[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 57 (Friday, March 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17006-17007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-7037]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


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

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The 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 Program 
(WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in 
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

DATES: Effective Date: July 1, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Hines, Branch Chief, Policy 
Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park 
Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 305-2746.

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 
29114, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22676, 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 only 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 
2012/2013 was published by the Department of Health and Human

[[Page 17007]]

Services (HHS) at 77 FR 4034, January 26, 2012. The guidelines 
published by HHS are referred to as the poverty guidelines.
    Section 246.7(d)(1) of the WIC regulations (Title 7, Code of 
Federal Regulations) specifies 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 July 1, 
2012, through June 30, 2013. 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, 2012.
    State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the 
revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility 
guidelines on July 1, 2012. The first table of this Notice contains the 
income limits by household size for the 48 contiguous States, the 
District of Columbia, and all Territories, including Guam.

                                                              Income Eligibility Guidelines
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013]
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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.........................................    $11,170       $931       $466       $430       $215    $20,665     $1,723       $862       $795       $398
2.........................................     15,130      1,261        631        582        291     27,991      2,333      1,167      1,077        539
3.........................................     19,090      1,591        796        735        368     35,317      2,944      1,472      1,359        680
4.........................................     23,050      1,921        961        887        444     42,643      3,554      1,777      1,641        821
5.........................................     27,010      2,251      1,126      1,039        520     49,969      4,165      2,083      1,922        961
6.........................................     30,970      2,581      1,291      1,192        596     57,295      4,775      2,388      2,204      1,102
7.........................................     34,930      2,911      1,456      1,344        672     64,621      5,386      2,693      2,486      1,243
8.........................................     38,890      3,241      1,621      1,496        748     71,947      5,996      2,998      2,768      1,384
Each add'l family member add..............     +3,960       +330       +165       +153        +77     +7,326       +611       +306       +282       +141
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                                                                         Alaska
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1.........................................     13,970      1,165        583        538        269     25,845      2,154      1,077        995        498
2.........................................     18,920      1,577        789        728        364     35,002      2,917      1,459      1,347        674
3.........................................     23,870      1,990        995        919        460     44,160      3,680      1,840      1,699        850
4.........................................     28,820      2,402      1,201      1,109        555     53,317      4,444      2,222      2,051      1,026
5.........................................     33,770      2,815      1,408      1,299        650     62,475      5,207      2,604      2,403      1,202
6.........................................     38,720      3,227      1,614      1,490        745     71,632      5,970      2,985      2,756      1,378
7.........................................     43,670      3,640      1,820      1,680        840     80,790      6,733      3,367      3,108      1,554
8.........................................     48,620      4,052      2,026      1,870        935     89,947      7,496      3,748      3,460      1,730
Each add'l family member add..............     +4,950       +413       +207       +191        +96     +9,158       +764       +382       +353       +177
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                                                                         Hawaii
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1.........................................     12,860      1,072        536        495        248     23,791      1,983        992        916        458
2.........................................     17,410      1,451        726        670        335     32,209      2,685      1,343      1,239        620
3.........................................     21,960      1,830        915        845        423     40,626      3,386      1,693      1,563        782
4.........................................     26,510      2,210      1,105      1,020        510     49,044      4,087      2,044      1,887        944
5.........................................     31,060      2,589      1,295      1,195        598     57,461      4,789      2,395      2,211      1,106
6.........................................     35,610      2,968      1,484      1,370        685     65,879      5,490      2,745      2,534      1,267
7.........................................     40,160      3,347      1,674      1,545        773     74,296      6,192      3,096      2,858      1,429
8.........................................     44,710      3,726      1,863      1,720        860     82,714      6,893      3,447      3,182      1,591
Each add'l family member add..............     +4,550       +380       +190       +175        +88     +8,418       +702       +351       +324       +162
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Because the poverty guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii are higher 
than for the 48 contiguous States, separate tables for Alaska and 
Hawaii have been included for the convenience of the State agencies.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 1786.

    Dated: March 19, 2012.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-7037 Filed 3-22-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P