[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 29, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17977-17979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06541]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and
Children (WIC): 2022/2023 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, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Post, Acting Chief, Policy
Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 1320 Braddock
Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-457-7708.
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
2022 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
at 87 FR 3315, January 12, 2022. 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.
Currently, the Department is publishing the maximum and minimum WIC
income eligibility guidelines by household size for the period of July
1, 2022, through June 30, 2023. 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, 2022. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation
with the revised Medicaid guidelines must
[[Page 17978]]
implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on or before July 1,
2022.
Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023]
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Federal poverty guidelines--100% Reduced price meals--185%
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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......................................... $13,590 $1,133 $567 $523 $262 $25,142 $2,096 $1,048 $967 $484
2......................................... 18,310 1,526 763 705 353 33,874 2,823 1,412 1,303 652
3......................................... 23,030 1,920 960 886 443 42,606 3,551 1,776 1,639 820
4......................................... 27,750 2,313 1,157 1,068 534 51,338 4,279 2,140 1,975 988
5......................................... 32,470 2,706 1,353 1,249 625 60,070 5,006 2,503 2,311 1,156
6......................................... 37,190 3,100 1,550 1,431 716 68,802 5,734 2,867 2,647 1,324
7......................................... 41,910 3,493 1,747 1,612 806 77,534 6,462 3,231 2,983 1,492
8......................................... 46,630 3,886 1,943 1,794 897 86,266 7,189 3,595 3,318 1,659
Each add'l family member add.............. + 4,720 + 394 + 197 + 182 + 91 + 8,732 + 728 + 364 + 336 + 168
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Alaska
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1......................................... 16,990 1,416 708 654 327 31,432 2,620 1,310 1,209 605
2......................................... 22,890 1,908 954 881 441 42,347 3,529 1,765 1,629 815
3......................................... 28,790 2,400 1,200 1,108 554 53,262 4,439 2,220 2,049 1,025
4......................................... 34,690 2,891 1,446 1,335 668 64,177 5,349 2,675 2,469 1,235
5......................................... 40,590 3,383 1,692 1,562 781 75,092 6,258 3,129 2,889 1,445
6......................................... 46,490 3,875 1,938 1,789 895 86,007 7,168 3,584 3,308 1,654
7......................................... 52,390 4,366 2,183 2,015 1,008 96,922 8,077 4,039 3,728 1,864
8......................................... 58,290 4,858 2,429 2,242 1,121 107,837 8,987 4,494 4,148 2,074
Each add'l family member add.............. + 5,900 + 492 + 246 + 227 + 114 + 10,915 + 910 + 455 + 420 + 210
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Hawaii
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1......................................... 15,630 1,303 652 602 301 28,916 2,410 1,205 1,113 557
2......................................... 21,060 1,755 878 810 405 38,961 3,247 1,624 1,499 750
3......................................... 26,490 2,208 1,104 1,019 510 49,007 4,084 2,042 1,885 943
4......................................... 31,920 2,660 1,330 1,228 614 59,052 4,921 2,461 2,272 1,136
5......................................... 37,350 3,113 1,557 1,437 719 69,098 5,759 2,880 2,658 1,329
6......................................... 42,780 3,565 1,783 1,646 823 79,143 6,596 3,298 3,044 1,522
7......................................... 48,210 4,018 2,009 1,855 928 89,189 7,433 3,717 3,431 1,716
8......................................... 53,640 4,470 2,235 2,064 1,032 99,234 8,270 4,135 3,817 1,909
Each add'l family member add.............. + 5,430 + 453 + 227 + 209 + 105 + 10,046 + 838 + 419 + 387 + 194
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Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023--household size larger than 8]
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Federal poverty guidelines--100% Reduced price meals--185%
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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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9......................................... $51,350 $4,280 $2,140 $1,975 $988 $94,998 $7,917 $3,959 $3,654 $1,827
10........................................ 56,070 4,673 2,337 2,157 1,079 103,730 8,645 4,323 3,990 1,995
11........................................ 60,790 5,066 2,533 2,339 1,170 112,462 9,372 4,686 4,326 2,163
12........................................ 65,510 5,460 2,730 2,520 1,260 121,194 10,100 5,050 4,662 2,331
13........................................ 70,230 5,853 2,927 2,702 1,351 129,926 10,828 5,414 4,998 2,499
14........................................ 74,950 6,246 3,123 2,883 1,442 138,658 11,555 5,778 5,333 2,667
15........................................ 79,670 6,640 3,320 3,065 1,533 147,390 12,283 6,142 5,669 2,835
16........................................ 84,390 7,033 3,517 3,246 1,623 156,122 13,011 6,506 6,005 3,003
Each add'l family member add.............. + 4,720 + 394 + 197 + 182 + 91 + 8,732 + 728 + 364 + 336 + 168
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Alaska
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9......................................... 64,190 5,350 2,675 2,469 1,235 118,752 9,896 4,948 4,568 2,284
10........................................ 70,090 5,841 2,921 2,696 1,348 129,667 10,806 5,403 4,988 2,494
11........................................ 75,990 6,333 3,167 2,923 1,462 140,582 11,716 5,858 5,407 2,704
12........................................ 81,890 6,825 3,413 3,150 1,575 151,497 12,625 6,313 5,827 2,914
13........................................ 87,790 7,316 3,658 3,377 1,689 162,412 13,535 6,768 6,247 3,124
14........................................ 93,690 7,808 3,904 3,604 1,802 173,327 14,444 7,222 6,667 3,334
15........................................ 99,590 8,300 4,150 3,831 1,916 184,242 15,354 7,677 7,087 3,544
16........................................ 105,490 8,791 4,396 4,058 2,029 195,157 16,264 8,132 7,507 3,754
Each add'l family member add.............. + 5,900 + 492 + 246 + 227 + 114 + 10,915 + 910 + 455 + 420 + 210
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Hawaii
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9......................................... 59,070 4,923 2,462 2,272 1,136 109,280 9,107 4,554 4,204 2,102
10........................................ 64,500 5,375 2,688 2,481 1,241 119,325 9,944 4,972 4,590 2,295
11........................................ 69,930 5,828 2,914 2,690 1,345 129,371 10,781 5,391 4,976 2,488
12........................................ 75,360 6,280 3,140 2,899 1,450 139,416 11,618 5,809 5,363 2,682
[[Page 17979]]
13........................................ 80,790 6,733 3,367 3,108 1,554 149,462 12,456 6,228 5,749 2,875
14........................................ 86,220 7,185 3,593 3,317 1,659 159,507 13,293 6,647 6,135 3,068
15........................................ 91,650 7,638 3,819 3,525 1,763 169,553 14,130 7,065 6,522 3,261
16........................................ 97,080 8,090 4,045 3,734 1,867 179,598 14,967 7,484 6,908 3,454
Each add'l family member add.............. + 5,430 + 453 + 227 + 209 + 105 + 10,046 + 838 + 419 + 387 + 194
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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 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,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2022-06541 Filed 3-28-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P