[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12467-12469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04788]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Child Nutrition Programs--Income Eligibility Guidelines
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice
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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to
the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility
for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July
1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. These guidelines are used by schools,
institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch
Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program,
Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program
and Summer Food Service Program. The annual adjustments are required by
section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The
guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those children most in
need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer
Price Index.
DATES: Effective Date: July 1, 2014.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Julie Brewer, Chief, School Programs
Branch, Child Nutrition Programs, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS),
USDA, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, or by phone at (703) 305-2590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 that Act.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3507), no recordkeeping or reporting requirements have been included
that are subject to approval from the Office of Management and Budget.
This notice has been determined to be not significant and was
reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget in conformance with
Executive Order 12866.
The affected programs are listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance under No. 10.553, No. 10.555, No. 10.556, No. 10.558 and No.
10.559 and are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372,
which requires
[[Page 12468]]
intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. (See 7
CFR part 3015, Subpart V, and the final rule related notice published
at 48 FR 29114, June 24, 1983.)
Background
Pursuant to sections 9(b)(1) and 17(c)(4) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1) and 42 U.S.C.
1766(c)(4)), and sections 3(a)(6) and 4(e)(1)(A) of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772(a)(6) and 1773(e)(1)(A)), the Department
annually issues the Income Eligibility Guidelines for free and reduced
price meals for the National School Lunch Program (7 CFR part 210), the
Commodity School Program (7 CFR part 210), School Breakfast Program (7
CFR part 220), Summer Food Service Program (7 CFR part 225) and Child
and Adult Care Food Program (7 CFR part 226), and the guidelines for
free milk in the Special Milk Program for Children (7 CFR part 215).
These eligibility guidelines are based on the Federal income poverty
guidelines and are stated by household size. The guidelines are used to
determine eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk in
accordance with applicable program rules.
Definition of Income
In accordance with the Department's policy as provided in the Food
and Nutrition Service publication Eligibility Manual for School Meals,
``income,'' as the term is used in this Notice, means income before any
deductions such as income taxes, Social Security taxes, insurance
premiums, charitable contributions and bonds. It includes the
following: (1) Monetary compensation for services, including wages,
salary, commissions or fees; (2) net income from nonfarm self-
employment; (3) net income from farm self-employment; (4) Social
Security; (5) dividends or interest on savings or bonds or income from
estates or trusts; (6) net rental income; (7) public assistance or
welfare payments; (8) unemployment compensation; (9) government
civilian employee or military retirement, or pensions or veterans
payments; (10) private pensions or annuities; (11) alimony or child
support payments; (12) regular contributions from persons not living in
the household; (13) net royalties; and (14) other cash income. Other
cash income would include cash amounts received or withdrawn from any
source including savings, investments, trust accounts and other
resources that would be available to pay the price of a child's meal.
``Income,'' as the term is used in this Notice, does not include
any income or benefits received under any Federal programs that are
excluded from consideration as income by any statutory prohibition.
Furthermore, the value of meals or milk to children shall not be
considered as income to their households for other benefit programs in
accordance with the prohibitions in section 12(e) of the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act and section 11(b) of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1760(e) and 1780(b)).
The Income Eligibility Guidelines
The following are the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be effective
from July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. The Department's guidelines
for free meals and milk and reduced price meals were obtained by
multiplying the year 2014 Federal income poverty guidelines by 1.30 and
1.85, respectively, and by rounding the result upward to the next whole
dollar.
This Notice displays only the annual Federal poverty guidelines
issued by the Department of Health and Human Services because the
monthly and weekly Federal poverty guidelines are not used to determine
the Income Eligibility Guidelines. The chart details the free and
reduced price eligibility criteria for monthly income, income received
twice monthly (24 payments per year), income received every two weeks
(26 payments per year), and weekly income.
