All the most current resources you need to successfully operate the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program are available here. TDA keeps this page updated with any new policy updates and news, including the following:
- Handbook release notices with update summaries
- Form release notices
- Brand new policy updates that haven’t yet been updated within the handbooks
- FAQs and other resources, as required
Please bookmark this page and check back periodically.
September 25, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated H1510 TEFAP Site Information Form
TDA has released an updated H1510 TEFAP Site Information Form. Changes were non-substantive to clarify priority classifications with a new Priority Classifications tab. The updated form is located on the TEFAP Administration/Forms page of SquareMeals.
August 28, 2024 - RELEASE: CSFP/TEFAP Equipment Inventory Form
Per federal regulation and the program agreements, Contracting Entities (CEs) must maintain an inventory of all program equipment and reconcile it via a physical inventory review at least once every two years. TDA has developed an Equipment Inventory resource tool that includes all of the federally required elements that must be tracked for each piece of equipment. During the CE's scheduled administrative review, this form or a similar version created by the CE will be reviewed. The form is located on both the CSFP and TEFAP Administration/Forms pages of SquareMeals.
July 26, 2024 - RELEASE: TEFAP Handbook - Multiple Sections
Sections of the TEFAP Handbook were revised for clarity and to reflect the most recent policy guidance. Significant revisions to content and guidance are noted under the section names below and in the published Revision Notice.
Section 2, Program Application
- Edit to clarify TX-UNPS is used for CE application and claim processing and not ordering.
- Edit to clarify that only new CEs need to sign a permanent agreement with TDA during the initial application process.
Section 3, Managing the Program
- Added that a Written Notice of Beneficiary Rights must be provided to all participants and applicants at all sites, the required elements of the Notice, the options for providing the Notice, and the requirement that CEs’ written application procedures must describe how the CE will provide the Notice to participants and applicants.
Section, 4 USDA Foods
- Edit to update references to FNS Instruction 709-5.
Section 5, Visits, Reviews, and Audits
- Edit to correct a broken link in a footnote for the item describing how to determine the value of USDA Foods for audit purposes.
Section 9, Terms, Definitions, and Acronyms
- Edit to remove unnecessary definition of additional contracting entity.
- Edit to remove reference to ordering in definition of TX-UNPS.
July 22, 2024 - RELEASE: Written Notice of Beneficiary Rights and Related Forms
In accordance with 7 CFR Part 16.4(c)(1), all organizations administering TEFAP must provide a written notice to all beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries of certain protections in a manner and form prescribed by Policy Memorandum FD-155, which can be found at https://www.fns.usda.gov/usda-foods/csfp-tefap-beneficiary-notice-referral-requirements.
In accordance with this rule, TDA has published the new Written Notice of Beneficiary Rights on the TEFAP Administration/Forms pages of SquareMeals. This notice must be distributed at all TEFAP sites and to all participants in those Programs via one or more of the following methods:
- Post the Written Notice at service locations. The posted written notice must be visible to all TEFAP beneficiaries and prospective beneficiaries upon entrance into the distribution site;
- Provide flyers or handouts at each distribution; and/or
- Add the required Written Notice to their TEFAP intake form.
References to the written notice have also been added to updated versions of the following form:
- TEFAP Participant Rights and Responsibilities
June 28, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated TEFAP Alternate Household Application H1555B
The TEFAP Alternate Household Application Form (H1555B) has been updated to reflect the Income Eligibility Guidelines for 2024-2025. The updated form is available on the TEFAP Administration/Forms page (https://squaremeals.org/Programs/The-Emergency-Food-Assistance-Program/Administration-Forms).
June 28, 2024 - RELEASE: Updated Agreement Templates for CSFP and TEFAP
After review, the Permanent Agreement forms for both TEFAP and CSFP, specifically the agreements between TDA and CSFP/TEFAP Contracting Entities, and the agreements between Contracting Entities and Subdistributing Agencies, have been updated for clarity and alignment with those respective programs' regulatory language. The updates are not substantive and do not reflect any new regulatory responsibilities. All updated form templates are posted on the TEFAP and CSFP Administration/Forms pages, as applicable.
March 1, 2024 - RELEASE: Income Eligibility Guidelines for 2024-2025
The 2024-2025 Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) for all child nutrition and household programs have been released and posted to SquareMeals here: https://squaremeals.org/FandN-Resources/Income-Eligibility-Guidelines.
Additionally, the following TEFAP resource has been updated with the latest IEGs:
- H1640 – TEFAP IEGs (with Spanish translation now included)
The TEFAP income application that also contains the IEGs for TEFAP will be released closer to their effective date of July 1, 2024.