USDA Extends School Meal Waivers
On September 30th, the U.S. Senate passed H.R.8337, Continuing Appropriations Act 2021, a short-term funding bill that provides $1.4 trillion in continuing FY2021 appropriations for federal agencies through December 11, 2020. This bill also extends the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s authority to issue and extend nationwide child nutrition waivers until September 20, 2021.
USDA’s authority was first granted back in March under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the bill has now been signed into law. Congress passed a bill that allows all schools to continue serving under the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) as we currently are through September 30, 2021.
This approved extension includes the USDA waivers for meals served at no cost to all students in all areas, as well as permitting meals to be served outside of typically required group settings and mealtimes. In addition, the approval includes the continuation of allowing parents or guardians to pick up meals for students. This is great news for families during these unprecedented times.
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