	Introduction

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP; previously the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program) provides federally purchased commodities and a smaller amount of cash support to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other types of emergency feeding organizations serving low-income households and individuals. Commodities include fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains, among other foods. TEFAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS). The program was most recently reauthorized by the 2014 farm bill ( P.L. At the state level, TEFAP is administered by a "state distributing agency" designated by the governor or state legislature: generally the state department of health and human services, agriculture, or education. Some of these programs provide cash assistance while others primarily distribute food. With nearly $354 million in appropriated funding in FY2018, TEFAP is the largest source of federal support for emergency feeding organizations. Other related federal programs include the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Emergency Food and Shelter Program, funded at $120 million in FY2018, which, among its other services for homeless individuals, provides food through shelters, food banks, and food pantries. This report begins by describing the population using emergency food assistance. Program Administration

		Federal Role

TEFAP is administered by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which is responsible for allocating aid to states (see " State Allocation Formula ") and coordinating the ordering, processing, and distribution of commodities. Local Role

Organizations that are eligible for TEFAP aid are referred to as "recipient agencies" in the Emergency Food Assistance Act. As discussed above, they may also have additional responsibilities as delegated by the state agency; for example, food banks, which operate food warehouses, may be tasked with distributing food to subcontracting recipient agencies like food pantries and soup kitchens, which in turn distribute foods or serve prepared meals to low-income individuals and families. A smaller amount of assistance is provided in the form of cash support for administrative and distribution costs. In FY2018, the enacted appropriation provided $289.5 million for entitlement commodities and $64.4 million for administrative costs. In FY2017 (the most recent year with complete data), USDA purchased and distributed $268.6 million worth of bonus commodities for TEFAP. Commodity Food Support

			Entitlement Commodities

Mandatory funding for TEFAP commodities is authorized by Section 27 of the Food and Nutrition Act (7 U.S.C. 113-79 ) . Bonus Commodities

Bonus commodities are purchased at USDA's discretion throughout the year using separate (non-TEFAP) USDA budget authority for that purpose. The Emergency Food Assistance Act specifies that administrative funds must be made available to states, which must in turn distribute at least 40% of the funds to emergency feeding organizations. 110-246 ) also increased funding for TEFAP's entitlement commodities. State Allocation Formula

TEFAP's entitlement commodity and administrative funds are allocated to states based on a statutory formula that takes into account poverty and unemployment rates. Reauthorization Proposals in the 115th Congress

The House- and Senate-passed 2018 farm bills (two versions of H.R. 2 ) include TEFAP provisions. In addition, both bills would authorize new aspects of TEFAP, taking similar but not identical approaches to incorporating new donated foods and reducing food waste.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) is a federal food distribution program that supports food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and other emergency feeding organizations serving low-income Americans. Federal assistance takes the form of federally purchased commodities—including fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains—and funding for administrative costs. Food aid and funds are distributed to states using a statutory formula that takes into account poverty and unemployment rates. TEFAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS).
TEFAP was established as the Temporary Emergency Food Assistance Program by the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983. The Emergency Food Assistance Act continues to govern program operations, while the Food and Nutrition Act provides mandatory funding authority for TEFAP commodities. Based on levels set in statute, appropriations provided $289.5 million in mandatory funding for TEFAP's "entitlement" commodities in FY2018. TEFAP also incorporates "bonus" commodities, which are distributed at USDA's discretion throughout the year to support different crops using separate budget authority. USDA purchased $268.6 million worth of bonus commodities for TEFAP in FY2017. A smaller amount of cash assistance ($64.4 million in FY2018) is appropriated to cover administrative and distribution costs under Emergency Food Assistance Act authority. These administrative funds are discretionary.
USDA-FNS coordinates the purchasing of commodities and the allocation of commodities and administrative funds to states, and provides general program oversight. State agencies—often state departments of health and human services, agriculture, or education—determine program eligibility rules and allocations of aid to feeding organizations (called "recipient agencies"). States often task food banks, which operate regional warehouses, with distributing foods to other recipient agencies. TEFAP aid makes up a modest proportion of the food and funds available to emergency feeding organizations, which are reliant on private donations as well.
TEFAP is the largest source of federal support for emergency feeding organizations. Other related food distribution programs focus on specific subpopulations; for example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Emergency Food and Shelter Program distributes food to homeless individuals and USDA's Commodity Supplemental Food Program distributes food to low-income elderly individuals.
TEFAP is typically amended and reauthorized through farm bills. Most recently, the 2014 farm bill (P.L. 113-79) extended and provided additional funding for TEFAP's entitlement commodities. Current 2018 farm bill proposals (two versions of H.R. 2) would reauthorize and continue additional funding for entitlement commodities (as of the date of this report). They also include different approaches to incorporating non-federally donated foods and reducing food waste. Recent program developments include TEFAP's use in disaster response and receipt of commodities from the 2018 trade aid package.