate the discrepancy between available nutrition services and the
demand for such services.42

40 Mabli et al., “Process Evaluation of Older Americans Act,” pp. 43-44.
41 For more information, see the National Aging and Nutrition Resource Center, “Partnerships with Foodbanks and
Other United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Programs,” https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/nutrition/
Partnerships-with-Foodbanks-and-Other-United-States-Department-of-Agriculture-non-COVID_508.pdf.
42 For more information about the OAA 2020 Reauthorization see CRS Report R46439, Older Americans Act: 2020
Reauthorization.

Congressional Research Service

17

Table 3. Overview of Older Americans Act (OAA) Nutrition Programs

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Congregate Nutrition Program

Older Americans Act, Title III, Part C,
Subpart 1 (42 U.S.C. §3030e) / Administered
by HHS, ACL

Home Delivered Nutrition Program

Older Americans Act, Title III, Part C,
Subpart 2 (42 U.S.C. §3030f) / Administered
by HHS, ACL

Program Information

Description: Provides meals to older adults in settings such as senior centers, schools, and adult
day care centers. Offers social services such as nutrition education and screening, nutrition
assessment, and counseling at meals sites. Provides older adults with opportunities for social
engagement and volunteerism.
Eligibility: Available to persons age 60 or older and their spouses of any age. May be available to
persons with disabilities who live with an adult age 60 and older or who reside in a housing facility
that is primarily occupied by older adults at which congregate meals are served, and volunteers
during meal hours.
Data: In 2024, almost 64.6 million congregate meals were served to about 1.4 million participants.

Description: Provides meals to older adults who may be limited in their ability to leave their home
unassisted, shop for and prepare nutritious meals, have a disability, or possess other relevant factors
that demonstrate a need for services. Offers services such as nutrition screening and education,
nutrition assessment, and counseling.
Eligibility: Available to persons age 60 or older and their spouses of any age. May be available to
persons with disabilities who live with an adult age 60 and older.
Data: In 2024, about 179.2 million home-delivered meals were served to about 1.2 million
participants.

Grants to Native Americans: Supportive and Nutrition Services

Older Americans Act, Title VI, (42 U.S.C.
§3057c) / Administered by HHS, ACL

Description: Provides for the delivery of supportive and nutrition services comparable to services
provided under Title III (i.e., congregate and home-delivered meals) to older Native Americans.
Eligibility: Same program eligibility criteria as Congregate and Home Delivered Nutrition Program
(see above rows). A tribal organization or Hawaiian Native grantee may develop further eligibility
requirements for implementation of services for older Native Americans consistent with the OAA
and applicable federal requirements.
Data: In 2023 (the most recent data available), 2.8 million congregate meals were served to about
56,000 participants and 3.8 million home-delivered meals were served to almost 45,000 participants.

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$565

$381

$40

CRS-18

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP)

Program Information

Older Americans Act, Title III, Part A, Section
311 (42 U.S.C. §3030a) / Administered by
HHS, ACL

Description: Provides funds to states, territories, and Indian Tribal Organizations to purchase food
or to cover the costs of food commodities provided by USDA for the congregate and home-
delivered nutrition programs. Funds are allotted to states and other entities based on each state’s
share of total meals served during the prior year. Most states choose to receive their share of funds
in cash, rather than commodities.a

FY2026
Funding
(in millions)

$112

Source: Prepared by CRS based on FY2026 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS)-Education Appropriations acts and accompanying report and explanatory
statement language available at the CRS appropriations status table. Eligibility rules are under 45 C.F.R. §§1321.81, 1321.87, 1322.21, 1322.27. Program data are from the
Administration on Aging, AGing Integrated Database (AGID), https://agid.acl.gov/.
Notes: For more information on programs and funding under the OAA, see CRS Report R43414, Older Americans Act: Overview and Funding.
a.

In FY2024, four states chose to receive a portion of their share of the nutrition services incentive funds in commodities: Delaware, Kansas, Massachusetts, and
Montana. The FY2024 total value for these commodities was $2.3 million (USDA, FNS, 2026 Explanatory Notes, pp. 34-100 and 34-114).

