NEWSBREAKS INCLUDE:

* SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) Update

* New Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic Officers

* New Members of Commission on Dietetic Registration

SNAP UPDATE

Many Americans have questions or concerns about upcoming changes to benefits they receive through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP. SNAP is the nation's largest Federal nutrition assistance program. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, SNAP emergency allotments brought all SNAP households to the maximum benefit allowed by household size or provided SNAP households with a supplement of $95/month (whichever was greater).

The US Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service put together a helpful list of upcoming changes to SNAP benefits, in addition to available resources to support the communities that many readers of this journal serve.

Here is what is changing:

* Beginning March 2023, temporary boosts to SNAP's benefits (known as emergency allotments) that were authorized by Congress to help low-income families deal with the food and economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic will end nationwide following the recent passage of the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.

* Prior to the passage of the FY23 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, Federal law required States to have an emergency or disaster declaration in place during an existing Federal public health emergency declaration in order to issue SNAP emergency allotments. Currently, 31 states (including DC and Guam) are providing SNAP emergency allotments. Eighteen States no longer have emergency or disaster declarations and, therefore, have already stopped issuing emergency allotments.

* For more information about what the end of SNAP emergency allotments means for the communities you serve, please visit the US Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service website: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/changes-2023-benefit-amounts.

[white circle] If you have questions about SNAP benefits, please contact your state or local SNAP agency. You can find their contact information here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/state-directory.

[white circle] Please check out our latest infographic on forthcoming changes to SNAP benefits: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/2023-benefit-changes.

Here are some additional resources that may be helpful in answering client questions:

* If you think children you serve may be eligible for free or reduced-price school meals, contact your local school district at any time.

* The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a public health nutrition program for low-income parents, infants, and children. WIC provides foods to meet your and your family's specific nutrition needs, plus nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to important health care and other social services. If you think a family may be eligible, visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-how-apply for more information.

* If you know families in need of additional support to put food on the table, local programs, and partner organizations are available to help. You can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE to speak with a representative who will find food resources such as meal sites, food banks, or other social services available near your location.

NEW OFFICERS AT THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS JUST ANNOUNCED!

The February 2023 results of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) election have just been released. Hot off the press this new lineup includes the following people:

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Board of Directors

President-elect: Harlivleen (Livleen) Gill, MBA, RDN, LDN, FAND (MD)

Treasurer-elect: Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND (KY)

Director-at-Large: Carl Barnes, MS, RDN, LDN (MD)

House of Delegates Speaker-elect: Nina Roofe, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND (AR)

House of Delegates Director: Young Hee Kim, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND (CT)

House of Delegates

At-Large-Delegate: NDTR

Theresa Arguello-Thomas, MBA, NDTR (AZ)

Nominating Committee

National Leader

[middle dot] Nancy Farrell Allen, MS, RDN, FAND (VA)

[middle dot] Kristen Gradney, MHA, RDN, LDN (LA)

National Leader with Board of Directors Experience in the Past 10 Years

[middle dot] Lucille Beseler, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND (FL)

COMMISSION ON DIETETIC REGISTRATION (CDR)

The Commission on Dietetic Registration is the accrediting body for the registered dietitian nutritionist credential. The new members of that group are the following:

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Lini Alappat, MS, RD, LD (GA)

Anne Coltman, MSHA, MS, RDN, FAND (IL)

Aaron Schwartz, MBA, MS, RD, LD (KY)

CDR Advanced Practitioner in Clinical Nutrition Representative

Shelby Yaceczko, MS, RDN-AP, CSSD (CA)

The current President of AND is registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Ellen R. Shanley, the dietetics director in the department of allied health sciences at the University of Connecticut's College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Congratulations to Ellen, who will pass on the baton in June, and to all of the distinguished dietitians on the current board of directors and these new officers!