[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 7, Volume 4]

[Revised as of January 1, 2006]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 7CFR210.2]



[Page 7-11]

 

                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE

 

    CHAPTER II--FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

 

PART 210_NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM--Table of Contents

 

                            Subpart A_General

 

Sec. 210.2  Definitions.



    For the purpose of this part:



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    Act means the National School Lunch Act, as amended.

    Afterschool care program means a program providing organized child 

care services to enrolled school-age children afterschool hours for the 

purpose of care and supervision of children. Those programs shall be 

distinct from any extracurricular programs organized primarily for 

scholastic, cultural or athletic purposes.

    Attendance factor means a percentage developed no less than once 

each school year which accounts for the difference between enrollment 

and attendance. The attendance factor may be developed by the school 

food authority, subject to State agency approval, or may be developed by 

the State agency. In the absence of a local or State attendance factor, 

the school food authority shall use an attendance factor developed by 

FNS. When taking the attendance factor into consideration, school food 

authorities shall assume that all children eligible for free and reduced 

price lunches attend school at the same rate as the general school 

population.

    Average Daily Participation means the average number of children, by 

eligibility category, participating in the Program each operating day. 

These numbers are obtained by dividing (a) the total number of free 

lunches claimed during a reporting period by the number of operating 

days in the same period; (b) the total number of reduced price lunches 

claimed during a reporting period by the number of operating days in the 

same period; and (c) the total number of paid lunches claimed during a 

reporting period by the number of operating days in the same period.

    Child means--(a) a student of high school grade or under as 

determined by the State educational agency, who is enrolled in an 

educational unit of high school grade or under as described in 

paragraphs (a) and (b) of the definition of ``School,'' including 

students who are mentally or physically disabled as defined by the State 

and who are participating in a school program established for the 

mentally or physically disabled; or (b) a person under 21 chronological 

years of age who is enrolled in an institution or center as described in 

paragraphs (c) and (d) of the definition of ``School;'' or (c) For 

purposes of reimbursement for meal supplements served in afterschool 

care programs, an individual enrolled in an afterschool care program 

operated by an eligible school who is 12 years of age or under, or in 

the case of children of migrant workers and children with disabilities, 

not more than 15 years of age.

    CND means the Child Nutrition Division of the Food and Nutrition 

Service of the Department.

    Commodity School Program means the Program under which participating 

schools operate a nonprofit lunch program in accordance with this part 

and receive donated food assistance in lieu of general cash assistance. 

Schools participating in the Commodity School Program shall also receive 

special cash and donated food assistance in accordance with Sec. 

210.4(c).

    Days means calendar days unless otherwise specified.

    Department means the United States Department of Agriculture.

    Distributing agency means a State agency which enters into an 

agreement with the Department for the distribution to schools of donated 

foods pursuant to part 250 of this chapter.

    Donated foods means food commodities donated by the Department for 

use in nonprofit lunch programs.

    Fiscal year means a period of 12 calendar months beginning October 1 

of any year and ending with September 30 of the following year.

    FNS means the Food and Nutrition Service, United States Department 

of Agriculture.

    FNSRO means the appropriate Regional Office of the Food and 

Nutrition Service of the Department.

    Food component means one of the four food groups which comprise 

reimbursable meals planned under a food-based menu planning approach. 

The four food components are: meat/meat alternate; grains/breads; 

fruits/vegetables; and milk.

    Food item means one of the five foods offered in lunches under a 

food-based menu planning approach: meat/meat alternate; grains/breads; 

two servings of fruits/vegetables; and milk.

    Food service management company means a commercial enterprise or a 

nonprofit organization which is or may



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be contracted with by the school food authority to manage any aspect of 

the school food service.

    Free lunch means a lunch served under the Program to a child from a 

household eligible for such benefits under 7 CFR part 245 and for which 

neither the child nor any member of the household pays or is required to 

work.

    Lunch means a meal service that meets the applicable nutrition 

standards and portion sizes in Sec. 210.10 for lunches.

