Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices 2731

For the period January through June

1994, the average cost of the TFP was

$459.90 in Alaska, a decrease since last

year, and $615.30 in Hawaii. The

proxies for actual June 1994 TFP costs

were $466.94 in Alaska and $626.50 in

Hawaii. The June 1994 cost of the TFP

was $553.20 in Guam and $482.50 in

the Virgin islands.

The TFP is also the basis for

establishing food stamp allotments.

Food stamp allotments are adjusted

periodically to reflect changes in food

cost levels. Section 3(o)(11) of the Food

Stamp Act of 1977, as amended (7

U.S.C. 2012(o)(11)) provides for an

adjustment on October 1, 1994, based

upon 103 percent of the June 1994 cost

of the TFP for a family of four persons

consisting of a man and woman ages

20–50 and children ages 6–8 and 9–11.

The maximum food stamp benefit or

allotment is paid to households which

have no net income. For households

which have some income, their

allotment is determined by reducing the

maximum allotment for their household

size by 30% of the household’s net

income. To obtain the maximum food

stamp allotment for each household

size, the TFP costs for the four-person

household were increased by 3 percent,

divided by four, multiplied by the

appropriate household size and

economy of scale factor, and the final

result was rounded down to the nearest

dollar.

Because the decrease in the Alaska

TFP would have caused a subsequent

drop in maximum food stamp

allotments, on October 13, 1994, the

President signed into law P.L. 103–345.

This law prohibits the Secretary from

reducing food stamp allotments for

Alaska on October 1, 1994 based on a

TFP cost that was lower than the cost of

the TFP for Alaska in June 1993. This

law is effective September 30, 1994. As

a result of this action, the food stamp

allotments for Alaska published in this

notice are the same as last year’s.

Pursuant to section 3(o)(3) of the Food

Stamp Act (7 U.S.C. 2012(o)(3),

maximum food stamp benefits for Guam

and the Virgin Islands cannot exceed

those in the 50 States and D.C., so they

are based upon the lower of their

respective TFPs or the TFP for rural II

Alaska. In addition, the urban Alaska

allotment is the higher of the allotment

that was in effect in urban areas on

October 1, 1985 or 100.79 percent of the

adjusted Anchorage TFP (see 50 FR

18456, dated May 1, 1984, and 51 FR

16281, dated May 2, 1986).

The following table shows new

allotments for Alaska, Hawaii, Guam,

and the Virgin Islands.

MAXIMUM ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS 1—OCTOBER 1994, AS ADJUSTED

Household size Urban

Alaska 2

Rural I

Alaska 3

Rural II

Alaska 4 Hawaii Guam 5 VirginIslands 5

1 ........................................................................................ $147 $188 $229 $193 $170 $149

2 ........................................................................................ 271 345 420 354 313 273

3 ........................................................................................ 388 495 602 508 448 391

4 ........................................................................................ 492 628 765 645 569 496

5 ........................................................................................ 585 746 908 766 767 590

6 ........................................................................................ 702 895 1090 919 811 708

7 ........................................................................................ 776 990 1204 1016 897 782

8 ........................................................................................ 887 1131 1377 1161 1025 894

Each additional member ................................................... +111 +141 +172 +145 +128 +112

1Adjusted to reflect the cost of food in June, adjustments for each household size, economies of scale, a 1.03 percent increase in the TFP and

rounding, except Alaska which by P.L. 103–345 has been held at the 1993–94 levels. 2These levels are 100.79 percent of the Anchorage TFP, as adjusted.

3These levels are 128.52 percent of the Anchorage TFP, as adjusted.

4These levels are 156.42 percent higher than the Anchorage TFP, as adjusted.

5Adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of food in the 48 States and DC, which correlate with price changes in these areas. Maximum allotments in these areas cannot exceed those in rural II Alaska.

