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 Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families
 AGENCY: Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance, HHS.
 ACTION: Notice of estimated State median income estimates for FFY 2008.
 SUMMARY: This notice announces the estimated median income for four-person families in each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2008 (October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008). LIHEAP grantees may adopt the State median income estimates beginning with the date of publication in the 
                        **Federal Register**
                         or at a later date as discussed below. This enables LIHEAP grantees to choose to implement this notice during the period between the heating and cooling seasons. However, by October 1, 2007, or the beginning of a grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later, LIHEAP grantees using State median income estimates must adjust their income eligibility criteria to be in accord with the FFY 2008 State median income estimates. This listing of estimated State median incomes provides one of the maximum income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may use in determining a household's income eligibility for LIHEAP.
 DATES: *Effective Date:*
                         The estimates are effective at any time between the date of this publication and October 1, 2007, or until the beginning of a LIHEAP grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Peter Edelman, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance, 5th Floor West, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447, Telephone: (202) 401-5292, E-Mail: 
                        *peter.edelman@acf.hhs.gov.*


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the provisions of section 2603(11) of Title XXVI of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Public Law (PL) 97-35, as amended, HHS announces the estimated median income of a four-person family for each State, the District of Columbia, and the United States for FFY 2008 (October 1, 2007, through September 30, 2008). Section 2605(b)(2)(B)(ii) of the LIHEAP statute provides that 60 percent of the median income for each State, as annually established by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, is one of the income criteria that LIHEAP grantees may use in determining a household's eligibility for LIHEAP. LIHEAP is authorized through the end of FFY 2008 by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, PL 109-58, enacted on August 8, 2005. Estimates of the median income for a four-person family for each State and the District of Columbia for FFY 2008 are produced by the Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, using the most recently available income data. In previous years, model-based estimates of the median income for a four-person family used the following data sources: (1) The Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement File; (2) the 2000 Decennial Census of Population; and (3) per capita personal income estimates, by State, from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) of the U.S. Department of Commerce. In preparing State-level, four-person family median income estimates for FFY 2008, the Census Bureau revised its methodology. The Census Bureau chose to use direct estimates derived from the American Community Survey (ACS) instead of using the model-based estimates. Generally, this change decreased, on average, State median income estimates by about 0.8 percent compared to the model-based estimates. There are two key advantages in using the ACS over the previous methodology. First, as the Federal Government's largest current household survey (approximately 3 million addresses per year), the ACS is able to produce State-level estimates with very low sampling errors. Second, since it is possible to obtain reliable State income estimates directly from the ACS (as opposed to the previous methodology that used a model based on several data sources), ACS estimates will be available on a more timely basis. For example, the ACS 2005 State median income estimates were released by the Census Bureau in August 2006. Information about the ACS is available at 
                    *http://www.census.gov/​acs/​www/​.*
                     For further information on the ACS State median income estimates, contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, at the Census Bureau (301) 763-3243. A State-by-State listing of median income and 60 percent of median income for a four-person family for FFY 2008 follows. The listing describes the method for adjusting median income for families of different sizes as specified in regulations applicable to LIHEAP, at 45 CFR 96.85(b), published in the 
                    **Federal Register**
                     on March 3, 1988 at 53 FR 6824. Dated: March 21, 2007. Yolanda Butler, Deputy Director, Office of Community Services.
 
 
 Estimated State Median Income for a Four-Person Family, by State, Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2008 1
States
Estimated State median income for a four-person family 2
60 percent of estimated State median income for a four-person familyAlabama
$53,690
$32,214Alaska
76,560
45,936Arizona
61,102
36,661Arkansas
52,217
31,330California
70,712
42,427Colorado
70,300
42,180Connecticut
92,205
55,323Delaware
76,288
45,773District of Columbia
50,248
30,149Florida
62,269
37,361Georgia
64,427
38,656Hawaii
79,240
47,544Idaho
52,470
31,482Illinois
72,368
43,421Indiana
64,564
38,738Iowa
65,575
39,345Kansas
64,929
38,957Kentucky
54,992
32,995Louisiana
55,945
33,567Maine
64,806
38,884Maryland
89,608
53,765Massachusetts
85,420
51,252Michigan
71,542
42,925Minnesota
77,395
46,437Mississippi
47,726
28,636Missouri
63,847
38,308Montana
55,641
33,385Nebraska
64,800
38,880Nevada
61,777
37,066New Hampshire
81,522
48,913New Jersey
90,261
54,157New Mexico
48,223
28,934New York
72,170
43,302North Carolina
59,481
35,689North Dakota
59,926
35,956Ohio
66,734
40,040Oklahoma
53,138
31,883Oregon
61,945
37,167Pennsylvania
68,646
41,188Rhode Island
78,297
46,978South Carolina
57,932
34,759South Dakota
61,309
36,785Tennessee
56,874
34,124Texas
57,511
34,507Utah
57,999
34,799Vermont
71,382
42,829Virginia
77,430
46,458Washington
72,103
43,262West Virginia
52,292
31,375Wisconsin
71,064
42,638Wyoming
62,933
37,760**Note:**
                         FFY 2008 covers the period of October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008. The estimated median income for a four-person family living in the United States is $67,019 for FFY 2008. The estimates are effective for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at any time between the date of this publication and October 1, 2007, or by the beginning of a LIHEAP grantee's fiscal year, whichever is later.1
                         In accordance with 45 CFR 96.85, each State's estimated median income for a four-person family is multiplied by the following percentages to adjust for family size for LIHEAP: 52 percent for one person, 68 percent for two persons, 84 percent for three persons, 100 percent for four persons, 116 percent for five persons, and 132 percent for six persons. For each additional family member above six persons, add 3 percentage points to the percentage for a six-person family (132 percent), and multiply the new percentage by the State's estimated median income for a four-person family.2
                         Prepared by the Census Bureau from the 2005 American Community Survey. For further information, contact the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division at the Census Bureau (301-763-3243).


[FR Doc. E7-5631 Filed 3-27-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4184-01-P