[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 6 (Thursday, January 9, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1308-1309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-485]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Consumer Service


Summer Food Service Program for Children; Program Reimbursement 
for 1997

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice informs the public of the annual adjustments to 
the reimbursement rates for meals served in the Summer Food Service 
Program for Children (SFSP). These adjustments reflect changes in the 
Consumer Price Index and are required by the statute governing the 
Program. In addition, this year's operating rates are lower as a result 
of amendments made by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity 
Reconciliation Act of 1966.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 1997.


[[Page 1309]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert M. Eadie, Chief, Policy and 
Program Development Branch, Child Nutrition Division, Food and Consumer 
Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, 
(703) 305-2620.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This action is not a rule as defined by the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and thus is exempt from 
the provisions of that Act. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507), no new recordkeeping or reporting 
requirements have been included that are subject to approval from the 
Office of Management and Budget.
    This action is exempted from review by the Office of Management and 
Budget under Executive Order 12866.
    This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic 
Assistance under No. 10.559 and is subject to the provisions of 
Executive Order 12372 which requires intergovernmental consultation 
with State and local officials, (7 CFR Part 3015, Subpart V, and final 
rule related notice published at 48 FR 29114, June 24, 1983).

Definitions

    The terms used in this Notice shall have the meaning ascribed to 
them in the regulations governing the Summer Food Service Program for 
Children (7 CFR Part 225).

Background

    Pursuant to section 13 of the National School Lunch Act (NSLA) (42 
U.S.C. 1761) and the regulations governing the SFSP (7 CFR Part 225), 
notice is hereby given of adjustments in Program payments for meals 
served to children participating in the SFSP during the 1997 Program. 
Adjustments are based on changes in the food away from home series of 
the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers for the period 
November 1995 through November 1996.
    The operating rates being adjusted in this notice are lower than 
those which were in effect during the 1996 Program. This is due to the 
enactment of Public Law 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work 
Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, on August 22, 1996. Section 
706(b) of this statute amended section 13(b) of the NSLA to set new 
maximum SFSP operating rates and to require the rates to be adjusted 
down to the nearest whole cent. This resulted in the lowering of the 
rates from $2.1675 to $1.97 for lunches and suppers, from $1.2075 to 
$1.13 for breakfasts, and from $.5700 to $.4600 for supplements. 
Finally, after adjusting these rates by 3 percent (to reflect an 
increase in the CPI for food away from home, from 150.2 in November 
1995 to 154.7 in November 1996), the resulting operating rates were 
rounded down to the nearest whole cent, as opposed to the nearest 
quarter cent, as was previously the case.
    The new 1997 reimbursement rates in dollars are as follows:

                  Maximum Per Meal Reimbursement Rates                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             Operating Costs                            
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Breakfast......................................................  $1.16  
Lunch or Supper................................................   2.02  
Supplement.....................................................    .47  
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                          Administrative Costs                          
                                                                        
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a. For meals served at rural or self-preparation sites:                 
  Breakfast....................................................    .115 
  Lunch or Supper..............................................    .2125
  Supplement...................................................    .0575
b. For meals served at other types of sites:                            
  Breakfast....................................................    .09  
  Lunch or Supper..............................................    .175 
  Supplement...................................................    .045 
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    The total amount of payments to State agencies for disbursement to 
Program sponsors will be based upon these Program reimbursement rates 
and the number of meals of each type served.
    The Department points out that Public Law 104-193 established new 
maximum operating rates for all SFSP sponsors but did not change the 
base administrative rates or the rounding method for those rates. The 
administrative rates being adjusted in this notice are the rates which 
were in effect during 1996. In addition, the SFSP administrative 
reimbursement rates continue to be adjusted to the nearest quarter-cent 
as has previously been the case.

    Authority: Secs. 9, 13 and 14, National School Lunch Act, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 1758, 1761 and 1762a).

    Dated: December 30, 1996.
George A. Braley,
Acting Administrator, Food and Consumer Service.
[FR Doc. 97-485 Filed 1-8-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P