[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14875-14878]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-6337]
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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, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The 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 (WIC
Program). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Whitford, Branch Chief, Policy
and Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division,
FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703)
305-2730.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Executive Order 12866
This notice is exempted 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 29112
June 24, 1983).
Description
Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (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
[[Page 14876]]
satisfy the income standard prescribed for reduced-price school meals
under section 9(b) of the 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 2001 was published by the Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) at 66 FR 10695, Feb. 16, 2001. The guidelines published
by DHHS are referred to as the poverty guidelines.
Section 246.7(d)(1) of the WIC regulations specifies that State
agencies may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income
guidelines established under section 9 of the 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, 2001, through June 30, 2002. Consistent with section 17(f)(17) of
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 786(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, but in no case may
implementation take place later than July 1, 2001. State agencies that
do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines
must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on July 1, 2001.
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. 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.
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[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN14MR01.000
[[Page 14878]]
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786.
Dated: March 9, 2001.
George A. Braley,
Acting Administrator.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
[FR Doc. 01-6337 Filed 3-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C