31876 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices

Rural II Alaska. The proxy in Hawaii for

actual June 1999 TFP costs was $664.98.

The June 1999 cost of the TFP was

$628.80 in Guam and $548.50 in the

Virgin Islands.

The maximum food stamp allotment

is paid to households that have no net

income. For households with some type

of income, their allotments are

determined by reducing the maximum

allotment for their household size by 30

percent of the household’s net income

in accordance with Section 8 (a) of the

Act, 7 U.S.C. 2017 (a). To obtain the

maximum food stamp allotment for each

household size, the TFP costs are

divided by four, multiplied by the

appropriate household size and

economy of scale factor, and the final

result rounded down to the nearest

dollar.

Pursuant to Section 3 (o)(3) of the Act,

maximum food stamp benefits for Guam

and the Virgin Islands cannot exceed

those in the 50 States and the District of

Columbia, so they are based upon either

the lower of their respective TFPs or the

TFP for rural II Alaska.

MAXIMUM ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS 1—OCTOBER 1999 AS ADJUSTED.

Household size Urban

Alaska

Rural I

Alaska

Rural II

Alaska Hawaii Guam2 VirginIslands2

1 ....................................................................................... $158 $202 $245 $199 $188 $164

2 ....................................................................................... 290 370 450 365 345 301

3 ....................................................................................... 415 530 645 523 495 431

4 ....................................................................................... 528 673 819 664 628 548

5 ....................................................................................... 627 799 973 789 746 651

6 ....................................................................................... 752 959 1168 947 896 781

7 ....................................................................................... 831 1060 1291 1047 990 863

8 ....................................................................................... 950 1212 1475 1196 1131 987

Each Additional Member .................................................. +119 +152 +184 +150 +141 +123

1Adjusted to reflect the cost of food in June, adjustments for each household size, economies of scale, and 100 percent of the TFP and

rounding. 2Adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of food in the 48 States and D.C., which correlate with price changes in these areas. Maximum allotments in these areas cannot exceed those in Rural II Alaska.

Dated: February 16, 2000.

Samuel Chambers, Jr.,

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12654 Filed 5–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service

RIN 0584–AC88

Food Stamp Program: Maximum

Allotments for the 48 States and the

District of Columbia, and Income

Eligibility Standards for the 48 States

and the District of Columbia, Alaska,

Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA.

ACTION: General notice.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to update for Fiscal Year 2000 the

maximum allotment levels, which are

the basis for determining the amount of

food stamps which participating

households receive and the gross and

net income limits for food stamp

eligibility. These adjustments, required

by law, take into account changes in the

cost of living and statutory adjustments

since the amounts were last calculated.

DATES: This notice is effective May 19,

2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Margaret Werts Batko, Assistant Chief,

Certification Policy Branch, Program

Development Division, Food Stamp

Program, Food and Nutrition Service,

USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive,

Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305–

2516. The e-mail address is

Margaret.Batko@FNS.USDA.GOV

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Implementation

As required by Section 3(o) of the

Food Stamp Act of 1977 (the Act), 7

U.S.C. 2012(o), State agencies should

have implemented the adjustments to

the maximum food stamp allotments

reflected in this notice on October 1,

1999, based on advance notice of the

new amounts. In accordance with

regulations published at 47 FR 46485–

46487 (October 19, 1982), annual

statutory adjustments to the maximum

allotment levels and income eligibility

standards are issued by general notices

published in the Federal Register and

not through rulemaking proceedings.

Classification

Executive Order 12866

This notice has been determined to be

not significant for purposes of Executive

Order 12866 and therefore has not been

reviewed by the Office of Management

and Budget (OMB).

Executive Order 12372

The Food Stamp Program is listed in

the Catalog of Federal Domestic

Assistance under No. 10.551. For the

reasons set forth in the final rule related

notice to 7 CFR part 3015, subpart V (48

FR 29116, June 24, 1983), this program

is excluded from the scope of Executive

Order 12372 which requires

intergovernmental consultation with

State and local officials.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Under Secretary for Food,

Nutrition and Consumer Services has

certified that this action will not have a

significant economic impact and will

not have an impact on a substantial

number of small entities. The action

will increase the amount of money

spent on food through food stamps.

However, this money will be distributed

among the nation’s food vendors, so the

effect on any one vendor will not be

significant.

Paperwork Reduction Act

This action does not contain reporting

or record keeping requirements subject

to approval by OMB pursuant to the

provisions of the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3507.

Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995

(UMRA)

Title II of UMRA establishes

requirements for Federal agencies to

assess the effects of their regulatory

actions on State, local, and tribal

governments and the private sector.

