[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10981-10983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6428]



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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 53 / Monday, March 18, 1996 / 
Notices  

[[Page 10981]]


DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Consumer Service


Special Supplemental Nutrition 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 Nutrition 
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, 1996.

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 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 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 1996 was published by the Department of Health and Human 
Services (DHHS) in the Federal Register on March 4, 1996 at 61 FR 8286. 
The guidelines published by DHHS are referred to as the poverty income 
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(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, 1996 
through June 30, 1997. 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, 1996. 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, 1996--June 30, 1997                 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Annual FCS  
                                          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...................................           7,740          14,319
    2...................................          10,360          19,166

[[Page 10982]]
                                                                        
    3...................................          12,980          24,013
    4...................................          15,600          28,860
    5...................................          18,220          33,707
    6...................................          20,840          38,554
    7...................................          23,460          43,401
    8...................................          26,080          48,248
    For each additional family member                                   
     add................................           2,620           4,847
Alaska:                                                                 
    1...................................           9,660          17,871
    2...................................          12,940          23,939
    3...................................          16,220          30,007
    4...................................          19,500          36,075
    5...................................          22,780          42,143
    6...................................          26,060          48,211
    7...................................          29,340          54,279
    8...................................          32,620          60,347
    For each additional family member                                   
     add................................           3,280           6,068
Hawaii:                                                                 
    1...................................           8,910          16,484
    2...................................          11,920          22,052
    3...................................          14,930          27,621
    4...................................          17,940          33,189
    5...................................          20,950          38,758
    6...................................          23,960          44,326
    7...................................          26,970          49,895
    8...................................          29,980          55,463
    For each additional family member                                   
     add................................           3,010           5,569
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: March 12, 1996.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator.

                                          Income Eligibility Guidelines                                         
                                 [Effective from July 1, 1996 to June 30, 1997]                                 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Federal poverty guidelines             Reduced price meals--185%      
          Household size           -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                       Annual       Month         Week        Annual       Month         Week   
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     48 Contiguous United States, District of Columbia, Guam and Territories                    
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................................        7,740          645          149       14,319        1,194          276
2.................................       10,360          864          200       19,166        1,598          369
3.................................       12,980        1,082          250       24,013        2,002          462
4.................................       15,600        1,300          300       28,860        2,405          555
5.................................       18,220        1,519          351       33,707        2,809          649
6.................................       20,840        1,737          401       38,554        3,213          742
7.................................       23,460        1,955          452       43,401        3,617          835
8.................................       26,080        2,174          502       48,248        4,021          928
For each add'l family member add..       +2,620         +219          +51       +4,847         +404          +94
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Alaska                                                     
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................................        9,660          805          186       17,871        1,490          344
2.................................       12,940        1,079          249       23,939        1,995          461
3.................................       16,220        1,352          312       30,007        2,501          578
4.................................       19,500        1,625          375       36,075        3,007          694
5.................................       22,780        1,899          439       42,143        3,512          811
6.................................       26,060        2,172          502       48,211        4,018          928
7.................................       29,340        2,445          565       54,279        4,524        1,044
8.................................       32,620        2,719          628       60,347        5,029        1,161
For each add'l family member add..       +3,280         +274          +64       +6,068         +506         +117
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 10983]]
                                                                                                                
                                                     Hawaii                                                     
                                                                                                                
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.................................        8,910          743          172       16,484        1,374          317
2.................................       11,920          994          230       22,052        1,838          425
3.................................       14,930        1,245          288       27,621        2,302          532
4.................................       17,940        1,495          345       33,189        2,766          639
5.................................       20,950        1,746          403       38,758        3,230          746
6.................................       23,960        1,997          461       44,326        3,694          853
7.................................       26,970        2,248          519       49,895        4,158          960
8.................................       29,980        2,499          577       55,463        4,622        1,067
For each add'l family member add..       +3,010         +251          +58       +5,569         +465         +108
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[FR Doc 96-6428 Filed 3-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P