Maximum allotments for the 48 States

and DC were published in a separate

notice in the Federal Register. These

adjustments were announced sooner

than the adjustments for Alaska, Hawaii,

Guam and the Virgin Islands because

the data to accomplish the update for

the 48 States and DC were available

sooner than the data for the other areas

covered by this notice.

(7 U.S.C. 2011–2032)

Dated January 4, 1995.

Ellen Haas,

Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and

Consumer Services.

[FR Doc. 95–637 Filed 1–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–U

RIN: 0584–AB96

Food Stamp Program: Maximum

Allotments for the 48 States and D.C.,

and Income Eligibility Standards and

Deductions for the 48 States and D.C.,

Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and the Virgin

Islands

AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service,

USDA.

ACTION: General notice.

SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is

to update for Fiscal Year 1995: (1) the

maximum allotment levels, which are

the basis for determining the maximum

amount of food stamps which

participating households receive, (2) the

gross and net income limits for food

stamp eligibility which certain

households may have, (3) the standard

deduction available to certain

households, and (4) the homeless

household shelter expense. These

adjustments, required by law, take into

account changes in the cost of living

and statutory adjustments.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Judith M. Seymour, Supervisor,

Eligibility and Certification Regulations

Section, Certification Policy Branch,

Program Development Division, Food

Stamp Program, Food and Consumer

Service, USDA, Alexandria, Virginia

22302, (703) 305–2496.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Publication

As required by law, State agencies

must implement this action on October

1, 1994 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, income eligibility
2732 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices

standards, and deductions are issued by

General Notices published in the

Federal Register and not through

rulemaking proceedings.

Executive Order 12866

This rule 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.

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

Ellen Haas, the Under Secretary for

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer

Services, has certified that this action

will not have a significant economic

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 recordkeeping requirements subject

to approval by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB).

Background

Income Eligibility Standards

The eligibility of households for the

Food Stamp Program, except those in

which all members are receiving public

assistance (PA) or supplemental security

income benefits (SSI), is determined by

comparing their incomes to the

appropriate income eligibility standards

(limits). Households containing an

elderly or disabled member need to

have net incomes below the net income

limits, while households which do not

contain an elderly or disabled member

must have net incomes below the net

income limit and gross incomes below

the gross income limit.

Households in which all members are

receiving PA or SSI are categorically

eligible; their incomes do not have to be

below the income limits.

In addition, elderly individuals (and

their spouses) who are unable to prepare

meals because of certain disabilities,

may be considered separate households,

even if they are living and eating with

another household. 7 U.S.C. Sec.

2012(i). The Food Stamp Act limits

separate household status to those

persons who meet both of the following

requirements:

(1) Their own income may not exceed

the net income eligibility standards, and

(2) The income of those with whom

they reside may not exceed 165 percent

of the poverty line.

The net and gross income limits are

derived from the Federal income

poverty guidelines. The net income

limit is 100 percent of the guidelines;

the gross income limit is 130 percent of

the guidelines. The guidelines are

updated annually. Based on that update,

the Food Stamp Program’s income

eligibility standards are updated

annually. The effective date of October

1 is required by the Food Stamp Act.

The revised income eligibility

standards are as follows:

FOOD STAMP PROGRAM OCTOBER 1, 1994–SEPTEMBER 30, 1995

Household size 48 States 1 Alaska Hawaii

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

1 ............................................................................................................................................................... $614 $767 $706

2 ............................................................................................................................................................... 820 1,025 944

3 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,027 1,284 1,181

4 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,234 1,542 1,419

5 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,440 1,800 1,656

6 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,647 2,059 1,894

7 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,854 2,317 2,131

8 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,060 2,575 2,369

Each additional member .......................................................................................................................... +207 +259 +238

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

1 ............................................................................................................................................................... $798 $997 $918

2 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,066 1,333 1,227

3 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,335 1,669 1,536

4 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,604 2,005 1,844

5 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,872 2,340 2,153

6 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,141 2,676 2,462

7 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,410 3,012 2,771

8 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,678 3,348 3,079

Each additional member .......................................................................................................................... +269 +336 +309