Under Section 202 of the UMRA, FNS

generally must prepare a written

statement, including a cost-benefit

analysis, for proposed and final rules

with ‘‘Federal mandates’’ that may

result in expenditures to State, local, or

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices 31877

tribal governments, in the aggregate, or

to the private sector, of $100 million or

more in any one year. When such a

statement is needed for a rule, Section

205 of the UMRA generally requires

FNS to identify and consider a

reasonable number of regulatory

alternatives and adopt the least costly,

more cost-effective or least burdensome

alternative that achieves the objectives

of the rule.

This notice contains no Federal

mandates (under the regulatory

provisions of Title II of the UMRA) for

State, local, and tribal governments or

the private sector of more than $100

million or more in any one year. Thus

this rule is not subject to the

requirements of sections 202 and 205 of

the UMRA.

Background

Income Eligibility Standards

The eligibility of households for the

Food Stamp Program, except those in

which, in accordance with Section 5(a)

of the Act, 7 U.S.C. 2014(a), all members

are receiving ‘‘benefits under a State

program funded under part A of title IV

of the Social Security Act, supplemental

security income [SSI] benefits under

title XVI of the Social Security Act, or

aid to the aged, blind, or disabled under

title I, X, XIV, or XV of the Social

Security Act * * *’’, is determined by

comparing their incomes to the

appropriate income eligibility standards

(limits). Pursuant to Section 5(c)(2) of

the Act, households containing an

elderly or disabled member are required

to have qualifying net incomes, while

households which do not contain an

elderly or disabled member must have

qualifying net incomes and qualifying

gross incomes. Households in which all

members are receiving Social Security

Act title IV benefits or SSI are

‘‘categorically eligible;’’ under 7 CFR

273.2(j)(2) their incomes do not have to

be below the income limits.

As provided in Section 5(c)(1) of the

Act, the net and gross income limits

applicable to food stamp eligibility are

derived from the Federal income

poverty guidelines established under

Section 673(2) of the Community

Services Block Grant Act, 42 U.S.C.

9902(2). The net income limit is 100

percent of the poverty line. The gross

income limit is 130 percent of the

poverty line. The guidelines are updated

annually. Based on that update, the

Food Stamp Program’s income

eligibility standards are updated each

October 1. Instructions for

implementation of the required

adjustments for October 1, 1999, were

issued by the Deputy Administrator of

the Food and Nutrition Service, Food

Stamp Program, in a July 26, 1999,

memorandum to all State Food Stamp

Program Directors. The revised income

eligibility standards for the 48 States

(including the District of Columbia,

Guam and the Virgin Islands), Alaska

and Hawaii are as follows:

FOOD STAMP PROGRAM

[October 1, 1999–September 30, 2000]

Household size 48 States 1 Alaska Hawaii

Net Monthly Income Eligibility Standards (100 Percent of Poverty Level)

1 ................................................................................................................................................... $687 $860 $791

2 ................................................................................................................................................... 922 1,154 1,061

3 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,157 1,447 1,331

4 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,392 1,740 1,601

5 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,627 2,034 1,871

6 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,862 2,327 2,141

7 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,097 2,620 2,411

8 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,332 2,914 2,681

Each Add. Member ...................................................................................................................... +235 +294 +270

Gross Monthly Income Eligibility Standards (130 Percent of Poverty Level)

1 ................................................................................................................................................... $893 $1,118 $1,029

2 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,199 1,500 1,380

3 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,504 1,881 1,731

4 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,810 2,262 2,082

5 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,115 2,644 2,433

6 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,421 3,025 2,784

7 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,726 3,406 3,135

8 ................................................................................................................................................... 3,032 3,788 3,486

Each Add. Member ...................................................................................................................... +306 +382 +351

Gross Monthly Income Eligibility Standards for Households Where Elderly Disabled Are a Separate Household (165 Percent of Poverty

Level)

1 ................................................................................................................................................... $1,133 $1,419 $1,305

2 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,521 1,903 1,751

3 ................................................................................................................................................... 1,909 2,387 2,196

4 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,297 2,871 2,642

5 ................................................................................................................................................... 2,684 3,355 3,087

6 ................................................................................................................................................... 3,072 3,839 3,533

7 ................................................................................................................................................... 3,460 4,323 3,978

8 ................................................................................................................................................... 3,848 4,807 4,424

Each Add. Member ...................................................................................................................... +388 +484 +446

1 Includes District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands

31878 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 98 / Friday, May 19, 2000 / Notices

Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) and Allotments

As provided for in Section 3(o) of the

Act, the TFP is a plan for the

consumption of foods of different types

(food groups) that a household might

use to provide nutritious meals and

snacks for household members. The

plan reflects a diet required to feed a

family of four persons consisting of a

man and woman aged 20 to 50, a child

6 to 8 and a child 9 to 11. The cost of

the TFP is adjusted monthly to reflect

changes in the costs of the food groups.

The TFP is also the basis for

establishing food stamp allotments.

