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: 117-hr-4455
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
Introduced: 2021-07-16
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2021-07-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-07-16
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill makes changes to enrollment processes and other aspects of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).</p> <p> 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. </p> <p>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.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4455 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 16, 2021 Mrs. Hayes (for herself and Miss González-Colón ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor A BILL 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.

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 .