TEFAP Rules for Food Pantries in Texas
In Texas, TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) is run by TX Dept of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Division. This page sets out what a food pantry or other distribution site has to do: who qualifies, what each household declares, what you record at each visit, how long you keep it, how complaints are handled and what you report. Where Texas's own documents disagree, that is said plainly rather than smoothed over.
Texas's TEFAP agency and official documents
- TX Dept of Agriculture, Food & Nutrition Division — the State agency's own TEFAP page (checked 2026-10-10).
- squaremeals.org/Programs/The-Emergency-Food-Assistance-Program/Policy-Handbook (State or food bank document used for the rules below)
Who qualifies: the income limit
Household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines (official table: Form H1640 (1 Jul - 30 Jun)). Households in these programs qualify without an income test:
- SNAP
- TANF
- SSI
- free/reduced school meals
- non-institutional Medicaid
| Household size | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $29,526 | $2,461 |
| 2 | $40,034 | $3,336 |
| 3 | $50,542 | $4,212 |
| 4 | $61,050 | $5,088 |
| 5 | $71,558 | $5,963 |
| 6 | $82,066 | $6,839 |
| 7 | $92,574 | $7,715 |
| 8 | $103,082 | $8,590 |
| Each additional person | +$10,508 |
The eligibility declaration
Form: H1555 Household Application (or H1555B drive-through). How often: annual max 12 months. Clients self-declare; proof of income is not required.
What to record at each visit
- record of participants served
Client signature at every pickup: No. Electronic signatures: Yes.
Proxies
written designation (participant, site, proxy, duration). The proxy must show ID.
What you must not collect
- ID cannot be required to receive TEFAP food.
How long to keep records
3 years.
Civil rights
Complaints: forward immediately to immediately to USDA FNS Regional Civil Rights Director (Dallas) AND TDA (Smartsheet form). Anyone may complain, in writing or verbally, without giving a name. Training: annual, frontline.
Posted or handed out:
- And Justice for All, exactly 11x17
Reporting
monthly to contracting entity / TDA.
- individuals
- households
- new households
"New" household: first lifetime visit, never resets (Central Texas Food Bank).
Storage temperatures
Refrigerated 36–40°F, frozen at or below 0°F, dry 50–70°F. Temperature log: every other day incl. dry; after power loss; Fri late + Mon early if closed weekends (form H1639).
Also
- Crisis eligibility up to 6 months; clients must be told aloud that ID/address/citizenship are not required; client signature removed 2022.
Sources
- squaremeals.org/Portals/8/FND%20Forms/Program%20Forms/TDA_TEFAP_State_Plan_update_241227.pdf
- squaremeals.org/Portals/8/FND%20Forms/Program%20Forms/H1555_V700_250306.pdf
TEFAP in nearby States
TEFAP in Arkansas · TEFAP in Louisiana · TEFAP in New Mexico · TEFAP in Oklahoma · all States