‘‘Allotment’’ is defined in Section 3(a)

of the Act as ‘‘the total value of coupons

a household is authorized to receive

during each month.’’ Food stamp

allotments are adjusted periodically to

reflect the changes in food cost levels

indicated in the changing amounts of

the TFP. Prior to the amendment of

Section 3(o) of the Act by Section 804

of Public Law 104–193, the Personal

Responsibility and Work Opportunity

Reconciliation Act of 1996, allotment

amounts were established on each

October 1 at 103% of the cost of the TFP

in the previous June. Amended Section

3(o)(4) of the Act now provides that the

TFP will be adjusted each October 1 to

reflect the exact cost, or 100%, of the

TFP for the previous June, rounding the

results to the nearest lower dollar

increment for each household size,

except that on October 1,1996, the TFP

was not to have been reduced below the

amounts in effect on September 30,

1996.

To obtain the maximum food stamp

allotment for each household size for

the period October 1, 1999, to

September 30, 2000, June 1999 TFP

costs for the above described fourperson household were divided by four,

multiplied by the appropriate

household size and economy of scale

factor, in accordance with Section

3(o)(1) of the Act, and the final result

was rounded down to the nearest dollar.

The maximum benefit, or allotment, is

paid to households with no net income.

For a household with income, the

household’s allotment is determined by

reducing the maximum allotment for the

household’s size by 30 percent of the

individual household’s net income in

accordance with Section 8(a) of the Act,

7 U.S.C. 2017(a). The following table

shows the current allotments for the 48

States and the District of Columbia.

MAXIMUM FOOD STAMP ALLOTMENTS

[October 1999—September 2000]

Household size 48 States

and DC

1 .................................................. 127

2 .................................................. 234

3 .................................................. 335

4 .................................................. 426

5 .................................................. 506

6 .................................................. 607

7 .................................................. 671

8 .................................................. 767

Add on ........................................ 96

Dated: February 16, 2000.

Samuel Chambers, Jr.,

Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.

[FR Doc. 00–12655 Filed 5–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Berkeley Electric Cooperative, Inc;

Notice of Availability of an

Environmental Assessment

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of aailability of an

Environmental Assessment.

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that

the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is

issuing an Environmental Assessment

(EA) with respect to the potential

environmental impacts related to the

construction of a 115/24.9 kV electric

distribution substation by Berkeley

Electric Cooperative. RUS may provide

financing assistance for the project.

FOR FUTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob

Quigel, RUS, Engineering and

Environmental Staff, Stop 1571, 1400

Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, DC 20250–1571, telephone:

(202) 720–0468. Bob’s e-mail address is

bquigel@rus.usda.gov. Information is

also available from Tom Meyers, Vice

President of Engineering, at Berkeley

Electric Cooperative, P.O. Box 1234,

Monks Corner, South Carolina, 29461–

1234, telephone (843) 761–8200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

project consists of the construction of a

115/24.9 kV electric distribution

substation located in Dorchester County,

South Carolina, on the southern side of

Ridge Road approximately 1000 feet east

of the intersection of Parkers Ferry Road

and Ridge Road. The fenced area for the

substation will be approximately 7.5

acres. The fence surrounding the

substation will be 7 feet high and

topped with 3 strands of barbed wire. A

short gravel road will be constructed

from Ridge Road to the substation site.

Approximately 500 feet of overhead 115

kV transmission line will connect the

substation to an existing transmission

line south of Parkers Ferry Road. Three

underground distribution feeder lines

will connect the substation to Berkeley

Electric Cooperative’s electric

distribution system.

Berkeley Electric Cooperative

submitted to RUS an environmental

report which describes the project

further and considers its potential

environmental impacts. RUS has

conducted an independent evaluation of

the environmental report and believes

that it accurately assesses the impacts of

the proposed project. No adverse

impacts are expected with the

construction of the project. RUS has

accepted the document as its

Environmental Assessment and is

making it available for public review.

The EA can be reviewed at Berkeley

Electric Cooperative’s Headquarters

Office at 414 North Highway 52,

Moncks Corner, South Carolina 29461

and their Johns Island District Office

located at 3351 Maybank Highway,

Johns Island, South Carolina 29455.

Questions and comments should be

sent to RUS at the address provided.

RUS should receive comments on the

EA in writing within 30 days of the

publication date of this notice to ensure

that the comments are taken into

consideration prior to RUS making its

environmental determination.

Any final action by RUS related to the

proposed project will be subject to, and

contingent upon, compliance with all

relevant Federal environmental laws

and regulations and completion of

environmental review procedures as

prescribed by the Council on

Environmental Quality Regulations and

RUS Environmental Policies and

Procedures.

Dated: May 15, 2000.

Glendon D. Deal,

Acting Director, Engineering and

Environmental Staff.

[FR Doc. 00–12653 Filed 5–18–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–U