[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 43 (Friday, March 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9780-9782]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-4823]
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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 Program
(WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.
DATES: Effective Date: July 1, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Whitford, Branch Chief, Policy
and Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division,
FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703)
305-2746.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Executive Order 12866
This notice is exempt 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
[[Page 9781]]
Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State
and local officials (7 CFR part 3015, subpart V, 48 FR 29114, June 24,
1983, and 49 FR 22676, May 31, 1984).
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 Richard B. Russell 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 2009 was published by the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) at 74 FR 4199, January 23, 2009. The guidelines
published by HHS are referred to as the poverty guidelines.
Section 246.7(d)(1) of the WIC regulations (Title 7, Code of
Federal Regulations) specifies that State agencies may prescribe income
guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under
section 9 of the Richard B. Russell 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, 2009, through June 30, 2010. 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, 2009.
State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the
revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility
guidelines on July 1, 2009. 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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786.
Dated: March 3, 2009.
E. Enrique Gomez,
Acting Administrator.
Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010]
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Federal poverty guidelines--100% Reduced price meals--185%
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Household size Twice- Twice-
Annual Monthly monthly Bi- weekly Weekly Annual Monthly monthly Bi- weekly Weekly
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48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
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1............................................................. $10,830 $903 $452 $417 $209 $20,036 $1,670 $835 $771 $386
2............................................................. 14,570 1,215 608 561 281 26,955 2,247 1,124 1,037 519
3............................................................. 18,310 1,526 763 705 353 33,874 2,823 1,412 1,303 652
4............................................................. 22,050 1,838 919 849 425 40,793 3,400 1,700 1,569 785
5............................................................. 25,790 2,150 1,075 992 496 47,712 3,976 1,988 1,836 918
6............................................................. 29,530 2,461 1,231 1,136 568 54,631 4,553 2,277 2,102 1,051
7............................................................. 33,270 2,773 1,387 1,280 640 61,550 5,130 2,565 2,368 1,184
8............................................................. 37,010 3,085 1,543 1,424 712 68,469 5,706 2,853 2,634 1,317
Each Add'l Member Add......................................... +$3,740 +$312 +$156 +$144 +$72 +$6,919 +$577 +$289 +$267 +$134
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Alaska
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1............................................................. $13,530 $1,128 $564 $521 $261 $25,031 $2,086 $1,043 $963 $482
2............................................................. 18,210 1,518 759 701 351 33,689 2,808 1,404 1,296 648
3............................................................. 22,890 1,908 954 881 441 42,347 3,529 1,765 1,629 815
4............................................................. 27,570 2,298 1,149 1,061 531 51,005 4,251 2,126 1,962 981
5............................................................. 32,250 2,688 1,344 1,241 621 59,663 4,972 2,486 2,295 1,148
6............................................................. 36,930 3,078 1,539 1,421 711 68,321 5,694 2,847 2,628 1,314
7............................................................. 41,610 3,468 1,734 1,601 801 76,979 6,415 3,208 2,961 1,481
8............................................................. 46,290 3,858 1,929 1,781 891 85,637 7,137 3,569 3,294 1,647
Each Add'l Member Add......................................... +$4,680 +$390 +$195 +$180 +$90 +$8,658 +$722 +$361 +$333 +$167
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Hawaii
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1............................................................. $12,460 $1,039 $520 $480 $240 $23,051 $1,921 $961 $887 $444
2............................................................. 16,760 1,397 699 645 323 31,006 2,584 1,292 1,193 597
3............................................................. 21,060 1,755 878 810 405 38,961 3,247 1,624 1,499 750
4............................................................. 25,360 2,114 1,057 976 488 46,916 3,910 1,955 1,805 903
5............................................................. 29,660 2,472 1,236 1,141 571 54,871 4,573 2,287 2,111 1,056
6............................................................. 33,960 2,830 1,415 1,307 654 62,826 5,236 2,618 2,417 1,209
7............................................................. 38,260 3,189 1,595 1,472 736 70,781 5,899 2,950 2,723 1,362
8............................................................. 42,560 3,547 1,774 1,637 819 78,736 6,562 3,281 3,029 1,515
[[Page 9782]]
Each Add'l Member Add......................................... +4,300 +$359 +$180 +$166 +$83 +$7,955 +$663 +$332 +$306 +$153
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[FR Doc. E9-4823 Filed 3-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P