Document headings vary by document type but may contain
                    the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document
the number of the CFR title and the number of each part
                      the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly
                      related to
the agency docket number / agency internal file number
the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in
                      the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory
                      Actions See the
                    Document Drafting Handbook
                    for more details.
 Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
 AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
 ACTION: Notice.
 SUMMARY: This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. These guidelines are used by schools, institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program. The annual adjustments are required by section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those children most in need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer Price Index.
 DATES: *Effective Date:*
                         July 1, 2015.
 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Vivian Lees, Branch Chief, Operational Support Branch, Child Nutrition Programs, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, or by phone at (703) 305-2322.


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 that Act. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3507), no recordkeeping or reporting requirements have been included that are subject to approval from the Office of Management and Budget. This notice has been determined to be not significant and was reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget in conformance with Executive Order 12866. The affected programs are listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance under No. 10.553, No. 10.555, No. 10.556, No. 10.558 and No. 10.559 and are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372, which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. (See 2 CFR 415.3-415.6). Background Pursuant to sections 9(b)(1) and 17(c)(4) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1) and 42 U.S.C. 1766(c)(4)), and sections 3(a)(6) and 4(e)(1)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772(a)(6) and 1773(e)(1)(A)), the Department annually issues the Income Eligibility Guidelines for free and reduced price meals for the National School Lunch Program (7 CFR part 210), the Commodity School Program (7 CFR part 210), School Breakfast Program (7 CFR part 220), Summer Food Service Program (7 CFR part 225) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (7 CFR part 226) and the guidelines for free milk in the Special Milk Program for Children (7 CFR part 215). These eligibility guidelines are based on the Federal income poverty guidelines and are stated by household size. The guidelines are used to determine eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk in accordance with applicable program rules. Definition of Income In accordance with the Department's policy as provided in the Food and Nutrition Service publication 
                    *Eligibility Manual for School Meals,*
                     “income,” as the term is used in this notice, means income before any deductions such as income taxes, Social Security taxes, insurance premiums, charitable contributions and bonds. It includes the following: (1) Monetary compensation for services, including wages, salary, commissions or fees; (2) net income from nonfarm self-employment; (3) net income from farm self-employment; (4) Social Security; (5) dividends or interest on savings or bonds or income from estates or trusts; (6) net rental income; (7) public assistance or welfare payments; (8) unemployment compensation; (9) government civilian employee or military retirement, or pensions or veterans payments; (10) private pensions or annuities; (11) alimony or child support payments; (12) regular contributions from persons not living in the household; (13) net royalties; and (14) other cash income. Other cash income would include cash amounts received or withdrawn from any source including savings, investments, trust accounts and other resources that would be available to pay the price of a child's meal. “Income,” as the term is used in this notice, does 
                    *not*
                     include any income or benefits received under any Federal programs that are excluded from consideration as income by any statutory prohibition. Furthermore, the 
                    ( print page 17027)
                    value of meals or milk to children shall not be considered as income to their households for other benefit programs in accordance with the prohibitions in section 12(e) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and section 11(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1760(e) and 1780(b)). The Income Eligibility Guidelines The following are the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be effective from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. The Department's guidelines for free meals and milk and reduced price meals were obtained by multiplying the year 2015 Federal income poverty guidelines by 1.30 and 1.85, respectively, and by rounding the result upward to the next whole dollar. This notice displays only the annual Federal poverty guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services because the monthly and weekly Federal poverty guidelines are not used to determine the Income Eligibility Guidelines. The chart details the free and reduced price eligibility criteria for monthly income, income received twice monthly (24 payments per year), income received every two weeks (26 payments per year) and weekly income. Income calculations are made based on the following formulas: Monthly income is calculated by dividing the annual income by 12; twice monthly income is computed by dividing annual income by 24; income received every two weeks is calculated by dividing annual income by 26; and weekly income is computed by dividing annual income by 52. All numbers are rounded upward to the next whole dollar. The numbers reflected in this notice for a family of four in the 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, Guam and the territories represent an increase of 1.7 percent over last year's level for a family of the same size. The income eligibility guidelines table follows below. Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016]
Household size
Federal poverty guidelines
Reduced price meals—185%
Free meals—130%Annual
Annual
Monthly
Twice per month
Every two weeks
Weekly
Annual
Monthly
Twice per month
Every two weeks
Weekly**48 Contiguous States, District of Columbia, Guam and Territories**1
11,770
21,775
1,815
908
838
419
15,301
1,276
638
589
2952
15,930
29,471
2,456
1,228
1,134
567
20,709
1,726
863
797
3993
20,090
37,167
3,098
1,549
1,430
715
26,117
2,177
1,089
1,005
5034
24,250
44,863
3,739
1,870
1,726
863
31,525
2,628
1,314
1,213
6075
28,410
52,559
4,380
2,190
2,022
1,011
36,933
3,078
1,539
1,421
7116
32,570
60,255
5,022
2,511
2,318
1,159
42,341
3,529
1,765
1,629
8157
36,730
67,951
5,663
2,832
2,614
1,307
47,749
3,980
1,990
1,837
9198
40,890
75,647
6,304
3,152
2,910
1,455
53,157
4,430
2,215
2,045
1,023For each additional family member add
4,160
7,696
642
321
296
148
5,408
451
226
208
104**Alaska**1
14,720
27,232
2,270
1,135
1,048
524
19,136
1,595
798
736
3682
19,920
36,852
3,071
1,536
1,418
709
25,896
2,158
1,079
996
4983
25,120
46,472
3,873
1,937
1,788
894
32,656
2,722
1,361
1,256
6284
30,320
56,092
4,675
2,338
2,158
1,079
39,416
3,285
1,643
1,516
7585
35,520
65,712
5,476
2,738
2,528
1,264
46,176
3,848
1,924
1,776
8886
40,720
75,332
6,278
3,139
2,898
1,449
52,936
4,412
2,206
2,036
1,0187
45,920
84,952
7,080
3,540
3,268
1,634
59,696
4,975
2,488
2,296
1,1488
51,120
94,572
7,881
3,941
3,638
1,819
66,456
5,538
2,769
2,556
1,278For each additional family member add
5,200
9,620
802
401
370
185
6,760
564
282
260
130**Hawaii**1
13,550
25,068
2,089
1,045
965
483
17,615
1,468
734
678
3392
18,330
33,911
2,826
1,413
1,305
653
23,829
1,986
993
917
4593
23,110
42,754
3,563
1,782
1,645
823
30,043
2,504
1,252
1,156
5784
27,890
51,597
4,300
2,150
1,985
993
36,257
3,022
1,511
1,395
6985
32,670
60,440
5,037
2,519
2,325
1,163
42,471
3,540
1,770
1,634
8176
37,450
69,283
5,774
2,887
2,665
1,333
48,685
4,058
2,029
1,873
9377
42,230
78,126
6,511
3,256
3,005
1,503
54,899
4,575
2,288
2,112
1,0568
47,010
86,969
7,248
3,624
3,345
1,673
61,113
5,093
2,547
2,351
1,176For each additional family member add
4,780
8,843
737
369
341
171
6,214
518
259
239
120
 Authority:
                    Section 9(b)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1). Date: March 26, 2015. Jeffrey J. Tribiano, Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.


[FR Doc. 2015-07358 Filed 3-30-15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-30-P