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DHS FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—a component of the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security (DHS)—administers the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP).43 The
EFSP was established through the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 (Title I of
P.L. 98-8) and later authorized under the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987
(Title III of P.L. 100-77).44 Unlike some forms of FEMA assistance, the provision of EFSP
funding does not require a presidential emergency or major disaster declaration.45

The EFSP provides grants to local government and nonprofit organizations to support and expand
existing programs that aid individuals and families who are, or are at risk of, experiencing hunger
or homelessness. As established in statute, the EFSP provides funding for food, shelter, and
supportive services.46 The guidance for each funding phase lists the eligible costs that program-
funded organizations may cover with EFSP resources, such as the following:

•

•

food costs (e.g., congregate meals, items for food pantries such as groceries, food
vouchers, transportation expenses related to picking up, delivering, and
distributing food);
shelter costs (e.g., mass shelter services, temporary hotel/motel lodging
assistance);
•
temporary rent/mortgage assistance;
•
temporary utility assistance; and
•  necessary equipment purchases.47

Table 4 provides details on the EFSP, including eligibility, services provided, and funding.

The EFSP is governed by a National Board composed of representatives from private nonprofit
organizations and chaired by the FEMA Administrator.48 The National Board is responsible for

43 42 U.S.C. §§11331-11352.
44 The act has also been amended and reauthorized, including through the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance
Amendments Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-628). P.L. 106-400 renamed the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act
the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in 2000.).
45 The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act; P.L. 93-288, as amended; 42
U.S.C. §§5121 et seq.) authorizes the President to declare an incident an “emergency” or a “major disaster.” An
emergency or major disaster is required in order for FEMA to provide many forms of assistance.
46 42 U.S.C. §11343(a).
47 The National Board, which governs the EFSP, issues guidance for each phase (i.e., a grant cycle aligning with a
tranche of appropriated funding). For examples of eligible costs as detailed in the program guidance, see the National
Board, Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program Phase 35 Responsibilities and Requirements Manual,
pp. 65-76, https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/PDFs/EFSPManual/Phase_35_Manual.pdf
(hereinafter, “National Board, Phase 35 Manual”). The National Board has produced addendums to the Phase 35
Manual or published tables reflecting updates to the guidance for subsequent phases. See, for example, the National
Board, Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program Phase 36 Addendum, https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/
efsp/website/websiteContents/PDFs/AddendumtoProgramManual/AddendumP36Manual.pdf and National Board,
“Emergency Food And Shelter Program Changes / New Guidance: Implementation Beginning with Phases 39 and
ARPA-R Awards,” https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/pdfs/
EFSP%20Program%20Changes.pdf.
48 42 U.S.C. §11331(a)-(c). By statute, the National Board includes representatives from six private nonprofit
organizations: (1) the American Red Cross, (2) Catholic Charities U.S.A., (3) the Council of Jewish Federations, Inc.,
(4) the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., (5) the Salvation Army, and (6) the United Way of
America (also referred to as United Way Worldwide), and the FEMA Administrator is the Director (the Director is the
Chairperson of the National Board).

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Domestic Food Assistance: Summary of Programs

establishing program guidance,49 determining qualifying jurisdictions and funding allocations,50
and disbursing awards to subrecipients (referred to as Local Recipient Organizations [LROs]—
local government and nonprofit organizations).51 The National Board identifies and selects the
jurisdictions with the highest need for food and shelter assistance (i.e., qualifying jurisdictions)
using a formula that considers population data, poverty data from the U.S. Bureau of the Census’s
American Community Survey, and unemployment data from the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Labor Statistics, and determines the amount to be distributed to each.52

Each locality designated for funding must establish a Local Board, the composition of which
mirrors the National Board—with a local government representative and representatives of the
same private nonprofit organizations as the National Board—to the extent practicable.53 Local
Boards are responsible for determining community needs and distribution strategies for the
locality’s funding allocation. Local Boards also select LROs for funding awards.54

FEMA has continuing authority to administer the EFSP, as the program’s establishing legislation
did not include a sunset provision. The authorization of appropriations in the U.S. Code for the
EFSP expired at the end of FY1994. Congress has continued to provide funding to FEMA for
EFSP program activities since FY1995. The committees of jurisdiction for the EFSP are the
Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on
Financial Services. The EFSP is typically funded—and given de facto authorization—by a
specific subappropriation under FEMA’s annual Federal Assistance appropriation in the DHS
Appropriations Act, and occasionally through supplemental appropriations. Most recently (as of
the cover date of this report), in FY2025 Congress appropriated $117 million for the EFSP
through the FY2025 full-year continuing resolution (P.L. 119-4). According to the National
Board’s website, hosted by the United Way, thus far, “During its 42 years of operation, the
program [has] disbursed over $6.6 billion to over 14,000 local providers in more than 2,500
counties and cities.”55

