Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Severe Need Assistance-Interim Rule


Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin

To: School Nutrition Program Sponsors

Number: 05-123

Attention: Food Service Director

Date: January 2006

Subject: School Breakfast Program: Severe Need Assistance – Interim Rule

Reference: Federal Register/ Volume 70, Number 211, dated Wednesday, November 2, 2005, pages 66247 through 66250

This Management Bulletin transmits a copy of the Interim Rule that makes changes to the School Breakfast Program (SBP): Severe Need Assistance, more commonly known in California as the Especially Needy Breakfast Program. This interim rule addresses and implements amendments made by Section 201 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. The interim rule is effective December 2, 2005, and makes the following changes:

  • Eliminates the requirement that a school’s SBP costs exceed the rate of reimbursement as a criterion for receiving the higher severe need funding available in the SBP.
  • Allows State agencies to provide severe need reimbursements to certain new schools that are beginning participation in the school meal programs, and therefore, have no historical second preceding year participation information, as was previously required.

NOTE: We will not be able to implement this change until we receive guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA, Food and Nutrition Services invites interested persons to submit comments on this interim rule. To be considered, comments must be postmarked no later than May 1, 2006.

If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact your Nutrition Services Division representative in the Field Services Unit at 916-445-0850 or 800-952-5609. You may also contact Tara Masse at 916-323-7177 or by e-mail at tmasse@cde.ca.gov.

Attachment available in hard copy only.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Thursday, April 13, 2023
Related Content
Recently Posted in Nutrition
  • Farm to Summer Celebration Week 2024 (added 26-Apr-2024)
    The F2Summer Celebration Week is a recognition program for summer meal program operators that complete three elements: 1) Taste, 2) Teach, and 3) Connect during the designated week of June 17–21, 2024.
  • Provision 2—Application Information (added 24-Apr-2024)
    The purpose of this announcement is to provide school food authorities with information on how to apply to participate in Provision 2 for the 2024-25 school year.
  • Webinar – Transformative Strategies for SN (added 24-Apr-2024)
    This announcement provides registration information for the webinar titled Feeding the Future: Transformative Strategies for School Nutrition (SN) provided by the California Local School Wellness Policy Collaborative.
  • March 26, 2024 Tuesday at 2 Town Hall Resources (added 19-Apr-2024)
    The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division hosted the monthly Tuesday @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall webinar March 26, 2024.
  • Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas Q&A #2 (added 18-Apr-2024)
    The USDA announced the release of an updated policy memorandum, SFSP 08- 2024, SP 15-2024: Non-Congregate Meal Service in Rural Areas Questions and Answers #2.