[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]


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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. 64, No. 57 / Thursday, March 25, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 14429]]


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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.

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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

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[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