[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57589-57591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19922]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families

[CFDA Number: 93.568]


The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Announces the State 
Median Income Estimates for Federal Fiscal Year 2017

AGENCY: Office of Community Services, ACF, HHS

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of 
Community Services (OCS), announces the State Median Income Estimates 
for a Four-Person Household for the Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017 
State Median Income Estimates for Use in the Low-Income Home Energy 
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for FFY 2017 (October 1, 2016, through 
September 30, 2017).. OCS published the estimates on July 5, 2016 in 
LIHEAP Information Memorandum (IM) 2016-03 as ``State Median Income 
Estimates for Optional Use in FFY 2016 and Mandatory Use in FFY 2017''. 
LIHEAP-IM-2016-03 is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/resource/liheap-im-2016-03-state-median-income-estimates-for-optional-use-in-ffy-2016-and-mandatory-use-in-ffy-2017. OCS made the effective 
date of such estimates July 1, 2016.

DATES: These estimates become effective at any time between July 1, 
2016 and the later of (1) October 1, 2016; or (2) the beginning of a 
grantee's fiscal year.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Edelman, Program Analyst, Office 
of Community Services, 330 C Street SW., 5th Floor, Mail Room 5425, 
Washington, DC 20201. Telephone: 202-401-5292; Email: 
[email protected].

[[Page 57590]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces, for the Low-Income 
Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the estimated median income of 
four-person households in each state, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico for FFY 2017 (October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017). 
LIHEAP grantees that choose to base their income eligibility criteria 
on these state median income (SMI) estimates may adopt these estimates 
(up to 60 percent) on July 1, 2016 or on a later date as discussed in 
the ``DATES'' section. This enables grantees to implement this notice 
during the period between the heating and cooling seasons. However, by 
October 1, 2016, or the beginning of the grantee's fiscal year, 
whichever is later, grantees must adjust their income eligibility 
criteria so that they are in accord with the FFY 2017 SMI.
    Sixty percent of SMI for each LIHEAP grantee, 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 income eligibility for LIHEAP.
    The SMI estimates in this notice are five-year estimates derived 
from the American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the U.S. Census 
Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce (Census Bureau). The use of the 
five-year data to derive the SMI estimates represents a change from the 
past nine years, during which OCS used three-year data to derive such 
estimates. The reasons for this change are (1) the Census Bureau's 
cessation of the three-year data; and (2) the fact that the five-year 
data provides a more robust replacement option than the one-year data.
    For additional information about the ACS state median income 
estimates, including the definition of income and the derivation of 
medians see http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/SubjectDefinitions/2013_ACSSubjectDefinitions.pdf under ``Income in the 
Past 12 Months.'' For additional information about using the ACS five-
year estimates versus using the one-year estimates, see http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/estimates/. For 
additional information about the ACS in general, see http://www.census.gov/acs/www/ or contact the Census Bureau's Social, 
Economic, and Housing Statistics Division at (301) 763-3243. For 
additional information about the accuracy of the ACS SMI estimates, see 
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads/data_documentation/Accuracy/MultiyearACSAccuracyofData2013.pdf.
    In the state-by-state listing of SMI and 60 percent of SMI for a 
four-person family for FFY 2017, LIHEAP grantees must regard ``family'' 
to be the equivalent of ``household'' with regard to setting their 
income eligibility criteria. This listing describes the method for 
adjusting SMI for households of different sizes, as specified in 
regulations applicable to LIHEAP (45 CFR 96.85(b)). These regulations 
were published in the Federal Register on March 3, 1988, (53 FR 6827) 
and amended on October 15, 1999 (64 FR 55858).

  Estimated State Median Income for Four-Person Families, by State, for
  Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2017, for Use in the Low-Income Home Energy
                       Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           60 percent of
                                             Estimated       estimated
                                           state median    state median
                 States                     income for      income for
                                            four-person     four-person
                                           families \1\    families 2 3
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama.................................         $67,621         $40,573
Alaska..................................          95,967          57,580
Arizona.................................          67,273          40,364
Arkansas................................          60,481          36,289
California..............................          80,458          48,275
Colorado................................          87,928          52,757
Connecticut.............................         108,592          65,155
Delaware................................          88,703          53,222
District of Columbia....................          98,640          59,184
Florida.................................          67,643          40,586
Georgia.................................          70,132          42,079
Hawaii..................................          88,921          53,353
Idaho...................................          64,234          38,540
Illinois................................          85,516          51,310
Indiana.................................          73,397          44,038
Iowa....................................          80,299          48,179
Kansas..................................          77,760          46,656
Kentucky................................          70,084          42,050
Louisiana...............................          73,263          43,958
Maine...................................          78,749          47,249
Maryland................................         109,262          65,557
Massachusetts...........................         108,978          65,387
Michigan................................          77,718          46,631
Minnesota...............................          94,387          56,632
Mississippi.............................          59,701          35,821
Missouri................................          74,162          44,497
Montana.................................          71,453          42,872
Nebraska................................          78,773          47,264
Nevada..................................          68,978          41,387
New Hampshire...........................         100,496          60,298
New Jersey..............................         109,113          65,468
New Mexico..............................          61,783          37,070
New York................................          88,451          53,071
North Carolina..........................          70,000          42,000

[[Page 57591]]

 
North Dakota............................          88,621          53,173
Ohio....................................          78,166          46,900
Oklahoma................................          66,088          39,653
Oregon..................................          72,518          43,511
Pennsylvania............................          85,036          51,022
Rhode Island............................          91,452          54,871
South Carolina..........................          66,542          39,925
South Dakota............................          76,511          45,907
Tennessee...............................          67,026          40,216
Texas...................................          71,307          42,784
Utah....................................          72,805          43,683
Vermont.................................          84,421          50,653
Virginia................................          94,667          56,800
Washington..............................          86,744          52,046
West Virginia...........................          68,750          41,250
Wisconsin...............................          83,893          50,336
Wyoming.................................          81,632          48,979
Puerto Rico.............................          29,598          17,759
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ These figures were prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S.
  Department of Commerce (Census Bureau), from five-year estimates from
  the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 American Community Surveys
  (ACSs). These estimates, like those derived from any survey, are
  subject to two types of error: (1) Non-sampling Error, which consists
  of random errors that increase the variability of the data and non-
  random errors that consistently direct the data in 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 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 households for LIHEAP purposes, 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 a one-person household, 68 percent for a two-person
  household, 84 percent for a three-person household, 100 percent for a
  four-person household, 116 percent for a five-person household, and
  132 percent for a six-person household. For each additional household
  member above six people, 45 CFR 96.85 calls for adding three
  percentage points to the percentage for a six-person household (132
  percent) and multiplying the new percentage by 60 percent of the
  median income for a four-person family.

    Statutory Authority: LIHEAP was last authorized by the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, which was enacted on August 8, 
2005. This authorization expired on September 30, 2007, and 
reauthorization remains pending. The formula used to derive the SMI is 
authorized by 42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2)(B)(ii).

Mary M. Wayland,
Senior Grants Policy Specialist, Division of Grants Policy, Office of 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-19922 Filed 8-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4184-80-P