[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 46 (Thursday, March 9, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12909-12911]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-5709]



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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 46 / Thursday, March 9, 1995 / 
Notices  

[[Page 12909]]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Consumer Service


Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children 
(WIC): Poverty Income Guidelines

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Hallman, Branch Chief, Policy 
and Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, 
FCS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 
305-2730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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

    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 1980 (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).

Description

    Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1786 (d)(2)(A)) requires the Secretary 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 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 Income 
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 1995 was published by the Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS) in the Federal Register on February 9, 1995 at 60 FR 
7772. The guidelines published by DHHS are referred to as the poverty 
income guidelines.
    Section 246.7(c)(1) of the WIC regulations specifies that State 
agencies may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income 
guidelines established under section 9(b) 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 established under section 9(b) of the National School Lunch 
Act for reduced price school meals, or which are less than 100 percent 
of the Federal poverty income guidelines. Consistent with the method 
used to compute eligibility guidelines for reduced price meals under 
the National School Lunch Program, the poverty income 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 poverty income limits by household size for the period July 1, 1995 
through June 30, 1996. Consistent with Section 17(f)(18) of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(f)(18)), 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 that do not coordinate 
implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the 
WIC income eligibility guidelines July 1, 1995. 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 income 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.

                  Effective July 1, 1995-June 30, 1996                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Annual FNS  
                                          Annual poverty      income    
                                              income      guidelines for
               Family size                  guidelines     reduced-price
                                               (PIG)       lunches (185%
                                                              of PIG)   
------------------------------------------------------------------------
48 States, District of Columbia, Puerto                                 
 Rico, Virgin Islands, and Territories,                                 
 including Guam:                                                        
    1...................................           7,470          13,820
    2...................................          10,030         18,556 
[[Page 12910]]
                                                                        
    3...................................          12,590          23,292
    4...................................          15,150          28,028
    5...................................          17,710          32,764
    6...................................          20,270          37,500
    7...................................          22,830          42,236
    8...................................          25,390          46,972
    For each additional family member                                   
     add................................           2,560           4,736
Alaska:                                                                 
    1...................................           9,340          17,279
    2...................................          12,540          23,199
    3...................................          15,740          29,119
    4...................................          18,940          35,039
    5...................................          22,140          40,959
    6...................................          25,340          46,879
    7...................................          28,540          52,799
    8...................................          31,740          58,719
    For each additional family member                                   
     add................................           3,200           5,920
Hawaii:                                                                 
    1...................................           8,610          15,929
    2...................................          11,550          21,368
    3...................................          14,490          26,807
    4...................................          17,430          32,246
    5...................................          20,370          37,685
    6...................................          23,310          43,124
    7...................................          26,250          48,563
    8...................................          29,190          54,002
    For each additional family member                                   
     add................................           2,940           5,439
------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Dated: March 3, 1995.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator.

                                          Income Eligibility Guidelines                                         
                                 [Effective from July 1, 1995 to June 30, 1996]                                 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               Federal poverty guidelines   Reduced price meals--185%       Free meals--130%    
        Household size        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Annual   Month     Week     Annual   Month     Week     Annual   Month     Week 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
48 contiguous United States,                                                                                    
 District of Columbia, Guam                                                                                     
 and Territories:                                                                                               
    1........................    7,470      623      144    13,820    1,152      266     9,711      810      187
    2........................   10,030      836      193    18,556    1,547      357    13,039    1,087      251
    3........................   12,590    1,050      243    23,292    1,941      448    16,367    1,364      315
    4........................   15,150    1,263      292    28,028    2,336      539    19,695    1,642      379
    5........................   17,710    1,476      341    32,764    2,731      631    23,023    1,919      443
    6........................   20,270    1,690      390    37,500    3,125      722    26,351    2,196      507
    7........................   22,830    1,903      440    42,236    3,520      813    29,679    2,474      571
    8........................   25,390    2,116      489    46,972    3,915      904    33,007    2,751      635
    For each add'l family                                                                                       
     member add..............   +2,560     +214      +50    +4,736     +395      +92    +3,328     +278      +64
Alaska:                                                                                                         
    1........................    9,340      779      180    17,279    1,440      333    12,142    1,012      234
    2........................   12,540    1,045      242    23,199    1,934      447    16,302    1,359      314
    3........................   15,740    1,312      303    29,119    2,427      560    20,462    1,706      394
    4........................   18,940    1,579      365    35,039    2,920      674    24,622    2,052      474
    5........................   22,140    1,845      426    40,959    3,414      788    28,782    2,399      554
    6........................   25,340    2,112      488    46,879    3,907      902    32,942    2,746      634
    7........................   28,540    2,379      549    52,799    4,400    1,016    37,102    3,092      714
    8........................   31,740    2,645      611    58,719    4,894    1,130    41,262    3,439      794
    For each add'l family                                                                                       
     member add..............   +3,200     +267      +62    +5,920     +494     +114    +4,160     +347      +80
Hawaii:                                                                                                         
    1........................    8,610      718      166    15,929    1,328      307    11,193      933      216
    2........................   11,550      963      223    21,368    1,781      411    15,015    1,252      289
    3........................   14,490    1,208      279    26,807    2,234      516    18,837    1,570      363
[[Page 12911]]
                                                                                                                
    4........................   17,430    1,453      336    32,246    2,688      621    22,659    1,889      436
    5........................   20,370    1,698      392    37,685    3,141      725    26,481    2,207      510
    6........................   23,310    1,943      449    43,124    3,594      830    30,303    2,526      583
    7........................   26,250    2,188      505    48,563    4,047      934    34,125    2,844      657
    8........................   29,190    2,433      562    54,002    4,501    1,039    37,947    3,163      730
    For each add'l family                                                                                       
     member add..............   +2,940     +245      +57    +5,439     +454     +105    +3,822     +319      +74
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Increase of 2.36% over Income Eligibility Guidelines for the period of 7/1/94-6/30/95.                         

[FR Doc. 95-5709 Filed 3-8-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P