FNS Documents & Resources

This instruction establishes the general standards and procedures that the state distributing agency, Indian Tribal Organization, or other consignee must follow in receiving shipments of USDA Foods, and conveys established responsibilities for other entities such as USDA Foods vendors and carriers.

The purpose of this Instruction is to establish and convey policy and provide guidance and direction to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and its recipients and customers, and ensure compliance with and enforcement of the prohibition against discrimination in all FNS nutrition programs and activities, whether federally funded in whole or not. 

This Instruction establishes policy for charging allowable costs associated with the administration of TEFAP, and for assigning such costs to states and eligible recipient agencies (ERAs).  Such classification of costs is necessary in order to demonstrate compliance with the statutory and regulatory requirements described in section II, of this document.