[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 81 (Friday, April 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17775-17777]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-08389]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
Children (WIC): 2019/2020 Income Eligibility Guidelines

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), 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: Implementation date: July 1, 2019.

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 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 
2019 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
at 84 FR 1167, February 1, 2019. The guidelines published by HHS are 
referred to as the ``poverty guidelines.''
    Program Regulations at 7 CFR 246.7(d)(1) specify 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, 2019 through June 30, 2020. 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, 2019. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation 
with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income 
eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2019.
    The table in 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 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: March 28, 2019.
Brandon Lipps,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.

[[Page 17776]]



                                                              Income Eligibility Guidelines
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020]
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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.........................................    $12,490     $1,041       $521       $481       $241    $23,107     $1,926       $963       $889       $445
2.........................................     16,910      1,410        705        651        326     31,284      2,607      1,304      1,204        602
3.........................................     21,330      1,778        889        821        411     39,461      3,289      1,645      1,518        759
4.........................................     25,750      2,146      1,073        991        496     47,638      3,970      1,985      1,833        917
5.........................................     30,170      2,515      1,258      1,161        581     55,815      4,652      2,326      2,147      1,074
6.........................................     34,590      2,883      1,442      1,331        666     63,992      5,333      2,667      2,462      1,231
7.........................................     39,010      3,251      1,626      1,501        751     72,169      6,015      3,008      2,776      1,388
8.........................................     43,430      3,620      1,810      1,671        836     80,346      6,696      3,348      3,091      1,546
Each add'l family member add..............    +$4,420     + $369     + $185     + $170      + $85   + $8,177     + $682     + $341     + $315     + $158
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                                                                         Alaska
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1.........................................    $15,600     $1,300       $650       $600       $300    $28,860     $2,405     $1,203     $1,110       $555
2.........................................     21,130      1,761        881        813        407     39,091      3,258      1,629      1,504        752
3.........................................     26,660      2,222      1,111      1,026        513     49,321      4,111      2,056      1,897        949
4.........................................     32,190      2,683      1,342      1,239        620     59,552      4,963      2,482      2,291      1,146
5.........................................     37,720      3,144      1,572      1,451        726     69,782      5,816      2,908      2,684      1,342
6.........................................     43,250      3,605      1,803      1,664        832     80,013      6,668      3,334      3,078      1,539
7.........................................     48,780      4,065      2,033      1,877        939     90,243      7,521      3,761      3,471      1,736
8.........................................     54,310      4,526      2,263      2,089      1,045    100,474      8,373      4,187      3,865      1,933
Each add'l family member add..............    +$5,530     + $461     + $231     + $213     + $107  + $10,231     + $853     + $427     + $394     + $197
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                                                                         Hawaii
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1.........................................    $14,380     $1,199       $600       $554       $277    $26,603     $2,217     $1,109     $1,024       $512
2.........................................     19,460      1,622        811        749        375     36,001      3,001      1,501      1,385        693
3.........................................     24,540      2,045      1,023        944        472     45,399      3,784      1,892      1,747        874
4.........................................     29,620      2,469      1,235      1,140        570     54,797      4,567      2,284      2,108      1,054
5.........................................     34,700      2,892      1,446      1,335        668     64,195      5,350      2,675      2,470      1,235
6.........................................     39,780      3,315      1,658      1,530        765     73,593      6,133      3,067      2,831      1,416
7.........................................     44,860      3,739      1,870      1,726        863     82,991      6,916      3,458      3,192      1,596
8.........................................     49,940      4,162      2,081      1,921        961     92,389      7,700      3,850      3,554      1,777
Each add'l family member add..............    +$5,080     + $424     + $212     + $196      + $98   + $9,398     + $784     + $392     + $362     + $181
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                                                             Income Eligibilitiy Guidelines
                                                 Supplemental Chart for Family Sizes Greater Than Eight
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020]
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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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
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9.........................................    $47,850     $3,988     $1,994     $1,841       $921    $88,523     $7,377     $3,689     $3,405     $1,703
10........................................     52,270      4,356      2,178      2,011      1,006     96,700      8,059      4,030      3,720      1,860
11........................................     56,690      4,725      2,363      2,181      1,091    104,877      8,740      4,370      4,034      2,017
12........................................     61,110      5,093      2,547      2,351      1,176    113,054      9,422      4,711      4,349      2,175
13........................................     65,530      5,461      2,731      2,521      1,261    121,231     10,103      5,052      4,663      2,332
14........................................     69,950      5,830      2,915      2,691      1,346    129,408     10,784      5,392      4,978      2,489
15........................................     74,370      6,198      3,099      2,861      1,431    137,585     11,466      5,733      5,292      2,646
16........................................     78,790      6,566      3,283      3,031      1,516    145,762     12,147      6,074      5,607      2,804
Each add'l family member add..............   + $4,420     + $369     + $185     + $170      + $85   + $8,177     + $682     + $341     + $315     + $158
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                                                                         Alaska
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9.........................................    $59,840     $4,987     $2,494     $2,302     $1,151   $110,704     $9,226     $4,613     $4,258     $2,129
10........................................     65,370      5,448      2,724      2,515      1,258    120,935     10,078      5,039      4,652      2,326
11........................................     70,900      5,909      2,955      2,727      1,364    131,165     10,931      5,466      5,045      2,523
12........................................     76,430      6,370      3,185      2,940      1,470    141,396     11,783      5,892      5,439      2,720
13........................................     81,960      6,830      3,415      3,153      1,577    151,626     12,636      6,318      5,832      2,916
14........................................     87,490      7,291      3,646      3,365      1,683    161,857     13,489      6,745      6,226      3,113
15........................................     93,020      7,752      3,876      3,578      1,789    172,087     14,341      7,171      6,619      3,310
16........................................     98,550      8,213      4,107      3,791      1,896    182,318     15,194      7,597      7,013      3,507
Each add'l family member add..............   + $5,530     + $461     + $231     + $213     + $107  + $10,231     + $853     + $427     + $394     + $197
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                                                                         Hawaii
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9.........................................    $55,020     $4,585     $2,293     $2,117     $1,059   $101,787     $8,483     $4,242     $3,915     $1,958
10........................................     60,100      5,009      2,505      2,312      1,156    111,185      9,266      4,633      4,277      2,139
11........................................     65,180      5,432      2,716      2,507      1,254    120,583     10,049      5,025      4,638      2,319

[[Page 17777]]

 
12........................................     70,260      5,855      2,928      2,703      1,352    129,981     10,832      5,416      5,000      2,500
13........................................     75,340      6,279      3,140      2,898      1,449    139,379     11,615      5,808      5,361      2,681
14........................................     80,420      6,702      3,351      3,094      1,547    148,777     12,399      6,200      5,723      2,862
15........................................     85,500      7,125      3,563      3,289      1,645    158,175     13,182      6,591      6,084      3,042
16........................................     90,580      7,549      3,775      3,484      1,742    167,573     13,965      6,983      6,446      3,223
Each add'l family member add..............   + $5,080     + $424     + $212     + $196      + $98   + $9,398     + $784     + $392     + $362     + $181
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[FR Doc. 2019-08389 Filed 4-25-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-30-P