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

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URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A2015-07359

## Record

- **Collection:** Federal Register
- **Document type:** Notice
- **Published:** March 31, 2015
- **Citation:** 80 FR 17027

## Text

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]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A2015-07359. Public record. Not legal advice.