[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12466-12467]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04787]


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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 U.S. Department of Agriculture (``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, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Hines, Chief, Policy 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 Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation 
with State and local officials (7 CFR part 3015, Subpart V, 48 FR 
29100, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22675, May 31, 1984).

Description

    Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended 
(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 2014/2015 was published by the Department of Health and 
Human Services (HHS) at 79 FR 3593, January 22, 2014. 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, 2014, through June 30, 2015. Consistent with section 17(f)(17) of 
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (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, i.e., 
earlier in the year, but in no case may implementation take place later 
than July 1, 2014.
    State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the 
revised

[[Page 12467]]

Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility 
guidelines on July 1, 2014. 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.

                                                              Income Eligibility Guidelines
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015]
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                                               Federal poverty guidelines--100%                                Reduced price meals--185%
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         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...............................     $11,670        $973        $487        $449        $225     $21,590      $1,800        $900        $831        $416
2...............................      15,730       1,311         656         605         303      29,101       2,426       1,213       1,120         560
3...............................      19,790       1,650         825         762         381      36,612       3,051       1,526       1,409         705
4...............................      23,850       1,988         994         918         459      44,123       3,677       1,839       1,698         849
5...............................      27,910       2,326       1,163       1,074         537      51,634       4,303       2,152       1,986         993
6...............................      31,970       2,665       1,333       1,230         615      59,145       4,929       2,465       2,275       1,138
7...............................      36,030       3,003       1,502       1,386         693      66,656       5,555       2,778       2,564       1,282
8...............................      40,090       3,341       1,671       1,542         771      74,167       6,181       3,091       2,853       1,427
Each add'l family member add....     + 4,060       + 339       + 170       + 157        + 79     + 7,511       + 626       + 313       + 289       + 145
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                                                                         Alaska
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1...............................     $14,580      $1,215        $608        $561        $281     $26,973      $2,248      $1,124      $1,038        $519
2...............................      19,660       1,639         820         757         379      36,371       3,031       1,516       1,399         700
3...............................      24,740       2,062       1,031         952         476      45,769       3,815       1,908       1,761         881
4...............................      29,820       2,485       1,243       1,147         574      55,167       4,598       2,299       2,122       1,061
5...............................      34,900       2,909       1,455       1,343         672      64,565       5,381       2,691       2,484       1,242
6...............................      39,980       3,332       1,666       1,538         769      73,963       6,164       3,082       2,845       1,423
7...............................      45,060       3,755       1,878       1,734         867      83,361       6,947       3,474       3,207       1,604
8...............................      50,140       4,179       2,090       1,929         965      92,759       7,730       3,865       3,568       1,784
Each add'l family member add....     + 5,080       + 424       + 212       + 196        + 98     + 9,398       + 784       + 392       + 362       + 181
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                                                                         Hawaii
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1...............................     $13,420      $1,119        $560        $517        $259     $24,827      $2,069      $1,035        $955        $478
2...............................      18,090       1,508         754         696         348      33,467       2,789       1,395       1,288         644
3...............................      22,760       1,897         949         876         438      42,106       3,509       1,755       1,620         810
4...............................      27,430       2,286       1,143       1,055         528      50,746       4,229       2,115       1,952         976
5...............................      32,100       2,675       1,338       1,235         618      59,385       4,949       2,475       2,285       1,143
6...............................      36,770       3,065       1,533       1,415         708      68,025       5,669       2,835       2,617       1,309
7...............................      41,440       3,454       1,727       1,594         797      76,664       6,389       3,195       2,949       1,475
8...............................      46,110       3,843       1,922       1,774         887      85,304       7,109       3,555       3,281       1,641
Each add'l family member add....     + 4,670       + 390       + 195       + 180        + 90     + 8,640       + 720       + 360       + 333       + 167
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    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: February 26, 2014.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-04787 Filed 3-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P