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3w ago

Maine and USDA Settle Dispute Over Frozen Nutrition Program Funds

The USDA agreed to restore $3 million in federal funding and refrain from future freezes without due process, while broader federal enforcement actions against Maine remain unresolved.

A general view of the U. S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo
FILE - Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
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Overview

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Maine reached a settlement restoring $3 million in frozen funds for school nutrition program administration and technology costs.
  • As part of the settlement, the USDA committed to not freezing or terminating Maine's access to federal funds over Title IX violations without following legally required procedures.
  • Maine dropped its lawsuit against the USDA, which had been filed in response to the funding freeze tied to the Trump administration’s transgender athlete policies.
  • The settlement does not affect ongoing federal actions by the Education and Justice Departments, which threaten up to $250 million in school funding over alleged Title IX violations.
  • Maine officials maintain that the state's policies comply with its Human Rights Act, while federal agencies argue they conflict with the Trump administration’s executive order redefining Title IX protections by biological sex.