49 42 U.S.C. §11346(a).
50 42 U.S.C. §11346(a)(1)-(2). The National Board publishes allocation information (see, for example, the Emergency
Food and Shelter National Board Program, Phase 42: Fiscal Year 2024 Allocations, https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/
efsp/website/websiteContents/pdfs/Phase%2042%20(FY2024)%20Allocations.pdf).
51 42 U.S.C. §11345.
52 The National Board uses a formula to determine whether a jurisdiction is eligible for funding (e.g., a jurisdiction
could qualify for Phase 40 funding [FY2022 annual appropriations] if it met one of the following criteria: number of
unemployed: 300 or more with a 3.9% rate of unemployment; or number of unemployed: 300 or more with a 12.8%
rate of poverty”). EFSP grant award amounts to formula-qualified jurisdictions are based on a per capita rate, which is
determined by dividing the available funds by the number of unemployed persons within each qualifying jurisdiction.
In addition, there is a “State Set-Aside” process that allows any jurisdiction—formula-qualified or not—to receive
EFSP funding. The National Board allocates a portion of the appropriated funds for such purposes based on the
unemployment rates in the jurisdictions that do not qualify under the formula. These grants can be used to address
pockets of homelessness and poverty or immediate needs. See National Board, Phase 35 Manual, pp. 16, pp. 20-21;
and National Board, “How Areas Qualify,” https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/index.cfm?
template=qualify.cfm (accessed January 12, 2026).
53 42 U.S.C. §11332(a).
54 42 U.S.C. §11332.
55 National Board, “About the Emergency Food and Shelter Program” web page, https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/
website/websiteContents/about.cfm#ssac (accessed January 12, 2026). The “Your Community” web page tab provides
information on the amount spent and the assistance provided related to served meals, other food, mass shelter, other
shelter, supplies and equipment, rehabilitation of facilities, rent or mortgage assistance, utility assistance, and
administrative costs at the county level by fiscal year and EFSP funding phase (filtered by state and county), available
at https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/index.cfm?template=qualify.cfm.

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Table 4. Overview of FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program

Authorizing Legislation/Federal
Administrative Entity

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act (42 U.S.C. §§11331-11352)
/administered by DHS, FEMA

FY2025a
Funding
(in millions)

$117

Program Information

Description: Provides grant funding to local government and nonprofit organizations to
supplement and expand efforts to provide food, shelter, and supportive services to
individuals and families experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, hunger or homelessness.
Eligibility: Local Recipient Organizations—EFSP subrecipients—include private nonprofit
organizations and public organizations of the local government within the United States
and the U.S. territories. The EFSP is needs-based and clients (i.e., beneficiaries) must be
permanent residents of or “transients” within that jurisdiction.b
Data: In FY2022 (the most recent year of data), the EFSP funded an estimated 73.1
million meals, 2.8 million nights of lodging, 32,449 rent/mortgage payments, and 32,297
utility payments.

Source: Prepared by CRS based on statute, program guidance, funding opportunities, and federal grants resources, including the National Board, Phase 35 Responsibilities
and Requirements Manual, https://www.efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/PDFs/EFSPManual/Phase_35_Manual.pdf; Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): Fiscal Year 2025 Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, https://files.simpler.grants.gov/opportunities/baf1e52b-
2fe8-49c8-912b-c7552b1c74d6/attachments/7b75447d-ae95-4634-8209-5f17d10f689d/
Fiscal_Year_2025_Emergency_Food_and_Shelter_National_Board_Program_508.pdf; and Federal Program Inventory, “Emergency Food and Shelter National Board
Program,” last accessed January 9, 2026, https://fpi.omb.gov/program/97.024 (see “Program Results”).
Notes: For more information on EFSP and funding under Title III of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, see CRS In Focus IF12026, FEMA’s Emergency Food
and Shelter Program (EFSP).
a.  As of the cover date of this report, FY2026 appropriations have not yet been finalized for DHS, so FY2025 funding data is presented in this table.
b.  The National Board does not set client eligibility criteria; however, Local Boards may choose to establish client eligibility criteria based on community needs. If the

Local Board does not establish client eligibility criteria, Local Recipient Organizations may use their existing criteria or set criteria for assistance provided under the
EFSP award (with Local Board approval). Criteria used must not discriminate based on age, race, sex, religion, national origin, disability, economic status, or sexual
orientation, and consideration must be given to the transition from temporary shelter to permanent homes, and the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness
who have disabilities and illness, and to facilitate access to other sources of services and benefits for individuals experiencing homelessness.

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Author Information

Kara Clifford Billings, Coordinator
Analyst in Social Policy

  Kirsten J. Colello

Specialist in Health and Aging Policy

Randy Alison Aussenberg
Specialist in Nutrition Assistance Policy

  Elizabeth M. Webster

Specialist in Emergency Management and Disaster
Recovery

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 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
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

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