[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13788-13791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05119]
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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. 82, No. 49 / Wednesday, March 15, 2017 /
Notices
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and
Children (WIC): 2017/2018 Income Eligibility Guidelines
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Department of Agriculture
(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 (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.
DATES: Effective date July 1, 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurtria Watson, Chief, Policy Branch,
Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive,
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 605-4387.
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
2017 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
at 82 FR 8831, January 31, 2017. 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 of
July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. 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, 2017. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation
with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income
eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2017.
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The table of this Notice contains the income limits by household
size for the 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, and all
United States Territories, including Guam. Separate tables for Alaska
and Hawaii have been
[[Page 13791]]
included for the convenience of the State agencies because the poverty
guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii are higher than for the 48 contiguous
States.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786.
Dated: February 27, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2017-05119 Filed 3-14-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P