Income calculations are made based on the following formulas:
Monthly income is calculated by dividing the annual income by 12; twice
monthly income is computed by dividing annual income by 24; income
received every two weeks is calculated by dividing annual income by 26;
and weekly income is computed by dividing annual income by 52. All
numbers are rounded upward to the next whole dollar. The numbers
reflected in this notice for a family of four in the 48 contiguous
states, the District of Columbia, Guam and the territories represent an
increase of 1.3% over last year's level for a family of the same size.
The income eligibility guidelines table follows below.
Authority: (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1)).
Dated: February 26, 2014.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015]
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Federal Reduced price meals--185% Free meals--130%
poverty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Household size guidelines
----------------- Annual Monthly Twice per Every two Weekly Annual Monthly Twice per Every two Weekly
Annual month weeks month weeks
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48 CONTIGUOUS STATES, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GUAM, AND TERRITORIES
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1............................................................... 11,670 21,590 1,800 900 831 416 15,171 1,265 633 584 292
2............................................................... 15,730 29,101 2,426 1,213 1,120 560 20,449 1,705 853 787 394
3............................................................... 19,790 36,612 3,051 1,526 1,409 705 25,727 2,144 1,072 990 495
4............................................................... 23,850 44,123 3,677 1,839 1,698 849 31,005 2,584 1,292 1,193 597
5............................................................... 27,910 51,634 4,303 2,152 1,986 993 36,283 3,024 1,512 1,396 698
6............................................................... 31,970 59,145 4,929 2,465 2,275 1,138 41,561 3,464 1,732 1,599 800
7............................................................... 36,030 66,656 5,555 2,778 2,564 1,282 46,839 3,904 1,952 1,802 901
8............................................................... 40,090 74,167 6,181 3,091 2,853 1,427 52,117 4,344 2,172 2,005 1,003
For each add'l family member, add............................... 4,060 7,511 626 313 289 145 5,278 440 220 203 102
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ALASKA
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1............................................................... 14,580 26,973 2,248 1,124 1,038 519 18,954 1,580 790 729 365
2............................................................... 19,660 36,371 3,031 1,516 1,399 700 25,558 2,130 1,065 983 492
3............................................................... 24,740 45,769 3,815 1,908 1,761 881 32,162 2,681 1,341 1,237 619
4............................................................... 29,820 55,167 4,598 2,299 2,122 1,061 38,766 3,231 1,616 1,491 746
5............................................................... 34,900 64,565 5,381 2,691 2,484 1,242 45,370 3,781 1,891 1,745 873
6............................................................... 39,980 73,963 6,164 3,082 2,845 1,423 51,974 4,332 2,166 1,999 1,000
[[Page 12469]]
7............................................................... 45,060 83,361 6,947 3,474 3,207 1,604 58,578 4,882 2,441 2,253 1,127
8............................................................... 50,140 92,759 7,730 3,865 3,568 1,784 65,182 5,432 2,716 2,507 1,254
For each add'l family member, add............................... 5,080 9,398 784 392 362 181 6,604 551 276 254 127
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HAWAII
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1............................................................... 13,420 24,827 2,069 1,035 955 478 17,446 1,454 727 671 336
2............................................................... 18,090 33,467 2,789 1,395 1,288 644 23,517 1,960 980 905 453
3............................................................... 22,760 42,106 3,509 1,755 1,620 810 29,588 2,466 1,233 1,138 569
4............................................................... 27,430 50,746 4,229 2,115 1,952 976 35,659 2,972 1,486 1,372 686
5............................................................... 32,100 59,385 4,949 2,475 2,285 1,143 41,730 3,478 1,739 1,605 803
6............................................................... 36,770 68,025 5,669 2,835 2,617 1,309 47,801 3,984 1,992 1,839 920
7............................................................... 41,440 76,664 6,389 3,195 2,949 1,475 53,872 4,490 2,245 2,072 1,036
8............................................................... 46,110 85,304 7,109 3,555 3,281 1,641 59,943 4,996 2,498 2,306 1,153
For each add'l family member, add............................... 4,670 8,640 720 360 333 167 6,071 506 253 234 117
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[FR Doc. 2014-04788 Filed 3-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P