[Federal Register: April 8, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 68)]
[Notices]
[Page 19048-19049]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08ap08-25]
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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 Program
(WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.
DATES: July 1, 2008.
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)
305-2746.
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
29114, June 24, 1983, and 49 FR 22676, May 31, 1984).
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 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 2008 was published by the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) at 73 FR 3971, January 23, 2008. 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, 2008, through June 30, 2009. Consistent with section 17(f)(17) of
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (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, but in no case may
implementation take place later than July 1, 2008.
State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the
revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility
guidelines on July 1, 2008. 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.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786.
Dated: April 1, 2008.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator.
Income Eligibility Guidelines
[Effective from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009]
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Federal poverty guidelines--100% Reduced price meals--185%
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Household size Twice- Twice-
Annual Monthly monthly Bi-weekly Weekly Annual Monthly monthly Bi-weekly Weekly
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48 Contiguous States, DC, Guam and Territories
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1........................................ $10,400 $867 $434 $400 $200 $19,240 $1,604 $802 $740 $370
2........................................ 14,000 1,167 584 539 270 25,900 2,159 1,080 997 499
3........................................ 17,600 1,467 734 677 339 32,560 2,714 1,357 1,253 627
4........................................ 21,200 1,767 884 816 408 39,220 3,269 1,635 1,509 755
5........................................ 24,800 2,067 1,034 954 477 45,880 3,824 1,912 1,765 883
[[Page 19049]]
6........................................ 28,400 2,367 1,184 1,093 547 52,540 4,379 2,190 2,021 1,011
7........................................ 32,000 2,667 1,334 1,231 616 59,200 4,934 2,467 2,277 1,139
8........................................ 35,600 2,967 1,484 1,370 685 65,860 5,489 2,745 2,534 1,267
Each Add'l Member Add.................... +3,600 +300 +150 +139 +70 +6,660 +555 +278 +257 +129
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Alaska
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1........................................ 13,000 1,084 542 500 250 24,050 2,005 1,003 925 463
2........................................ 17,500 1,459 730 674 337 32,375 2,698 1,349 1,246 623
3........................................ 22,000 1,834 917 847 424 40,700 3,392 1,696 1,566 783
4........................................ 26,500 2,209 1,105 1,020 510 49,025 4,086 2,043 1,886 943
5........................................ 31,000 2,584 1,292 1,193 597 57,350 4,780 2,390 2,206 1,103
6........................................ 35,500 2,959 1,480 1,366 683 65,675 5,473 2,737 2,526 1,263
7........................................ 40,000 3,334 1,667 1,539 770 74,000 6,167 3,084 2,847 1,424
8........................................ 44,500 3,709 1,855 1,712 856 82,325 6,861 3,431 3,167 1,584
Each Add'l Member Add.................... +4,500 +375 +188 +174 +87 +8,325 +694 +347 +321 +161
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Hawaii
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1........................................ 11,960 997 499 460 230 22,126 1,844 922 851 426
2........................................ 16,100 1,342 671 620 310 29,785 2,483 1,242 1,146 573
3........................................ 20,240 1,687 844 779 390 37,444 3,121 1,561 1,441 721
4........................................ 24,380 2,032 1,016 938 469 45,103 3,759 1,880 1,735 868
5........................................ 28,520 2,377 1,189 1,097 549 52,762 4,397 2,199 2,030 1,015
6........................................ 32,660 2,722 1,361 1,257 629 60,421 5,036 2,518 2,324 1,162
7........................................ 36,800 3,067 1,534 1,416 708 68,080 5,674 2,837 2,619 1,310
8........................................ 40,940 3,412 1,706 1,575 788 75,739 6,312 3,156 2,914 1,457
Each Add'l Member Add.................... +4,140 +345 +173 +160 +80 +7,659 +639 +320 +295 +148
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[FR Doc. E8-7240 Filed 4-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P