Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin
Purpose: Policy, Beneficial Information
To: All Child Nutrition Program Sponsors
Attention: Food Program Managers, Executive Directors, Food Service Directors, Business Officials, Administrators
Number: CNP-07-2017
Date: November 2017
Reference: Policy Memorandum No. 84-222, July 1984, Claim Submission Deadline Policies; USDA All Points Bulletin: SPS 92-40, April 1992; Management Advisory No. 92-123, October 1992, Reimbursement Claim One-Time Only Exception Policy Change; and Management Bulletin No. 96-103, March 1996
Supersedes: NSD Management Bulletin No. CNP-08-2014, June 2014
Subject: Reimbursement Claim One-time Only Exception Submission Deadline Policy Clarification
This management bulletin (MB) clarifies submission deadline requirements for a reimbursement claim One-time Only Exception (OTO) and the December 15 deadline. This MB supersedes CNP-08-2014 issued in June 2014.
In accordance with Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (7 CFR), sections 210.8(b)(1), 225.9(d)(6), and 226.10(e), a final claim for reimbursement shall be postmarked or submitted to the state agency no later than 60 days following the last day of the full month covered by the claim. Claims not postmarked or submitted within 60 days shall not be paid with program funds unless otherwise authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.
In accordance with USDA All Points Bulletin: SPS 92-40, issued on April 22, 1992, the California Department of Education (CDE) has the discretion to approve an OTO for reimbursing a valid late monthly claim once every 36 months per program to sponsors operating the School Nutrition Programs (SNP), the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and/or the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).
The CDE limits the use of the OTO to the federal fiscal year (October 1–September 30) in which the claim is late, and requires sponsors to submit their request for an OTO, including a complete and acceptable corrective action plan (CAP) form to the CDE Nutrition Services Division (NSD) no later than December 15 immediately following the preceding federal fiscal year in which the claim arose. The CAP form to accompany a request for an OTO is located in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS) Download Forms section of each program (SNP 37, SNP 37 FFVP, CACFP 36, and SFSP 36).
If the CDE approves the OTO request, the sponsor must also certify and submit the OTO reimbursement claim in the CNIPS no more than 15 days after receiving approval from CDE.
Please note, a claim in pending status is not submitted, but must be in an accepted status in the CNIPS. In order to submit an approved OTO claim, sponsors must proceed to the certification screen for the applicable month in the CDE CNIPS claim entry module to finish submission.
For example, the ABC Agency does not submit its January 2017 claim for reimbursement by the April 1, 2017, claim submission deadline and the agency has not submitted a one-time request in the past 36 months. If ABC Agency decides to use its OTO, it must submit the request to the NSD by December 15, 2017. If CDE approves the ABC Agency’s OTO request, it must submit the claim in the CNIPS no more than 15 days after receiving approval from CDE by proceeding to the certification screen for the applicable month in the CNIPS claim entry module.
As outlined in the USDA’s 60-90 Day Reporting in Child Nutrition Programs Guidance, this policy is not applicable when the sponsor has a Certified Public Accountant audit supporting a late adjusted claim.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding the OTO process, please contact Mia Gardner, Analyst, Program Integrity Unit, by phone at 916-327-5457 or by e-mail at mgardner@cde.ca.gov.