[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 619-620]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-187]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 3 / Tuesday, January 6, 2004 / 
Notices  

[[Page 619]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Summer Food Service Program for Children; Program Reimbursement 
for 2004

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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, further adjustments are made to these rates to 
reflect the higher costs of providing meals in the States of Alaska and 
Hawaii, as authorized by the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition 
Reauthorization Act of 1998.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert M. Eadie, Branch Chief, Policy 
and Program Development Branch, Child Nutrition Division, Food and 
Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center 
Drive, Room 640, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2620.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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).
    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3501-3518), no new recordkeeping or reporting requirements have been 
included that are subject to approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget.
    This notice 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. Additionally, this notice has been determined to be exempt from 
review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 
12866.

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

    In accordance with 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 in 2004. 
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 2002 through November 2003.
    Section 104(a) of the William F. Goodling Child Nutrition 
Reauthorization Act of 1998 (Pub. L. 105-336) amended section 12(f) of 
the NSLA (42 U.S.C. 1760(f)) to allow adjustments to SFSP reimbursement 
rates to reflect the higher cost of providing meals in the SFSP in 
Alaska and Hawaii. Therefore, this notice contains adjusted rates for 
Alaska and Hawaii. This change was made in an effort to be consistent 
with other Child Nutrition Programs, such as the National School Lunch 
Program and the School Breakfast Program, which already had the 
authority to provide higher reimbursement rates for programs in Alaska 
and Hawaii.
    The 2004 reimbursement rates, in dollars, for all States excluding 
Alaska and Hawaii:

                       Maximum Per Meal Reimbursement Rates For All States (not AK or HI)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Administrative costs
                                                                         ---------------------------------------
                                                        Operating costs     Rural or self-      Other types of
                                                                           preparation sites         sites
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Breakfast...........................................               $1.38              $.1375              $.1075
Lunch or Supper.....................................                2.41               .2525               .2100
Supplement..........................................                 .56               .0675               .0550
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 2004 reimbursement rates, in dollars, for Alaska:

                              Maximum Per Meal Reimbursement Rates For Alaska Only
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Administrative costs
                                                                         ---------------------------------------
                                                        Operating costs     Rural or self-      Other types of
                                                                           preparation sites         sites
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Breakfast...........................................               $2.24              $.2225              $.1750
Lunch or Supper.....................................                3.90               .4075               .3375

[[Page 620]]

 
Supplement..........................................                 .91               .1100               .0875
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 2004 reimbursement rates, in dollars, for Hawaii:

                              Maximum Per Meal Reimbursement Rates For Hawaii Only
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Administrative costs
                                                                         ---------------------------------------
                                                        Operating costs     Rural or self-      Other types of
                                                                           preparation sites         sites
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Breakfast...........................................               $1.61              $.1600              $.1275
Lunch or Supper.....................................                2.82               .2950               .2450
Supplement..........................................                 .65               .0800               .0625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 above reimbursement 
rates, for both operating and administrative reimbursement rates, 
represent a 2.2 percent increase during 2003 (from 179.8 in November 
2002 to 183.8 in November 2003) in the food away from home series of 
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, published by the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor. The Department 
would like to point out that the SFSP administrative reimbursement 
rates continue to be adjusted up or down to the nearest quarter-cent, 
as has previously been the case. Additionally, operating reimbursement 
rates have been rounded down to the nearest whole cent, as required by 
section 11(a)(3)(B) of the NSLA (42 U.S.C. 1759 (a)(3)(B)).

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

    Dated: December 30, 2003.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 04-187 Filed 1-5-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P