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80 FR 61 pgs. 17027-17029 - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Income Eligibility Guidelines

Type: NOTICEVolume: 80Number: 61Pages: 17027 - 17029
FR document: [FR Doc. 2015-07359 Filed 3-30-15; 8:45 am]
Agency: Agriculture Department
Sub Agency: Food and Nutrition Service
Official PDF Version:  PDF Version
Pages: 17027, 17028, 17029

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Income Eligibility Guidelines

AGENCY:

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION:

Notice

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ("Department") announces adjusted income eligibility guidelines to be used by State agencies in determining the income eligibility of persons applying to participate in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

DATES:

Effective Date July 1, 2015.


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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Hines, Chief, Policy Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2746.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This notice is exempt from review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

This action is not a rule as defined by the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612) and thus is exempt from the provisions of this Act.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

This notice does not contain reporting or recordkeeping requirements subject to approval by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507).

Executive Order 12372

This program is listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Programs under No. 10.557, and is subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials (7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, 48 FR 29100, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22675, May 31, 1984).

Description

Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1786(d)(2)(A)), requires the Secretary of Agriculture to establish income criteria to be used with nutritional risk criteria in determining a person's eligibility for participation in the WIC Program. The law provides that persons will be income-eligible for the WIC Program only if they are members of families that satisfy the income standard prescribed for reduced-price school meals under section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)). Under section 9(b), the income limit for reduced-price school meals is 185 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines, as adjusted. Section 9(b) also requires that these guidelines be revised annually to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index. The annual revision for 2015/2016 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 80 FR 3236, January 22, 2015. The guidelines published by HHS are referred to as the "poverty guidelines."

Section 246.7(d)(1) of the WIC regulations (Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations) specifies that State agencies may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act for reduced-price school meals, or identical to State or local guidelines for free or reduced-price health care. However, in conforming WIC income guidelines to State or local health care guidelines, the State cannot establish WIC guidelines which exceed the guidelines for reduced-price school meals, or which are less than 100 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines. Consistent with the method used to compute income eligibility guidelines for reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program, the poverty guidelines were multiplied by 1.85 and the results rounded upward to the next whole dollar. At this time, the Department is publishing the maximum and minimum WIC income eligibility guidelines by household size for the period July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016. Consistent with section 17(f)(17) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1786(f)(17)), a State agency may implement the revised WIC income eligibility guidelines concurrently with the implementation of income eligibility guidelines under the Medicaid Program established under Title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396, et seq. ). State agencies may coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines, i.e., earlier in the year, but in no case may implementation take place later than July 1, 2015.

State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on July 1, 2015. The first table of this Notice contains the income limits by household size for the 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, and all Territories, including Guam.

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Household size Federal poverty guidelines-100% Annual Monthly Twice-monthly Bi-weekly Weekly Reduced price meals-185% Annual Monthly Twice-monthly Bi-weekly Weekly
48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
1 $11,770 $981 $491 $453 $227 $21,775 $1,815 $908 $838 $419
2 15,930 1,328 664 613 307 29,471 2,456 1,228 1,134 567
3 20,090 1,675 838 773 387 37,167 3,098 1,549 1,430 715
4 24,250 2,021 1,011 933 467 44,863 3,739 1,870 1,726 863
5 28,410 2,368 1,184 1,093 547 52,559 4,380 2,190 2,022 1,011
6 32,570 2,715 1,358 1,253 627 60,255 5,022 2,511 2,318 1,159
7 36,730 3,061 1,531 1,413 707 67,951 5,663 2,832 2,614 1,307
8 40,890 3,408 1,704 1,573 787 75,647 6,304 3,152 2,910 1,455
Each add'l family member add + $4,160 + $347 + $174 + $160 + $80 + $7,696 + $642 + $321 + $296 + $148
Alaska
1 $14,720 $1,227 $614 $567 $284 $27,232 $2,270 $1,135 $1,048 $524
2 19,920 1,660 830 767 384 36,852 3,071 1,536 1,418 709
3 25,120 2,094 1,047 967 484 46,472 3,873 1,937 1,788 894
4 30,320 2,527 1,264 1,167 584 56,092 4,675 2,338 2,158 1,079
5 35,520 2,960 1,480 1,367 684 65,712 5,476 2,738 2,528 1,264
6 40,720 3,394 1,697 1,567 784 75,332 6,278 3,139 2,898 1,449
7 45,920 3,827 1,914 1,767 884 84,952 7,080 3,540 3,268 1,634
8 51,120 4,260 2,130 1,967 984 94,572 7,881 3,941 3,638 1,819
Each add'l family member add + $5,200 + $434 + $217 + $200 + $100 + $9,620 + $802 + $401 + $370 + $185
Hawaii
1 $13,550 $1,130 $565 $522 $261 $25,068 $2,089 $1,045 $965 $483
2 18,330 1,528 764 705 353 33,911 2,826 1,413 1,305 653
3 23,110 1,926 963 889 445 42,754 3,563 1,782 1,645 823
4 27,890 2,325 1,163 1,073 537 51,597 4,300 2,150 1,985 993
5 32,670 2,723 1,362 1,257 629 60,440 5,037 2,519 2,325 1,163
6 37,450 3,121 1,561 1,441 721 69,283 5,774 2,887 2,665 1,333
7 42,230 3,520 1,760 1,625 813 78,126 6,511 3,256 3,005 1,503
8 47,010 3,918 1,959 1,809 905 86,969 7,248 3,624 3,345 1,673
Each add'l family member add + $4,780 + $399 + $200 + $184 + $92 + $8,843 + $737 + $369 + $341 + $171


