[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 56 (Friday, March 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17631-17632]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-06547]
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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, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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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, 2013.
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 has been determined to be not significant and was not
reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in conformance
with 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 OMB 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
29114, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22676, 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 2013/2014 was published by the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) at 78 FR 16, January 24, 2013. 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,
2013, through June 30, 2014. 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, 2013.
State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the
revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility
guidelines on July 1, 2013. 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.
[[Page 17632]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN22MR13.001
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 8, 2013.
Audrey Rowe,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2013-06547 Filed 3-21-13; 8:45 am]
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