7 C.F.R. § 225.15
(g)
Disclosure of children's free and reduced price meal eligibility information to certain programs and individuals without parental consent. The State agency or sponsor, as appropriate, may disclose aggregate information about children eligible for free and reduced price meals to any party without parental notification and consent when children cannot be identified through release of the aggregate data or by means of deduction. Additionally, the State agency or sponsor may disclose information that identifies children eligible for free and reduced price meals to the programs and the individuals specified in this
paragraph (g) without parent/guardian consent. The State agency or sponsor that makes the free and reduced price meal eligibility determination is responsible for deciding whether to disclose program eligibility information.
(1)
Persons authorized to receive eligibility information. Only persons directly connected with the administration or enforcement of a program or activity listed in paragraphs
(g)(2) or
(g)(3) of this section may have access to children's free and reduced price meal eligibility information, without parental consent. Persons considered directly connected with administration or enforcement of a program or activity listed in paragraphs
(g)(2) or
(g)(3) of this section are Federal, State, or local program operators responsible for the ongoing operation of the program or activity or persons responsible for program compliance. Program operators may include persons responsible for carrying out program requirements and monitoring, reviewing, auditing, or investigating the program. Program operators may include contractors, to the extent those persons have a need to know the information for program administration or enforcement. Contractors may include evaluators, auditors, and others with whom Federal or State agencies and program operators contract with to assist in the administration or enforcement of their program in their behalf.
(2)
Disclosure of children's names and free or reduced price meal eligibility status. The State agency or sponsor, as appropriate, may disclose, without parental consent, only children's names and eligibility status (whether they are eligible for free meals or reduced price meals) to persons directly connected with the administration or enforcement of:
(i)
A Federal education program;
(ii)
A State health program or State education program administered by the State or local education agency;
(iii)
A Federal, State, or local means-tested nutrition program with eligibility standards comparable to the National School Lunch Program (i.e., food assistance programs for households with incomes at or below 185 percent of the Federal poverty level); or
(3)
Disclosure of all eligibility information. In addition to children's names and eligibility status, the State agency or sponsor, as appropriate, may disclose, without parental consent, all eligibility information obtained through the free and reduced price meal eligibility process (including all information on the application or obtained through direct certification) to:
(i)
Persons directly connected with the administration or enforcement of programs authorized under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act or the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. This means that all eligibility information obtained for the Summer Food Service Program may be disclosed to persons directly connected with administering or enforcing regulations under the National School Lunch Program, Special Milk Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) (parts
210,
215, 220, 226 and 246, respectively, of this chapter);
(ii)
The Comptroller General of the United States for purposes of audit and examination; and
(iii)
Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials for the purpose of investigating any alleged violation of the programs listed in paragraphs
(g)(2) and
(g)(3) of this section.
(4)
Use of free and reduced price meals eligibility information by programs other than Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). State agencies and sponsors may use children's free and reduced price meal eligibility information for administering or enforcing the Summer Food Service Program. Additionally, any other Federal, State, or local agency charged with administering or enforcing the Summer Food Service Program may use the information for that purpose. Individuals and programs to which children's free or reduced price meal eligibility information has been disclosed under this section may use the information only in the administration or enforcement of the receiving program. No further disclosure of the information may be made.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[54 FR 18208, Apr. 27, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 13470, Apr. 10, 1990; 61 FR 25553, May 22, 1996; 64 FR 72486, Dec. 28, 1999; 64 FR 72898, Dec. 29, 1999; 65 FR 82251, Dec. 28, 2000; 66 FR 2202, Jan. 11, 2001; 72 FR 10895, Mar. 12, 2007; 76 FR 22798, Apr. 25, 2011; 78 FR 13450, Feb. 28, 2013; 83 FR 25360, June 1, 2018; 84 FR 15501, Apr. 16, 2019; 87 FR 57355, 57364, Sept. 19, 2022; 88 FR 90354, Dec. 29, 2023]
Authority
Authority: Secs. 9, 13 and 14, Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1758, 1761 and 1762a).
Source
Source: 54 FR 18208, Apr. 27, 1989, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[54 FR 18208, Apr. 27, 1989, as amended at 55 FR 13470, Apr. 10, 1990; 61 FR 25553, May 22, 1996; 64 FR 72486, Dec. 28, 1999; 64 FR 72898, Dec. 29, 1999; 65 FR 82251, Dec. 28, 2000; 66 FR 2202, Jan. 11, 2001; 72 FR 10895, Mar. 12, 2007; 76 FR 22798, Apr. 25, 2011; 78 FR 13450, Feb. 28, 2013; 83 FR 25360, June 1, 2018; 84 FR 15501, Apr. 16, 2019; 87 FR 57355, 57364, Sept. 19, 2022; 88 FR 90354, Dec. 29, 2023]