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

Level)

1 ............................................................................................................................................................... $1,012 $1,265 $1,165

2 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,353 1,692 1,557

3 ............................................................................................................................................................... 1,694 2,118 1,949

4 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,035 2,544 2,341

5 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,376 2,970 2,733

6 ............................................................................................................................................................... 2,717 3,397 3,124

7 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3,058 3,823 3,516

8 ............................................................................................................................................................... 3,399 4,249 3,908
Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices 2733

FOOD STAMP PROGRAM OCTOBER 1, 1994–SEPTEMBER 30, 1995—Continued

Household size 48 States 1 Alaska Hawaii

Each additional member .......................................................................................................................... +341 +427 +392

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

Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) and Allotments

The TFP is a plan for the

consumption of foods of different types

(food groups) that households might use

to provide nutritious meals and snacks

for household members. The plan

suggests amounts of food for men,

women, and children of different ages,

and it meets dietary standards. 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.

Nationally, food stamp allotment levels

are adjusted periodically to reflect

changes in food cost levels. Section

3(o)(11) of the Food Stamp Act (7 U.S.C.

Sec. 2012(o)(11)), provides for an

adjustment on October 1, 1994, based

upon 103 percent of the June 1994 cost

of the TFP for a family of four persons

consisting of a man and woman ages

20–50 and children ages 6–8 and 9–11.

In June 1994, the cost of the TFP was

$375.30 in the 48 States and D.C.

To obtain the maximum food stamp

benefit for each household size, June

1994 TFP costs for the four-person

household (of $375.30) were increased

by 3 percent, divided by four,

multiplied by the appropriate

household size and economy of scale

factor, and the final result was rounded

down to the nearest dollar. The

maximum benefit, or allotment, is paid

to households which have no net

income. For households which have

some income, the individual

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.

The following tables show the new

allotments for the 48 States and D.C.

ALLOTMENT AMOUNTS 1—OCTOBER

1994 AS ADJUSTED

Household size 48 States

and D.C.

1 ................................................ $115

2 ................................................ 212

3 ................................................ 304

4 ................................................ 386

5 ................................................ 459

6 ................................................ 550

7 ................................................ 608

8 ................................................ 695

Each additional person ............. +87

1Adjusted to reflect the cost of food in June,

adjustments for each household size, economies of scale, a 3 percent increase in the TFP

and rounding.

Minimum Benefit

Pursuant to Section 8(a) of the Food

Stamp Act, the $10 minimum monthly

benefit provided to all one- and twoperson households must be adjusted on

each October 1 to reflect the percentage

change in the TFP for the 12-month

period ending the preceding June, with

the result rounded to the nearest $5. In

order to implement this provision of the

law, the minimum benefit is adjusted

each year as follows: (1) the percentage

change in the TFP from June of the

previous year to June of the current year

(prior to rounding) is calculated; (2) this

percentage change is multiplied by the

previous ‘‘unrounded’’ minimum

benefit to obtain a new unrounded

benefit amount; and (3) the new

unrounded minimum benefit is then

rounded to the nearest $5 in accordance

with the statutory provisions.

The unrounded cost of the TFP was

$364.895 in June 1993 and $375.3158 in

June 1994. The change from June 1993

to June 1994 is 1.028558 percent, which

when multiplied by $11.24974, the

unrounded minimum benefit in Fiscal

Year 1993, results in a new unrounded

minimum benefit of $11.56999.

Rounded to the nearest $5, the

minimum benefit for Fiscal Year 1995 is

$10.

Deductions

Food stamp benefits are calculated on

the basis of an individual household’s

net income. Deductions serve to lower

household net income and thus to

increase household benefits. When a

household’s net income decreases, its

food stamp benefits increase.

Adjustment of the Standard Deduction

Section 5(e) of the Food Stamp Act

provides that, in computing household

income, households shall be allowed a

standard deduction. 7 U.S.C. Sec.

