[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 61 (Tuesday, March 31, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17027-17029]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-07359]


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

DATES: Effective Date July 1, 2015.

[[Page 17028]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Hines, 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 
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 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 
2015/2016 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) at 80 FR 3236, January 22, 2015. 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, 
2015, through June 30, 2016. 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, 2015.
    State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the 
revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility 
guidelines on July 1, 2015. 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, 2015 to June 30, 2016]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       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, D.C., Guam and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................    $11,770       $981       $491       $453       $227    $21,775     $1,815       $908       $838       $419
2.........................................     15,930      1,328        664        613        307     29,471      2,456      1,228      1,134        567
3.........................................     20,090      1,675        838        773        387     37,167      3,098      1,549      1,430        715
4.........................................     24,250      2,021      1,011        933        467     44,863      3,739      1,870      1,726        863
5.........................................     28,410      2,368      1,184      1,093        547     52,559      4,380      2,190      2,022      1,011
6.........................................     32,570      2,715      1,358      1,253        627     60,255      5,022      2,511      2,318      1,159
7.........................................     36,730      3,061      1,531      1,413        707     67,951      5,663      2,832      2,614      1,307
8.........................................     40,890      3,408      1,704      1,573        787     75,647      6,304      3,152      2,910      1,455
Each add'l family member add..............   + $4,160     + $347     + $174     + $160      + $80   + $7,696     + $642     + $321     + $296     + $148
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                                                                         Alaska
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................    $14,720     $1,227       $614       $567       $284    $27,232     $2,270     $1,135     $1,048       $524
2.........................................     19,920      1,660        830        767        384     36,852      3,071      1,536      1,418        709
3.........................................     25,120      2,094      1,047        967        484     46,472      3,873      1,937      1,788        894
4.........................................     30,320      2,527      1,264      1,167        584     56,092      4,675      2,338      2,158      1,079
5.........................................     35,520      2,960      1,480      1,367        684     65,712      5,476      2,738      2,528      1,264
6.........................................     40,720      3,394      1,697      1,567        784     75,332      6,278      3,139      2,898      1,449
7.........................................     45,920      3,827      1,914      1,767        884     84,952      7,080      3,540      3,268      1,634
8.........................................     51,120      4,260      2,130      1,967        984     94,572      7,881      3,941      3,638      1,819
Each add'l family member add..............   + $5,200     + $434     + $217     + $200     + $100   + $9,620     + $802     + $401     + $370     + $185
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                                                                         Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.........................................    $13,550     $1,130       $565       $522       $261    $25,068     $2,089     $1,045       $965       $483

[[Page 17029]]

 
2.........................................     18,330      1,528        764        705        353     33,911      2,826      1,413      1,305        653
3.........................................     23,110      1,926        963        889        445     42,754      3,563      1,782      1,645        823
4.........................................     27,890      2,325      1,163      1,073        537     51,597      4,300      2,150      1,985        993
5.........................................     32,670      2,723      1,362      1,257        629     60,440      5,037      2,519      2,325      1,163
6.........................................     37,450      3,121      1,561      1,441        721     69,283      5,774      2,887      2,665      1,333
7.........................................     42,230      3,520      1,760      1,625        813     78,126      6,511      3,256      3,005      1,503
8.........................................     47,010      3,918      1,959      1,809        905     86,969      7,248      3,624      3,345      1,673
Each add'l family member add..............   + $4,780     + $399     + $200     + $184      + $92   + $8,843     + $737     + $369     + $341     + $171
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                  Income Eligibility Guidelines--Supplemental Chart for Family Sizes Greater Than Eight
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                       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, D.C., Guam and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.........................................    $45,050     $3,755     $1,878     $1,733       $867    $83,343     $6,946     $3,473     $3,206     $1,603
10........................................     49,210      4,101      2,051      1,893        947     91,039      7,587      3,794      3,502      1,751
11........................................     53,370      4,448      2,224      2,053      1,027     98,735      8,228      4,114      3,798      1,899
12........................................     57,530      4,795      2,398      2,213      1,107    106,431      8,870      4,435      4,094      2,047
13........................................     61,690      5,141      2,571      2,373      1,187    114,127      9,511      4,756      4,390      2,195
14........................................     65,850      5,488      2,744      2,533      1,267    121,823     10,152      5,076      4,686      2,343
15........................................     70,010      5,835      2,918      2,693      1,347    129,519     10,794      5,397      4,982      2,491
16........................................     74,170      6,181      3,091      2,853      1,427    137,215     11,435      5,718      5,278      2,639
Each add'l family member add..............   + $4,160     + $347     + $174     + $160      + $80   + $7,696     + $642     + $321     + $296     + $148
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                                                                         Alaska
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.........................................    $56,320     $4,694     $2,347     $2,167     $1,084   $104,192     $8,683     $4,342     $4,008     $2,004
10........................................     61,520      5,127      2,564      2,367      1,184    113,812      9,485      4,743      4,378      2,189
11........................................     66,720      5,560      2,780      2,567      1,284    123,432     10,286      5,143      4,748      2,374
12........................................     71,920      5,994      2,997      2,767      1,384    133,052     11,088      5,544      5,118      2,559
13........................................     77,120      6,427      3,214      2,967      1,484    142,672     11,890      5,945      5,488      2,744
14........................................     82,320      6,860      3,430      3,167      1,584    152,292     12,691      6,346      5,858      2,929
15........................................     87,520      7,294      3,647      3,367      1,684    161,912     13,493      6,747      6,228      3,114
16........................................     92,720      7,727      3,864      3,567      1,784    171,532     14,295      7,148      6,598      3,299
Each add'l family member add..............   + $5,200     + $434     + $217     + $200     + $100   + $9,620     + $802     + $401     + $370     + $185
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.........................................    $51,790     $4,316     $2,158     $1,992       $996    $95,812     $7,985     $3,993     $3,686     $1,843
10........................................     56,570      4,715      2,358      2,176      1,088    104,655      8,722      4,361      4,026      2,013
11........................................     61,350      5,113      2,557      2,360      1,180    113,498      9,459      4,730      4,366      2,183
12........................................     66,130      5,511      2,756      2,544      1,272    122,341     10,196      5,098      4,706      2,353
13........................................     70,910      5,910      2,955      2,728      1,364    131,184     10,932      5,466      5,046      2,523
14........................................     75,690      6,308      3,154      2,912      1,456    140,027     11,669      5,835      5,386      2,693
15........................................     80,470      6,706      3,353      3,095      1,548    148,870     12,406      6,203      5,726      2,863
16........................................     85,250      7,105      3,553      3,279      1,640    157,713     13,143      6,572      6,066      3,033
Each add'l family member add..............   + $4,780     + $399     + $200     + $184      + $92   + $8,843     + $737     + $369     + $341     + $171
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 26, 2015.
Jeffrey J. Tribiano,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-07359 Filed 3-30-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P