    Menu item means, under Nutrient Standard Menu Planning or Assisted 

Nutrient Standard Menu Planning, any single food or combination of 

foods. All menu items or foods offered as part of the reimbursable meal 

may be considered as contributing towards meeting the nutrition 

standards provided in Sec. 210.10, except for those foods that are 

considered as foods of minimal nutritional value as provided for in 

Sec. 210.11(a)(2) which are not offered as part of a menu item in a 

reimbursable meal. For the purposes of a reimbursable lunch, a minimum 

of three menu items must be offered, one of which must be an entree (a 

combination of foods or a single food item that is offered as the main 

course) and one of which must be fluid milk. Under offer versus serve, a 

student shall select, at a minimum, an entree and one other menu item. 

If more than three menu items are offered, the student may decline up to 

two menu items; however, the entree cannot be declined.

    National School Lunch Program means the Program under which 

participating schools operate a nonprofit lunch program in accordance 

with this part. General and special cash assistance and donated food 

assistance are made available to schools in accordance with this part.

    Net cash resources means all monies, as determined in accordance 

with the State agency's established accounting system, that are 

available to or have accrued to a school food authority's nonprofit 

school food service at any given time, less cash payable. Such monies 

may include, but are not limited to, cash on hand, cash receivable, 

earnings on investments, cash on deposit and the value of stocks, bonds 

or other negotiable securities.

    Nonprofit, when applied to schools or institutions eligible for the 

Program, means exempt from income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the 

Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended; or, in the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico, certified as nonprofit by the Governor.

    Nonprofit school food service means all food service operations 

conducted by the school food authority principally for the benefit of 

schoolchildren, all of the revenue from which is used solely for the 

operation or improvement of such food services.

    Nutrient Standard Menu Planning/Assisted Nutrient Standard Menu 

Planning means ways to develop lunch menus based on the analysis for 

nutrients in the menu items and foods offered over a school week to 

determine if specific levels for a set of key nutrients and calories 

were met in accordance with Sec. 210.10(i)(5). However, for the 

purposes of Assisted Nutrient Standard Menu Planning, lunch menu 

planning and analysis are completed by other entities and must 

incorporate the production quantities needed to accommodate the specific 

service requirements of a particular school or school food authority in 

accordance with Sec. 210.10(j).

    OIG means the Office of the Inspector General of the Department.

    Point of Service means that point in the food service operation 

where a determination can accurately be made that a reimbursable free, 

reduced price or paid lunch has been served to an eligible child.

    Program means the National School Lunch Program and the Commodity 

School Program.

    Reduced price lunch means a lunch served under the Program: (a) to a 

child from a household eligible for such benefits under 7 CFR part 245; 

(b) for which the price is less than the school food authority 

designated full price of the lunch and which does not exceed the maximum 

allowable reduced price specified under 7 CFR part 245; and (c) for 

which neither the child nor any member of the household is required to 

work.

    Reimbursement means Federal cash assistance including advances paid 

or payable to participating schools for lunches meeting the requirements 

of Sec. 210.10 and served to eligible children.



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    Revenue, when applied to nonprofit school food service, means all 

monies received by or accruing to the nonprofit school food service in 

accordance with the State agency's established accounting system 

including, but not limited to, children's payments, earnings on 

investments, other local revenues, State revenues, and Federal cash 

reimbursements.

    School means: (a) An educational unit of high school grade or under, 

recognized as part of the educational system in the State and operating 

under public or nonprofit private ownership in a single building or 

complex of buildings; (b) any public or nonprofit private classes of 

preprimary grade when they are conducted in the aforementioned schools; 

or (c) any public or nonprofit private residential child care 

institution, or distinct part of such institution, which operates 

principally for the care of children, and, if private, is licensed to 

provide residential child care services under the appropriate licensing 

code by the State or a subordinate level of government, except for 

residential summer camps which participate in the Summer Food Service 

Program for Children, Job Corps centers funded by the Department of 

Labor, and private foster homes. The term ``residential child care 

institutions'' includes, but is not limited to: homes for the mentally, 

emotionally or physically impaired, and unmarried mothers and their 

infants; group homes; halfway houses; orphanages; temporary shelters for 

abused children and for runaway children; long-term care facilities for 

chronically ill children; and juvenile detention centers. A long-term 

care facility is a hospital, skilled nursing facility, intermediate care 

facility, or distinct part thereof, which is intended for the care of 

children confined for 30 days or more.

