[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10981-10983]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-6428]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 53 / Monday, March 18, 1996 /
Notices
[[Page 10981]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Consumer Service
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and
Children (WIC): Poverty Income Guidelines
AGENCY: Food and Consumer Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department announces adjusted poverty income 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 poverty
income guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC
Regulations.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 1996.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Hallman, Branch Chief, Policy
and Program Development Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division,
FCS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703)
305-2730.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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
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 1980 (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).
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 eligible for the WIC
Program only if they are members of families that 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 Income 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 1996 was published by the Department of Health and Human
Services (DHHS) in the Federal Register on March 4, 1996 at 61 FR 8286.
The guidelines published by DHHS are referred to as the poverty income
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(b) 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 established under section 9(b) of the National School Lunch
Act for reduced price school meals, or which are less than 100 percent
of the Federal poverty income guidelines. Consistent with the method
used to compute eligibility guidelines for reduced price meals under
the National School Lunch Program, the poverty income 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 poverty income limits by household size for the period July 1, 1996
through June 30, 1997. Consistent with Section 17(f)(18) of the Child
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786(f)(18)), 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 that do not coordinate
implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the
WIC income eligibility guidelines July 1, 1996. 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 income 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.
Effective July 1, 1996--June 30, 1997
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual FCS
Annual poverty income
income guidelines for
Family size guidelines reduced-price
(PIG) lunches (185%
of PIG)
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48 States, District of Columbia, Puerto
Rico, Virgin Islands, and Territories,
including Guam:
1................................... 7,740 14,319
2................................... 10,360 19,166
[[Page 10982]]
3................................... 12,980 24,013
4................................... 15,600 28,860
5................................... 18,220 33,707
6................................... 20,840 38,554
7................................... 23,460 43,401
8................................... 26,080 48,248
For each additional family member
add................................ 2,620 4,847
Alaska:
1................................... 9,660 17,871
2................................... 12,940 23,939
3................................... 16,220 30,007
4................................... 19,500 36,075
5................................... 22,780 42,143
6................................... 26,060 48,211
7................................... 29,340 54,279
8................................... 32,620 60,347
For each additional family member
add................................ 3,280 6,068
Hawaii:
1................................... 8,910 16,484
2................................... 11,920 22,052
3................................... 14,930 27,621
4................................... 17,940 33,189
5................................... 20,950 38,758
6................................... 23,960 44,326
7................................... 26,970 49,895
8................................... 29,980 55,463
For each additional family member
add................................ 3,010 5,569
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Dated: March 12, 1996.
William E. Ludwig,
Administrator.
Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 1996 to June 30, 1997]
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Federal poverty guidelines Reduced price meals--185%
Household size -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Annual Month Week Annual Month Week
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48 Contiguous United States, District of Columbia, Guam and Territories
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1................................. 7,740 645 149 14,319 1,194 276
2................................. 10,360 864 200 19,166 1,598 369
3................................. 12,980 1,082 250 24,013 2,002 462
4................................. 15,600 1,300 300 28,860 2,405 555
5................................. 18,220 1,519 351 33,707 2,809 649
6................................. 20,840 1,737 401 38,554 3,213 742
7................................. 23,460 1,955 452 43,401 3,617 835
8................................. 26,080 2,174 502 48,248 4,021 928
For each add'l family member add.. +2,620 +219 +51 +4,847 +404 +94
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Alaska
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1................................. 9,660 805 186 17,871 1,490 344
2................................. 12,940 1,079 249 23,939 1,995 461
3................................. 16,220 1,352 312 30,007 2,501 578
4................................. 19,500 1,625 375 36,075 3,007 694
5................................. 22,780 1,899 439 42,143 3,512 811
6................................. 26,060 2,172 502 48,211 4,018 928
7................................. 29,340 2,445 565 54,279 4,524 1,044
8................................. 32,620 2,719 628 60,347 5,029 1,161
For each add'l family member add.. +3,280 +274 +64 +6,068 +506 +117
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[[Page 10983]]
Hawaii
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1................................. 8,910 743 172 16,484 1,374 317
2................................. 11,920 994 230 22,052 1,838 425
3................................. 14,930 1,245 288 27,621 2,302 532
4................................. 17,940 1,495 345 33,189 2,766 639
5................................. 20,950 1,746 403 38,758 3,230 746
6................................. 23,960 1,997 461 44,326 3,694 853
7................................. 26,970 2,248 519 49,895 4,158 960
8................................. 29,980 2,499 577 55,463 4,622 1,067
For each add'l family member add.. +3,010 +251 +58 +5,569 +465 +108
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[FR Doc 96-6428 Filed 3-15-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
