To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to extend certain certification periods for the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children, and for other purposes.
Bill: H.R.4455 | Sponsor: Rep. Hayes, Jahana (D-CT)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
This bill makes changes to enrollment processes and other aspects of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Under current law, an individual who participates in Medicaid and other specified means-tested programs automatically meets applicable income eligibility for WIC. The bill extends this automatic income eligibility to participants in Head Start programs, certain nutrition programs (e.g., the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations), and the Children's Health Insurance Program. It also extends income eligibility to individuals who reside in a household in which a member receives assistance from such a program.
Other changes in the bill include (1) allowing states to certify a child's eligibility for WIC for up to two years, and (2) requiring states to address benefits for infants and children under the care of kinship families in WIC plans.

To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to extend certain 
 certification periods for the special supplemental nutrition program 
       for women, infants, and children, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN WIC CERTIFICATION PERIODS.

    (a) Expansion of Adjunctive Eligibility.--Section 17(d)(2)(A) of 
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(d)(2)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (ii)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by inserting ``resides in a 
                household (as such term is defined in section 3 of the 
                Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2012)) that'' 
                before ``receives''; and
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking ``; or'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
            (2) by amending clause (iii) to read as follows:
                            ``(iii)(I) is enrolled in medical 
                        assistance under title XIX of the Social 
                        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or child 
                        health assistance under title XXI of the Social 
                        Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.); or
                            ``(II) is a member of a family in which a 
                        pregnant woman, postpartum woman, infant, or 
                        child receives such assistance;''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(iv) is enrolled as a participant in a program authorized 
        under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) or resides in 
        a household in which one or more children is enrolled as a 
        participant in such a Head Start program;
            ``(v) resides in a household that receives assistance under 
        the food distribution program on Indian reservations 
        established under section 4(b) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 
        2008 (7 U.S.C. 2013(b)); or
            ``(vi) resides in a household that receives assistance from 
        a nutrition assistance program funded by the consolidated block 
        grants for Puerto Rico and the American Samoa established under 
        section 19 of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 
        2028).''.
    (b) Certification Within One Household Family; Certification of 
Infants.--Section 17(d)(3)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 
U.S.C. 1786)(d)(3)(A)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (i), by striking ``clause (ii)'' and 
        inserting ``clauses (ii) and (v)''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iv) Certification within one household 
                        family.--In the case of an individual who is a 
                        member of a household participating in the 
                        program pursuant to clauses (i), (ii), or (iii) 
                        of paragraph (2)(A) and is certified for 
                        purposes of such clauses under subparagraph (D) 
                        or (E), a local agency may extend or establish, 
                        if such an extension or establishment would 
                        promote alignment between such family members, 
                        a certification period for family members of 
                        such individual who--
                                    ``(I) reside in the same household; 
                                and
                                    ``(II) are--
                                            ``(aa) participants in the 
                                        program; or
                                            ``(bb) eligible to 
                                        participate in the program.
                            ``(v) Certification of infants.--A State 
                        shall certify for participation, without 
                        further application, an infant born to a 
                        pregnant individual who is participating in the 
                        program pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph 
                        (2)(A).
                            ``(vi) Recertification.--Before requesting 
                        new income documentation for purposes of 
                        recertifying an individual under the program, a 
                        State shall--
                                    ``(I) determine whether such 
                                individual is eligible for 
                                recertification under subparagraph (E); 
                                and
                                    ``(II) if such individual is so 
                                eligible--
                                            ``(aa) recertify such 
                                        individual; and
                                            ``(bb) notify such 
                                        individual of such 
                                        recertification.''.
    (c) Extension of Child Certification Periods.--Section 
17(d)(3)(A)(iii) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1786(d)(3)(A)(iii)) is amended by striking ``1 year'' and inserting ``2 
years''.
    (d) Automatic Eligibility for Children in Kinship Families.--
Section 17(f)(1)(C)(ix) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1786(f)(1)(C)(ix)) is amended by inserting ``a kinship family,'' after 
``under the care of''.
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