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. In addition to serving needy individuals, TEFAP's domestic commodity purchases support the agricultural economy by reducing supply on the market, thereby increasing food prices. TEFAP is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS). TEFAP was established under the Emergency Food Assistance Act of 1983 in an effort to dispose of government-held agricultural surpluses and alleviate hunger in the wake of a recession and declining food stamp benefits. Since then, TEFAP has evolved into a permanent program with mandatory, annually appropriated funding that operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories. The program was most recently reauthorized by the 2014 farm bill ( P.L. 113-79 ) and has been included in farm bill reauthorization efforts in the 115 th Congress. At the federal level, TEFAP is administered by USDA-FNS in collaboration with USDA's purchasing agencies, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC). 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. Federal commodities and funds may flow through the state or directly to feeding organizations (called "recipient agencies") based on how the state agency structures the program. States will often task food banks with processing and distributing food to local feeding organizations. Food banks typically operate regional warehouses and distribute food to other organizations rather than to households directly. Figure 1 depicts the flow of commodities and funds through TEFAP. TEFAP is part of a larger web of food assistance programs. Some of these programs provide cash assistance while others primarily distribute food. TEFAP foods may reach individuals who do not qualify for other food assistance programs or supplement the assistance that individuals receive through other programs. 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. In addition, USDA's Commodity Supplemental Food Program, funded at $238 million in FY2018, distributes monthly food packages to low-income elderly individuals through local organizations, which can include food banks and pantries. This report begins by describing the population using emergency food assistance. It goes on to discuss the TEFAP program, including its administration at the federal, state, and local levels, eligibility rules, and funding structure. The report concludes by summarizing TEFAP's role in disaster response and recent reauthorization efforts. Appendix A lists TEFAP expenditures from the program's inception in 1983 to present; Appendix B provides a brief legislative history of TEFAP; and Appendix C lists TEFAP funding by state. According to an analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) data by USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), an estimated 5.9 million households (4.7%) utilized food pantries (see Figure 2 ) and at least 726,000 households (0.6%) utilized soup kitchens in 2017. However, this is likely an underestimate of the population using emergency food assistance because the sample did not include certain households over 185% of poverty and the CPS does not fully capture households who are homeless or in tenuous housing arrangements. For comparison, a survey by Feeding America, a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, estimated that approximately 15.5 million households accessed its network of feeding organizations in 2013 (the same year, ERS estimated that 6.9 million households used food pantries and soup kitchens). The Feeding America network represents a large segment of emergency feeding organizations nationwide. Data on the number of TEFAP recipients specifically are not available, in part because TEFAP commodities are mixed in with other commodities provided by emergency feeding organizations and because of "the transient nature of participation." Food insecurity is common among households using emergency feeding organizations. According to the ERS analysis, approximately 65% of households using food pantries and soup kitchens were food insecure in 2017, meaning that they had difficulty providing enough food for all of their members at times during the year due to a lack of resources. Roughly half of these households experienced very low food security, meaning that the food intake of some household members was reduced and normal eating patterns were disrupted due to limited resources. Nationally, the percentage of households experiencing food insecurity was 11.8% in 2017, down from a recent high of 14.9% in 2011. According to the ERS analysis, households using food pantries were more likely to have incomes below 185% of poverty compared to the general population (70% vs. 21%) and to include children (39% vs. 30%). Meanwhile, according to the 2014 Feeding America survey, individuals using meal programs (e.g., soup kitchens and shelters) were generally single-person households and were more likely to be homeless. In 2013, just over 70% of households using the Feeding America network of meal programs had a single member and nearly 34% were homeless or living in temporary housing. In addition, emergency feeding organizations may act as a safety net for food insecure households who are ineligible for or do not participate in other federal food assistance programs. For example, in the case of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), households may have an income too high to qualify for assistance but still experience difficulty purchasing food, or they may fail to meet other program eligibility rules. Among households using feeding organizations affiliated with Feeding America's network, a little more than half (55%) reported receiving SNAP benefits in 2013. 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. Specifically, FNS receives requests for certain quantities and types of commodities from state agencies, which place orders based on their entitlement allocation and in consultation with recipient agencies. FNS then collaborates closely with USDA's purchasing agencies—the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC)—to fulfill the orders. FNS also collaborates with AMS and CCC to purchase bonus commodities throughout the year that are not based on state requests but rather USDA's discretion to support different crops. Commodities are delivered to state distribution points, which may be operated by a state agency, private contractor, or recipient agency. According to a 50-state survey conducted by the Washington State Department of Agriculture in 2015, most states reported that commodities were sent to nonprofit-run warehouses (i.e., food banks). FNS also issues regulations and guidance and provides general oversight of states' TEFAP operations. FNS provides oversight by reviewing and approving state TEFAP plans, which are documents that outline each state's operation of TEFAP. States are required to submit amendments to the plan for approval "when necessary to reflect any changes in program operations or administration as described in the plan, or at the request of FNS, to the appropriate FNS Regional Office." TEFAP is administered at the state level by an agency designated by the governor "or other appropriate State executive authority" that enters into an agreement with FNS. As of 2015, states most commonly housed TEFAP in a health and human services department (18 states), agriculture department (13 states), or education department (8 states). State agencies administering TEFAP are responsible for creating eligibility criteria (see " Eligibility Rules for Individuals and Households "), selecting recipient agencies, distributing commodities and funds to recipient agencies, and overseeing recipient agencies. States also maintain state TEFAP plans, which contain program and eligibility rules. Federal regulations allow states to delegate a number of responsibilities to recipient agencies, if desired. States can (and often do) delegate the responsibility of warehousing and transporting commodities to one or more eligible recipient agencies, most often to food banks. They also frequently delegate the role of selecting and contracting with other recipient agencies; for example, enabling a food bank to contract with multiple food pantries. States cannot delegate their responsibility to set eligibility rules or oversee recipient agencies. States must review at least 25% of recipient agencies contracting directly with the state (e.g., food banks) at least once every four years, and at least one-tenth or 20 (whichever is fewer) of other recipient agencies each year. If the state finds deficiencies in the course of review, the state agency must submit a report with the findings to the recipient agency and ensure that corrective action is taken. Organizations that are eligible for TEFAP aid are referred to as "recipient agencies" in the Emergency Food Assistance Act. According to the statute, recipient agencies are public or nonprofit organizations that administer emergency feeding organizations; charitable institutions; summer camps or child nutrition programs; nutrition projects operating under the Older Americans Act of 1965; or disaster relief programs. The first category of organizations—emergency feeding organizations (EFOs)—receive priority under TEFAP statute and regulations and the majority of TEFAP aid. EFOs are defined as public or nonprofit organizations "providing nutrition assistance to relieve situations of emergency and distress through the provision of food to needy persons, including low-income and unemployed persons."