2015-07359. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Income Eligibility Guidelines

AGENCY:

Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA.

ACTION:

Notice

SUMMARY:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (“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 Program (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

DATES:

Effective Date July 1, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Donna Hines, Chief, Policy Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Order 12866

This notice is exempt 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 29100, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22675, May 31, 1984).

Description

Section 17(d)(2)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (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 satisfy the income standard prescribed for reduced-price school meals under section 9(b) of the Richard B. Russell 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 2015/2016 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 80 FR 3236, January 22, 2015. The guidelines published by HHS are referred to as the “poverty guidelines.”

Section 246.7(d)(1) of the WIC regulations (Title 7, Code of Federal Regulations) specifies that State agencies may prescribe income guidelines either equaling the income guidelines established under section 9 of the Richard B. Russell 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, 2015, through June 30, 2016. Consistent with section 17(f)(17) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1786(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, i.e., earlier in the year, but in no case may implementation take place later than July 1, 2015.

State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on July 1, 2015. 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.

Income Eligibility Guidelines

[Effective from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016]

Household size	Federal poverty guidelines—100%					Reduced price meals—185%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice-monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly	Annual	Monthly	Twice-monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly
48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
1	$11,770	$981	$491	$453	$227	$21,775	$1,815	$908	$838	$419
2	15,930	1,328	664	613	307	29,471	2,456	1,228	1,134	567
3	20,090	1,675	838	773	387	37,167	3,098	1,549	1,430	715
4	24,250	2,021	1,011	933	467	44,863	3,739	1,870	1,726	863
5	28,410	2,368	1,184	1,093	547	52,559	4,380	2,190	2,022	1,011
6	32,570	2,715	1,358	1,253	627	60,255	5,022	2,511	2,318	1,159
7	36,730	3,061	1,531	1,413	707	67,951	5,663	2,832	2,614	1,307
8	40,890	3,408	1,704	1,573	787	75,647	6,304	3,152	2,910	1,455
Each add'l family member add	+ $4,160	+ $347	+ $174	+ $160	+ $80	+ $7,696	+ $642	+ $321	+ $296	+ $148
Alaska
1	$14,720	$1,227	$614	$567	$284	$27,232	$2,270	$1,135	$1,048	$524
2	19,920	1,660	830	767	384	36,852	3,071	1,536	1,418	709
3	25,120	2,094	1,047	967	484	46,472	3,873	1,937	1,788	894
4	30,320	2,527	1,264	1,167	584	56,092	4,675	2,338	2,158	1,079
5	35,520	2,960	1,480	1,367	684	65,712	5,476	2,738	2,528	1,264
6	40,720	3,394	1,697	1,567	784	75,332	6,278	3,139	2,898	1,449
7	45,920	3,827	1,914	1,767	884	84,952	7,080	3,540	3,268	1,634
8	51,120	4,260	2,130	1,967	984	94,572	7,881	3,941	3,638	1,819
Each add'l family member add	+ $5,200	+ $434	+ $217	+ $200	+ $100	+ $9,620	+ $802	+ $401	+ $370	+ $185
Hawaii
1	$13,550	$1,130	$565	$522	$261	$25,068	$2,089	$1,045	$965	$483
2	18,330	1,528	764	705	353	33,911	2,826	1,413	1,305	653
3	23,110	1,926	963	889	445	42,754	3,563	1,782	1,645	823
4	27,890	2,325	1,163	1,073	537	51,597	4,300	2,150	1,985	993
5	32,670	2,723	1,362	1,257	629	60,440	5,037	2,519	2,325	1,163
6	37,450	3,121	1,561	1,441	721	69,283	5,774	2,887	2,665	1,333
7	42,230	3,520	1,760	1,625	813	78,126	6,511	3,256	3,005	1,503
8	47,010	3,918	1,959	1,809	905	86,969	7,248	3,624	3,345	1,673
Each add'l family member add	+ $4,780	+ $399	+ $200	+ $184	+ $92	+ $8,843	+ $737	+ $369	+ $341	+ $171

Income Eligibility Guidelines—Supplemental Chart for Family Sizes Greater Than Eight

[Effective from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016]

Household size	Federal poverty guidelines—100%					Reduced price meals—185%
	Annual	Monthly	Twice-monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly	Annual	Monthly	Twice-monthly	Bi-weekly	Weekly
48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
9	$45,050	$3,755	$1,878	$1,733	$867	$83,343	$6,946	$3,473	$3,206	$1,603
10	49,210	4,101	2,051	1,893	947	91,039	7,587	3,794	3,502	1,751
11	53,370	4,448	2,224	2,053	1,027	98,735	8,228	4,114	3,798	1,899
12	57,530	4,795	2,398	2,213	1,107	106,431	8,870	4,435	4,094	2,047
13	61,690	5,141	2,571	2,373	1,187	114,127	9,511	4,756	4,390	2,195
14	65,850	5,488	2,744	2,533	1,267	121,823	10,152	5,076	4,686	2,343
15	70,010	5,835	2,918	2,693	1,347	129,519	10,794	5,397	4,982	2,491
16	74,170	6,181	3,091	2,853	1,427	137,215	11,435	5,718	5,278	2,639
Each add'l family member add	+ $4,160	+ $347	+ $174	+ $160	+ $80	+ $7,696	+ $642	+ $321	+ $296	+ $148
Alaska
9	$56,320	$4,694	$2,347	$2,167	$1,084	$104,192	$8,683	$4,342	$4,008	$2,004
10	61,520	5,127	2,564	2,367	1,184	113,812	9,485	4,743	4,378	2,189
11	66,720	5,560	2,780	2,567	1,284	123,432	10,286	5,143	4,748	2,374
12	71,920	5,994	2,997	2,767	1,384	133,052	11,088	5,544	5,118	2,559
13	77,120	6,427	3,214	2,967	1,484	142,672	11,890	5,945	5,488	2,744
14	82,320	6,860	3,430	3,167	1,584	152,292	12,691	6,346	5,858	2,929
15	87,520	7,294	3,647	3,367	1,684	161,912	13,493	6,747	6,228	3,114
16	92,720	7,727	3,864	3,567	1,784	171,532	14,295	7,148	6,598	3,299
Each add'l family member add	+ $5,200	+ $434	+ $217	+ $200	+ $100	+ $9,620	+ $802	+ $401	+ $370	+ $185
Hawaii
9	$51,790	$4,316	$2,158	$1,992	$996	$95,812	$7,985	$3,993	$3,686	$1,843
10	56,570	4,715	2,358	2,176	1,088	104,655	8,722	4,361	4,026	2,013
11	61,350	5,113	2,557	2,360	1,180	113,498	9,459	4,730	4,366	2,183
12	66,130	5,511	2,756	2,544	1,272	122,341	10,196	5,098	4,706	2,353
13	70,910	5,910	2,955	2,728	1,364	131,184	10,932	5,466	5,046	2,523
14	75,690	6,308	3,154	2,912	1,456	140,027	11,669	5,835	5,386	2,693
15	80,470	6,706	3,353	3,095	1,548	148,870	12,406	6,203	5,726	2,863
16	85,250	7,105	3,553	3,279	1,640	157,713	13,143	6,572	6,066	3,033
Each add'l family member add	+ $4,780	+ $399	+ $200	+ $184	+ $92	+ $8,843	+ $737	+ $369	+ $341	+ $171

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.

Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786.

Dated: March 26, 2015.

Jeffrey J. Tribiano,

Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.