Household size Federal poverty guidelines-100% Annual Monthly Twice-monthly Bi-weekly Weekly Reduced price meals-185% Annual Monthly Twice-monthly Bi-weekly Weekly
48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
9 $45,050 $3,755 $1,878 $1,733 $867 $83,343 $6,946 $3,473 $3,206 $1,603
10 49,210 4,101 2,051 1,893 947 91,039 7,587 3,794 3,502 1,751
11 53,370 4,448 2,224 2,053 1,027 98,735 8,228 4,114 3,798 1,899
12 57,530 4,795 2,398 2,213 1,107 106,431 8,870 4,435 4,094 2,047
13 61,690 5,141 2,571 2,373 1,187 114,127 9,511 4,756 4,390 2,195
14 65,850 5,488 2,744 2,533 1,267 121,823 10,152 5,076 4,686 2,343
15 70,010 5,835 2,918 2,693 1,347 129,519 10,794 5,397 4,982 2,491
16 74,170 6,181 3,091 2,853 1,427 137,215 11,435 5,718 5,278 2,639
Each add'l family member add + $4,160 + $347 + $174 + $160 + $80 + $7,696 + $642 + $321 + $296 + $148
Alaska
9 $56,320 $4,694 $2,347 $2,167 $1,084 $104,192 $8,683 $4,342 $4,008 $2,004
10 61,520 5,127 2,564 2,367 1,184 113,812 9,485 4,743 4,378 2,189
11 66,720 5,560 2,780 2,567 1,284 123,432 10,286 5,143 4,748 2,374
12 71,920 5,994 2,997 2,767 1,384 133,052 11,088 5,544 5,118 2,559
13 77,120 6,427 3,214 2,967 1,484 142,672 11,890 5,945 5,488 2,744
14 82,320 6,860 3,430 3,167 1,584 152,292 12,691 6,346 5,858 2,929
15 87,520 7,294 3,647 3,367 1,684 161,912 13,493 6,747 6,228 3,114
16 92,720 7,727 3,864 3,567 1,784 171,532 14,295 7,148 6,598 3,299
Each add'l family member add + $5,200 + $434 + $217 + $200 + $100 + $9,620 + $802 + $401 + $370 + $185
Hawaii
9 $51,790 $4,316 $2,158 $1,992 $996 $95,812 $7,985 $3,993 $3,686 $1,843
10 56,570 4,715 2,358 2,176 1,088 104,655 8,722 4,361 4,026 2,013
11 61,350 5,113 2,557 2,360 1,180 113,498 9,459 4,730 4,366 2,183
12 66,130 5,511 2,756 2,544 1,272 122,341 10,196 5,098 4,706 2,353
13 70,910 5,910 2,955 2,728 1,364 131,184 10,932 5,466 5,046 2,523
14 75,690 6,308 3,154 2,912 1,456 140,027 11,669 5,835 5,386 2,693
15 80,470 6,706 3,353 3,095 1,548 148,870 12,406 6,203 5,726 2,863
16 85,250 7,105 3,553 3,279 1,640 157,713 13,143 6,572 6,066 3,033
Each add'l family member add + $4,780 + $399 + $200 + $184 + $92 + $8,843 + $737 + $369 + $341 + $171

Because the poverty guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii are higher than for the 48 contiguous States, separate tables for Alaska and Hawaii have been included for the convenience of the State agencies.

Authority:

42 U.S.C. 1786.

Dated: March 26, 2015.

Jeffrey J. Tribiano,

Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.

[FR Doc. 2015-07359 Filed 3-30-15; 8:45 am]

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