[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 57 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)] [Notices] [Pages 14429-14431] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 99-7263] ======================================================================== Notices Federal Register ________________________________________________________________________ This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section. ======================================================================== Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 57 / Thursday, March 25, 1999 / Notices [[Page 14429]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The 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 (WIC Program). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations. EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1999. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Hallman, Branch Chief, Policy and Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2730. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order 12866 This notice is exempted 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 29112 June 24, 1983). Description Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (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 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 1999 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in the Federal Register on March 18, 1999 at 64 FR 13428. The guidelines published by DHHS are referred to as the poverty guidelines. Section 246.7(d)(1) of the WIC regulations specifies that State agencies may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under section 9 of the 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, 1999 through June 30, 2000. Consistent with Section 17(f)(17) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (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, but in no case may implementation take place later than July 1, 1999. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on July 1, 1999. 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. 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. BILLING CODE 3410-30-U [[Page 14430]] [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN25MR99.000 [[Page 14431]] Dated: March 16, 1999. Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786. Samuel Chambers, Jr., Administrator. [FR Doc. 99-7263 Filed 3-24-99; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-30-C