[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 52 (Friday, March 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10720-10722]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6143]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Consumer Service


Child Nutrition Programs--Income Eligibility Guidelines

AGENCY: Food and Consumer 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 or free milk for the period from July 
1, 1996 through June 30, 1997. These guidelines are used by schools, 
institutions, and centers participating in the National School Lunch 
Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, 
Child and Adult Care Food Program and Commodity School Program. The 
annual adjustments are required by section 9 of the National School 
Lunch Act. The guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those 
children most in need and are revised annually to account for increases 
in the Consumer Price Index.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert M. Eadie, Chief, Policy and 
Program Development Branch, Child Nutrition Division, FCS, USDA, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, or by phone at (703) 305-2618.

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 1980 (44 U.S.C. 3507), no new recordkeeping or reporting 
requirements have been included that are subject to approval from the 
Office of Management and Budget. These programs are listed in the 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 10.553, No. 10.555, 
No. 10.556 and No. 10.558 and are subject to the provisions of 
Executive Order 12372, which requires 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 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)

[[Page 10721]]
of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772(a)(6) and 1773(e)), 
the Department annually issues the Income Eligibility Guidelines for 
free and reduced price meals in the National School Lunch Program (7 
CFR Part 210), School Breakfast Program (7 CFR Part 220), Child and 
Adult Care Food Program (7 CFR Part 226), and Commodity School Program 
(7 CFR Part 210), 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 Department requires schools and institutions which charge for 
meals separately from other fees to serve free meals to all children 
from any household with income at or below 130 percent of the poverty 
guidelines. The Department also requires such schools and institutions 
to serve reduced price meals to all children from any household with 
income higher than 130 percent of the poverty guidelines, but at or 
below 185 percent of the poverty guidelines. Schools and institutions 
participating in the Special Milk Program for Children may, at local 
option, serve free milk to all children from any household with income 
at or below 130 percent of the poverty guidelines.

Definition of Income

    ``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 which 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 which are 
excluded from consideration as income by any legislative 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 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, 1996 through June 30, 1997. The Department's guidelines 
for free meals and milk and reduced price meals were obtained by 
multiplying the 1996 Federal income poverty guidelines by 1.30 and 
1.85, respectively, and by rounding the result upward to the next whole 
dollar. Weekly and monthly guidelines were computed by dividing annual 
income by 52 and 12, respectively, and by rounding upward to the next 
whole dollar.

                                                              Income Eligibility Guidelines                                                             
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 1996 to June 30, 1997]                                                     
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                                                                 Federal poverty guidelines     Reduced price meals--185%         Free meals--130%      
                        Household size                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                 Annual     Month     Week     Annual     Month     Week     Annual     Month     Week  
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                                         48 CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, GUAM AND TERRITORIES                                        
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1.............................................................     7,740       645       149    14,319     1,194       276    10,062       839       194
2.............................................................    10,360       864       200    19,166     1,598       369    13,468     1,123       259
3.............................................................    12,980     1,082       250    24,013     2,002       462    16,874     1,407       325
4.............................................................    15,600     1,300       300    28,860     2,405       555    20,280     1,690       390
5.............................................................    18,220     1,519       351    33,707     2,809       649    23,686     1,974       456
6.............................................................    20,840     1,737       401    38,554     3,213       742    27,092     2,258       521
7.............................................................    23,460     1,955       452    43,401     3,617       835    30,498     2,542       587
8.............................................................    26,080     2,174       502    48,248     4,021       928    33,904     2,826       652
For each add'l family member add..............................    +2,620      +219       +51    +4,847      +404       +94    +3,406      +284       +66
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                                                                         ALASKA                                                                         
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1.............................................................     9,660       805       186    17,871     1,490       344    12,558     1,047       242
2.............................................................    12,940     1,079       249    23,939     1,995       451    16,822     1,402       324
3.............................................................    16,220     1,352       312    30,007     2,501       578    21,086     1,758       406
4.............................................................    19,500     1,625       375    36,075     3,007       694    25,350     2,113       488
5.............................................................    22,780     1,899       439    42,143     3,512       811    29,614     2,468       570
6.............................................................    26,060     2,172       502    48,211     4,018       928    33,878     2,824       652
7.............................................................    29,340     2,445       565    54,279     4,524     1,044    38,142     3,179       734
8.............................................................    32,620     2,719       628    60,347     5,029     1,161    42,406     3,534       816
For each add'l family member add..............................    +3,280      +274       +64    +6,068      +506      +117    +4,264      +356       +82
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                                                                         HAWAII                                                                         
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1.............................................................     8,910       743       172    16,484     1,374       317    11,583       966       223
2.............................................................    11,920       994       230    22,052     1,838       425    15,496     1,292       298
3.............................................................    14,930     1,245       288    27,621     2,302       532    19,409     1,618       374

[[Page 10722]]
                                                                                                                                                        
4.............................................................    17,940     1,495       345    33,189     2,766       639    23,322     1,944       449
5.............................................................    20,950     1,746       403    38,758     3,230       746    27,235     2,270       524
6.............................................................    23,960     1,997       461    44,326     3,694       853    31,148     2,596       599
7.............................................................    26,970     2,248       519    49,895     4,158       960    35,061     2,922       675
8.............................................................    29,980     2,499       577    55,463     4,622     1,067    38,974     3,248       750
For each add'l family member add..............................    +3,010      +251       +58    +5,569      +465      +108    +3,913      +327       +76
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                                                                                                                                                --------
    Authority: (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1)).

    Dated: March 6, 1996.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-6143 Filed 3-14-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P-M