2014(e). Section 5(e) also requires that

the standard deduction be adjusted

periodically. The deduction for the 48

States and D.C. was last adjusted

effective October 1, 1993. Section 5(e)(4)

requires that the adjustment in the level

of the standard deduction shall take into

account changes in the Consumer Price

Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI–U)

published by the Bureau of Labor

Statistics (BLS) for items other than

food. (7 U.S.C. Sec. 2014(e)(4). The

adjustments are rounded to the nearest

lower dollar pursuant to the

requirements of Section 5(e). There are

separate standard deductions for the 48

States and D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam,

and the Virgin Islands.

The following table shows the

deductions resulting from the last

adjustment, the unrounded results of

this adjustment, and the new deduction

amounts that go into effect on October

1, 1994.

STANDARD DEDUCTIONS FOR ALL HOUSEHOLDS

Previous

standard

deductions

(effective

10–1–93)

New

unrounded

numbers

(10–1–94)

Standard

deductions

(effective

10–1–94)

48 States and DC .................................................................................................................................... $131 $134.53 $134

Alaska ....................................................................................................................................................... 223 229.47 229

Hawaii ....................................................................................................................................................... 185 189.93 189

Guam ........................................................................................................................................................ 262 269.03 269

Virgin Islands ............................................................................................................................................ 115 118.70 118
2734 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 7 / Wednesday, January 11, 1995 / Notices

Adjustment of the Shelter Deduction

Section 13912 of the Mickey Leland

Childhood Hunger Relief Act, Chapter 3,

Title XIII, Omnibus Budget

Reconciliation Act of 1993, Pub. L. 103–

66, enacted August 10, 1993, (the

Leland Act) amended section 5(e) of the

Food Stamp Act to change procedures

for adjusting the excess shelter

deduction cap. Prior to the Leland Act,

the excess shelter deduction cap was

adjusted annually based on changes in

the shelter, fuel and utilities

components of housing costs in the CPI–

U published by BLS. The Leland Act,

however, mandated increases in the

shelter cap effective July 1, 1994, and

October 1, 1995, and an elimination of

the cap effective January 1, 1997. The

shelter cap amounts effective for Fiscal

Year 1995 were announced in a General

Notice published in the Federal

Register on March 14, 1994 at 59 FR

11761, and in a proposed rule on Excess

Shelter Expense Limit and Standard

Utility Allowances published in the

Federal Register on November 22, 1994.

For the convenience of the reader,

however, we are restating those amounts

below.

MAXIMUM SHELTER DEDUCTIONS FOR

HOUSEHOLDS WITHOUT ELDERLY OR

DISABLED MEMBER

[Effective 07–01–94 through 09–30–95]

48 States and DC ........................... $231

Alaska ............................................. 402

Hawaii ............................................. 330

Guam .............................................. 280

Virgin Islands .................................. 171

(7 U.S.C. 2011–2032)

Adjustment of the Homeless Household

Shelter Expense

Section 11(e)(3)(E) of the Food Stamp

Act requires the Secretary to prescribe

rules requiring state agencies to develop

standard estimates of the shelter

expenses that may reasonably be

expected to be incurred by households

in which all members are homeless but

which are not receiving free shelter

throughout the month. 7 U.S.C. Sec.

2020(e)(3)(E). In recognition of the

difficulty State agencies may face in

gathering the necessary information to

compute standard shelter estimates for

their States, the Secretary offered a

standard estimate which may be used by

all State agencies in lieu of their own

estimates.

In the Deduction and Disaster

Provisions from the Mickey Leland

Memorial Domestic Hunger Relief Act

final rule, published at 56 FR 63613

(December 4, 1991), the Department

stated that it would annually adjust the

homeless household shelter expense

each October 1 using the same changes

in the shelter, fuel and utilities

component of the CPI used in indexing

the shelter cap. This year’s homeless

household shelter expense is $139.

Dated: January 4, 1995.

