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

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 (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, (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 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%

Annual

Monthly

Twice-monthly

Bi-weekly

Weekly

Reduced price meals—185%

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%

Annual

Monthly

Twice-monthly

Bi-weekly

Weekly

Reduced price meals—185%

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.

[FR Doc. 2015-07359 Filed 3-30-15; 8:45 am]

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