[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 48 (Friday, March 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10922-10924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5412]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


State Median Income Estimate for a Four-Person Family: Notice of 
the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2010 State Median Income Estimates for 
Use Under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) 
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 93.568) Administered by 
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration 
for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of 
Energy Assistance

AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community 
Services, Division of Energy Assistance, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of State median income estimates for FFY 2010.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces to LIHEAP grantees the estimated median 
income of four-person families in each State and the District of 
Columbia for FFY 2010 (October 1, 2009, to September 30, 2010). LIHEAP 
grantees that choose to base their income eligibility criteria on these 
State median income estimates may adopt these estimates (up to 60 
percent) on the estimates' date of publication in the Federal Register 
or on a later date as discussed below. This enables these grantees to 
implement this notice during the period between the heating and cooling 
seasons.
    However, by October 1, 2009, or the beginning of the grantees' 
fiscal years, whichever is later, these grantees must adjust their 
income eligibility criteria so that such criteria are in accord with 
the

[[Page 10923]]

FFY 2010 State median income estimates.
    This listing of 60 percent of estimated State median incomes 
provides one of the maximum income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may 
use in determining a household's income eligibility for LIHEAP.

DATES: Effective Date: For each LIHEAP grantee, these estimates become 
effective at any time between their date of publication in the Federal 
Register and the later of October 1, 2009, or the beginning of that 
grantee's fiscal year.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Edelman, Office of Community 
Services, Division of Energy Assistance, 5th Floor West, 370 L'Enfant 
Promenade, SW.,Washington, DC 20447, Telephone: (202) 401-5292, E-Mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the provisions of section 2603(11) of 
Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law 
(Pub. L.) 97-35, as amended, HHS announces the estimated median income 
of four-person families for each State, the District of Columbia, and 
the United States for FFY 2010 (October 1, 2009, through September 30, 
2010).
    Section 2605(b)(2)(B)(ii) of this Act provides that 60 percent of 
the median income for each State and the District of Columbia (State 
median income, or SMI), as annually established by the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, is one of the income criteria that LIHEAP 
grantees may use in determining a household's eligibility for LIHEAP.
    LIHEAP was last authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public 
Law 109-58, which was enacted on August 8, 2005. This authorization 
expired on September 30, 2007, and reauthorization remains pending.
    The SMI estimates that HHS publishes in this notice are three-year 
estimates derived from the American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by 
the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce (Census Bureau). 
HHS obtained these estimates directly from the Census Bureau. For 
additional information about the ACS State median income estimates, see 
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/medincsizeandstate.html. For 
additional information about the ACS in general, see http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ or contact the Census Bureau's Housing and 
Household Economic Statistics Division at (301) 763-3243.
    Under the advice of the Census Bureau, HHS switched to three-year 
estimates rather than single-year estimates to reduce the large year-
to-year fluctuations that the single-year estimates tend to generate 
for certain States and the District of Columbia. The change from the 
single-year to three-year estimates caused the FFY 2010 estimates to 
drop by about two percent on average. HHS plans to use the Census 
Bureau's ACS-derived SMI three-year estimates for all fiscal years 
after 2010. For further information about ACS one-year and three-year 
estimates, see http://factfinder.census.gov/jsp/saff/SAFFInfo.jsp?_content=acs_guidance.html.
    The State median income estimates, like those derived from any 
survey, are subject to two types of errors: (1) Nonsampling Error, 
which consists of random errors that increase the variability of the 
data and non-random errors that consistently direct the data into a 
specific direction; and (2) Sampling Error, which consists of the error 
that arises from the use of probability sampling to create the sample. 
For additional information about the accuracy of the ACS State median 
income estimates, see http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/ACS/accuracy2005-2007.pdf.
    A State-by-State listing of SMI and 60 percent of SMI for a four-
person family for FFY 2010 follows. The listing describes the method 
for adjusting SMI for families of different sizes as specified in 
regulations applicable to LIHEAP, at 45 CFR 96.85(b), which were 
published in the Federal Register on March 3, 1988, at 53 FR 6824 and 
amended on October 15, 1999, at 64 FR 55858.

