[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 42 (Friday, March 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12903-12905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-04532]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
Children (WIC): 2021/2022 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: Applicable date July 1, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sara Olson, Chief, Policy Branch, 
Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 1320 Braddock Place, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22314, (703) 605-4013.

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

[[Page 12904]]

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 2021 was published by the Department of 
Health and Human Services (HHS) at 86 FR 7732, February 1, 2021. 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, 2021 through June 30, 2022. 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, 2021. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation 
with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income 
eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2021.

                                                              Income Eligibility Guidelines
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       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, DC, Guam and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................    $12,880     $1,074       $537       $496       $248    $23,828     $1,986       $993       $917       $459
2.........................................     17,420      1,452        726        670        335     32,227      2,686      1,343      1,240        620
3.........................................     21,960      1,830        915        845        423     40,626      3,386      1,693      1,563        782
4.........................................     26,500      2,209      1,105      1,020        510     49,025      4,086      2,043      1,886        943
5.........................................     31,040      2,587      1,294      1,194        597     57,424      4,786      2,393      2,209      1,105
6.........................................     35,580      2,965      1,483      1,369        685     65,823      5,486      2,743      2,532      1,266
7.........................................     40,120      3,344      1,672      1,544        772     74,222      6,186      3,093      2,855      1,428
8.........................................     44,660      3,722      1,861      1,718        859     82,621      6,886      3,443      3,178      1,589
Each add'l family member add..............     +4,540       +379       +190       +175        +88     +8,399       +700       +350       +324       +162
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                                                                         Alaska
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................     16,090      1,341        671        619        310     29,767      2,481      1,241      1,145        573
2.........................................     21,770      1,815        908        838        419     40,275      3,357      1,679      1,550        775
3.........................................     27,450      2,288      1,144      1,056        528     50,783      4,232      2,116      1,954        977
4.........................................     33,130      2,761      1,381      1,275        638     61,291      5,108      2,554      2,358      1,179
5.........................................     38,810      3,235      1,618      1,493        747     71,799      5,984      2,992      2,762      1,381
6.........................................     44,490      3,708      1,854      1,712        856     82,307      6,859      3,430      3,166      1,583
7.........................................     50,170      4,181      2,091      1,930        965     92,815      7,735      3,868      3,570      1,785
8.........................................     55,850      4,655      2,328      2,149      1,075    103,323      8,611      4,306      3,974      1,987
Each add'l family member add..............     +5,680       +474       +237       +219       +110    +10,508       +876       +438       +405       +203
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................     14,820      1,235        618        570        285     27,417      2,285      1,143      1,055        528
2.........................................     20,040      1,670        835        771        386     37,074      3,090      1,545      1,426        713
3.........................................     25,260      2,105      1,053        972        486     46,731      3,895      1,948      1,798        899
4.........................................     30,480      2,540      1,270      1,173        587     56,388      4,699      2,350      2,169      1,085
5.........................................     35,700      2,975      1,488      1,374        687     66,045      5,504      2,752      2,541      1,271
6.........................................     40,920      3,410      1,705      1,574        787     75,702      6,309      3,155      2,912      1,456
7.........................................     46,140      3,845      1,923      1,775        888     85,359      7,114      3,557      3,284      1,642
8.........................................     51,360      4,280      2,140      1,976        988     95,016      7,918      3,959      3,655      1,828
Each add'l family member add..............     +5,220       +435       +218       +201       +101     +9,657       +805       +403       +372       +186
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[[Page 12905]]


                                               Income Eligibility Guidelines--Household Size Larger Than 8
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       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, DC, Guam and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.........................................    $49,200     $4,100     $2,050     $1,893       $947    $91,020     $7,585     $3,793     $3,501     $1,751
10........................................     53,740      4,479      2,240      2,067      1,034     99,419      8,285      4,143      3,824      1,912
11........................................     58,280      4,857      2,429      2,242      1,121    107,818      8,985      4,493      4,147      2,074
12........................................     62,820      5,235      2,618      2,417      1,209    116,217      9,685      4,843      4,470      2,235
13........................................     67,360      5,614      2,807      2,591      1,296    124,616     10,385      5,193      4,793      2,397
14........................................     71,900      5,992      2,996      2,766      1,383    133,015     11,085      5,543      5,116      2,558
15........................................     76,440      6,370      3,185      2,940      1,470    141,414     11,785      5,893      5,439      2,720
16........................................     80,980      6,749      3,375      3,115      1,558    149,813     12,485      6,243      5,763      2,882
Each add'l family member add..............     +4,540       +379       +190       +175        +88     +8,399       +700       +350       +324       +162
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Alaska
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.........................................     61,530      5,128      2,564      2,367      1,184    113,831      9,486      4,743      4,379      2,190
10........................................     67,210      5,601      2,801      2,585      1,293    124,339     10,362      5,181      4,783      2,392
11........................................     72,890      6,075      3,038      2,804      1,402    134,847     11,238      5,619      5,187      2,594
12........................................     78,570      6,548      3,274      3,022      1,511    145,355     12,113      6,057      5,591      2,796
13........................................     84,250      7,021      3,511      3,241      1,621    155,863     12,989      6,495      5,995      2,998
14........................................     89,930      7,495      3,748      3,459      1,730    166,371     13,865      6,933      6,399      3,200
15........................................     95,610      7,968      3,984      3,678      1,839    176,879     14,740      7,370      6,804      3,402
16........................................    101,290      8,441      4,221      3,896      1,948    187,387     15,616      7,808      7,208      3,604
Each add'l family member add..............     +5,680       +474       +237       +219       +110    +10,508       +876       +438       +405       +203
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.........................................     56,580      4,715      2,358      2,177      1,089    104,673      8,723      4,362      4,026      2,013
10........................................     61,800      5,150      2,575      2,377      1,189    114,330      9,528      4,764      4,398      2,199
11........................................     67,020      5,585      2,793      2,578      1,289    123,987     10,333      5,167      4,769      2,385
12........................................     72,240      6,020      3,010      2,779      1,390    133,644     11,137      5,569      5,141      2,571
13........................................     77,460      6,455      3,228      2,980      1,490    143,301     11,942      5,971      5,512      2,756
14........................................     82,680      6,890      3,445      3,180      1,590    152,958     12,747      6,374      5,883      2,942
15........................................     87,900      7,325      3,663      3,381      1,691    162,615     13,552      6,776      6,255      3,128
16........................................     93,120      7,760      3,880      3,582      1,791    172,272     14,356      7,178      6,626      3,313
Each add'l family member add..............     +5,220       +435       +218       +201       +101     +9,657       +805       +403       +372       +186
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 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.

Cynthia Long,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2021-04532 Filed 3-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P