    School food authority means the governing body which is responsible 

for the administration of one or more schools; and has the legal 

authority to operate the Program therein or be otherwise approved by FNS 

to operate the Program.

    School week means the period of time used to determine compliance 

with the nutrition standards and the appropriate calorie and nutrient 

levels in Sec. 210.10. Further, if applicable, school week is the basis 

for conducting Nutrient Standard Menu Planning or Assisted Nutrient 

Standard Menu Planning for lunches as provided in Sec. 210.10(i) and 

Sec. 210.10(j). The period shall be a normal school week of five 

consecutive days; however, to accommodate shortened weeks resulting from 

holidays and other scheduling needs, the period shall be a minimum of 

three consecutive days and a maximum of seven consecutive days. Weeks in 

which school lunches are offered less than three times shall be combined 

with either the previous or the coming week.

    School year means a period of 12 calendar months beginning July 1 of 

any year and ending June 30 of the following year.

    Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.

    7 CFR part 3015 means the Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations 

published by the Department to implement OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-

102, A-110, and A-122; and Executive Order 12372. (For availability of 

OMB Circulars referenced in this definition, see 5 CFR 1310.3.)

    7 CFR part 3017 means the Department's regulation to implement 

Executive Order 12549, covering governmentwide rules on suspension and 

debarment as well as The Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.

    7 CFR part 3018 means the Department's Common Rule regarding 

Governmentwide New Restrictions on Lobbying. Part 3018 implements the 

requirements established by section 319 of the 1990 Appropriations Act 

for the Department of Interior and Related Agencies (Pub. L. 101-121).

    7 CFR part 3052 means the Department's regulations implementing OMB 

Circular A-133, ``Audits of State, Local Governments, and Non-Profit 

Organizations.'' (For availability of OMB Circulars referenced in this 

definition, see 5 CFR 1310.3.)

    State means any of the 50 States, District of Columbia, the 

Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and, as 

applicable, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern 

Marianas.



[[Page 11]]



    State agency means (a) the State educational agency; (b) any other 

agency of the State which has been designated by the Governor or other 

appropriate executive or legislative authority of the State and approved 

by the Department to administer the Program in schools, as specified in 

Sec. 210.3(b); or (c) the FNSRO, where the FNSRO administers the 

Program as specified in Sec. 210.3(c).

    State educational agency means, as the State legislature may 

determine, (a) the chief State school officer (such as the State 

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Education, or 

similar officer), or (b) a board of education controlling the State 

department of education.

    Student with disabilities means any child who has a physical or 

mental impairment as defined in Sec. 15b.3 of the Department's 

nondiscrimination regulations (7 CFR part 15b).

    Subsidized lunch (paid lunch) means a lunch served to children who 

are either not eligible for or elect not to receive the free or reduced 

price benefits offered under 7 CFR part 245. The Department subsidizes 

each paid lunch with both general cash assistance and donated foods. 

Although a paid lunch student pays for a large portion of his or her 

lunch, the Department's subsidy accounts for a significant portion of 

the cost of that lunch.

    Yogurt means commercially prepared coagulated milk products obtained 

by the fermentation of specific bacteria, that meet milk fat or milk 

solid requirements and to which flavoring foods or ingredients may be 

added. These products are covered by the Food and Drug Administration's 

Definition and Standard of Identity for yogurt, lowfat yogurt, and 

nonfat yogurt, 21 CFR 131.200, 21 CFR 131.203, and 21 CFR 131.206, 

respectively.



[53 FR 29147, Aug. 2, 1988, as amended at 54 FR 12580, Mar. 28, 1989; 56 

FR 32939, July 17, 1991; 58 FR 42487, Aug. 10, 1993; 60 FR 31207, June 

13, 1995; 62 FR 10189, Mar. 6, 1997; 64 FR 50740, Sept. 20, 1999; 65 FR 

26912, May 9, 2000]