    Dated: March 5, 2009.
Yolanda J. Butler, PhD,
Acting Director, Office of Community Services.

Estimated State Median Income for a Four-Person Family, by State, for 
Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2010, for Use in the Low Income Home Energy 
Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                         60 Percent of
                                     Estimated state    estimated state
              States                median income for  median income for
                                      a four-person      a four-person
                                        family\1\        family \2\ \3\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Alabama..........................            $60,382            $36,229
 Alaska...........................             79,770             47,862
 Arizona..........................             66,839             40,103
 Arkansas.........................             54,662             32,797
 California.......................             76,388             45,833
 Colorado.........................             76,200             45,720
 Connecticut......................             97,708             58,625
 Delaware.........................             79,709             47,825
 District of Columbia.............             64,678             38,807
 Florida..........................             67,014             40,208
 Georgia..........................             68,776             41,266
 Hawaii...........................             84,438             50,663
 Idaho............................             60,560             36,336
 Illinois.........................             77,813             46,688
 Indiana..........................             68,410             41,046
 Iowa.............................             70,967             42,580
 Kansas...........................             69,863             41,918
 Kentucky.........................             61,207             36,724
 Louisiana........................             61,438             36,863
 Maine............................             66,948             40,169
 Maryland.........................             96,952             58,171
 Massachusetts....................             93,351             56,011
 Michigan.........................             75,149             45,089
 Minnesota........................             83,444             50,066
 Mississippi......................             52,870             31,722

[[Page 10924]]

 
 Missouri.........................             66,939             40,163
 Montana..........................             62,353             37,412
 Nebraska.........................             69,854             41,912
 Nevada...........................             68,646             41,188
 New Hampshire....................             88,625             53,175
 New Jersey.......................             97,326             58,396
 New Mexico.......................             53,041             31,825
 New York.........................             78,061             46,837
 North Carolina...................             64,591             38,755
 North Dakota.....................             67,183             40,310
 Ohio.............................             71,063             42,638
 Oklahoma.........................             57,247             34,348
 Oregon...........................             67,605             40,563
 Pennsylvania.....................             75,161             45,097
 Rhode Island.....................             83,241             49,945
 South Carolina...................             61,494             36,896
 South Dakota.....................             64,930             38,958
 Tennessee........................             61,581             36,949
 Texas............................             62,358             37,415
 Utah.............................             65,460             39,276
 Vermont..........................             73,550             44,130
 Virginia.........................             81,919             49,151
 Washington.......................             77,676             46,606
 West Virginia....................             56,430             33,858
 Wisconsin........................             75,111             45,067
 Wyoming..........................             72,788             43,673
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: FFY 2010 covers the period of October 1, 2009, through September
  30, 2010. The estimated median income for a four-person family living
  in the United States for this period is $72,336. These estimates
  become effective for LIHEAP at any time between the date of this
  publication and October 1, 2009, or the beginning of a LIHEAP
  grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later.
\1\ Prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce
  (Census Bureau), from an average of data from the 2005, 2006 and 2007
  American Community Surveys (ACSs). These estimates, like those derived
  from any survey, are subject to two types of errors: (1) Nonsampling
  Error, which consists of random errors that increase the variability
  of the data and non-random errors that consistently direct the data
  into a specific direction; and (2) Sampling Error, which consists of
  the error that arises from the use of probability sampling to create
  the sample.
\2\ These figures were calculated by the U.S. Department of Health and
  Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of
  Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance (DEA) by multiplying
  the estimated State median income for a four-person family for each
  State by 60 percent.
\3\ To adjust for different sizes of family, 45 CFR 96.85 calls for
  multiplying 60 percent of a State's estimated median income for a four-
  person family by the following percentages: 52 percent for one person,
  68 percent for two persons, 84 percent for three persons, 100 percent
  for four persons, 116 percent for five persons, and 132 percent for
  six persons. For each additional family member above six persons, 45
  CFR 96.85 calls for adding 3 percentage points to the percentage for a
  six-person family (132 percent) and multiply the new percentage by 60
  percent of a State's estimated median income for a four-person family.

 [FR Doc. E9-5412 Filed 3-12-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-P