Ellen Haas,

Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and

Consumer Services.

[FR Doc. 95–636 Filed 1–10–95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–30–U

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[A–549–813]

Notice of Preliminary Determination of

Sales at Less Than Fair Value and

Postponement of Final Determination:

Canned Pineapple Fruit From Thailand

AGENCY: Import Administration,

International Trade Administration,

Department of Commerce.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 11, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Frederick or John Brinkmann,

Office of Antidumping Investigations,

Import Administration, International

Trade Administration, U.S. Department

of Commerce, 14th Street and

Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington,

D.C. 20230; telephone (202) 482–0186 or

482–5288, respectively.

PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION: We

preliminarily determine that canned

pineapple fruit (CPF) from Thailand is

being, or is likely to be, sold in the

United States at less than fair value, as

provided in section 733 of the Tariff Act

of 1930, as amended (the ‘‘Act’’)(1994).

The estimated margins of sales at less

than fair value are shown in the

‘‘Suspension of Liquidation’’ section of

this notice.

Case History

Since the initiation of this

investigation on June 28, 1994 (59 FR

34408), the following events have

occurred.

On July 25, 1994, the United States

International Trade Commission (‘‘ITC’’)

issued an affirmative preliminary injury

determination in this case (see ITC

Investigation No. 731–TA–706).

On August 3, 1994, we named the

following four companies as the

respondents in this investigation: Dole

Food Company, Inc., Dole Packaged

Foods Company, and Dole Thailand,

Ltd. (collectively ‘‘Dole’’); The Thai

Pineapple Public Co., Ltd. (‘‘TIPCO’’);

Siam Agro Industry Pineapple and

Others Co., Ltd. (‘‘SAICO’’); and Malee

Sampran Factory Public Co., Ltd.

(‘‘Malee’’). These four companies

accounted for at least 60 percent of the

exports of CPF to the United States

during the period of investigation (POI)

(January through June 1994) (see

Memorandum from Team to Richard W.

Moreland, dated August 3, 1994).

Therefore, in accordance with 19 CFR

353.42(b)(1994), we issued antidumping

duty questionnaires to the four

companies on August 5, 1994.

Section A of the Department’s

questionnaire requesting general

information concerning the company’s

corporate structure and business

practices, the merchandise under

investigation that it sells, and the sales

of the merchandise in all markets was

received from the four respondents on

September 2, 1994. We analyzed each

respondent’s home market and third

country sales of the subject merchandise

in accordance with 19 CFR

353.48(a)(1994), and determined that

the home market was not viable for any

of the respondents. Germany was

selected as the appropriate third country

market for all respondents in

accordance with 19 CFR

353.49(b)(1994).

On August 10, 1994, Dole requested

that the POI be modified to coincide

with its fiscal half-year accounting

period. We accepted Dole’s proposal on

August 18, 1994, and modified the POI

for Dole to cover that period from

January 2, 1994, through June 18, 1994

(see Memorandum from Gary Taverman

to Barbara R. Stafford, dated August 18,

1994). The POI was not modified for the

other three respondents.

On August 10 and 24, 1994, Dole

claimed that for purposes of reporting

U.S. sales, it was impossible for the

company to distinguish between its

pineapple grown and canned in

Thailand and its pineapple grown and

canned in the Philippines. Therefore,

Dole requested that it be allowed to

report all of its U.S. sales of CPF,

including those of Philippine origin, for

each product category. Dole then

proposed that an allocation ratio based

on 1993 shipments to the United States

be applied to determine the share of

Thai-origin CPF sold during the POI. By

doing so, Dole stated the Department

could calculate a less than fair value

margin for Dole’s U.S. sales of Thaiorigin merchandise during the POI

based on a ratio of Thai origin to Thai

and Philippine origin merchandise.

In addition, Dole requested that it be

allowed to exclude all sales of 5.5 ounce

cans of crushed pineapple which

accounted for an insignificant volume of

its U.S. sales. Dole claimed that this