Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): 2017/2018 Income Eligibility Guidelines, 13788-13791 [2017-05119]

Download as PDF 13788 Notices Federal Register Vol. 82, No. 49 Wednesday, March 15, 2017 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. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Department of Agriculture (USDA). AGENCY: Notice. 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 (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in conjunction with the WIC Regulations. SUMMARY: DATES: Effective date July 1, 2017. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurtria Watson, Chief, Policy Branch, Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 605– 4387. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order 12866 asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2 This notice is exempt from review by the Office of Management and Budget under Executive Order 12866. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:19 Mar 14, 2017 Jkt 241001 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). Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): 2017/2018 Income Eligibility Guidelines ACTION: 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. 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 2017 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at 82 FR 8831, January 31, 2017. The guidelines published by PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 reducedprice 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 of July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. 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, 2017. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2017. E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1 asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2 VerDate Sep<11>2014 INCOME ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES (Effective from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018) Household Size Weekly Annual Reduced Price Meals - 185% BiMonthly Twice-Monthly Weekly Weekly 48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories Jkt 241001 PO 00000 1 .................... 2 .................... 3 .................... 4 .................... 5 .................... 6 .................... 7 .................... 8 .................... Each add'l family Frm 00002 member add $12,060 16,240 20,420 24,600 28,780 32,960 37,140 41,320 $1,005 1,354 1,702 2,050 2,399 2,747 3,095 3,444 $503 677 851 1,025 1,200 1,374 1,548 1,722 $464 625 786 947 1,107 1,268 1,429 1,590 $232 313 393 474 554 634 715 795 $22,311 30,044 37,777 45,510 53,243 60,976 68,709 76,442 $1,860 2,504 3,149 3,793 4,437 5,082 5,726 6,371 $930 1,252 1,575 1,897 2,219 2,541 2,863 3,186 $859 1,156 1,453 1,751 2,048 2,346 2,643 2,941 $430 578 727 876 1,024 1,173 1,322 1,471 + $4,180 + $349 + $175 + $161 + $81 + $7,733 + $645 + $323 + $298 + $149 Alaska Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4725 E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 1 .................... 2 .................... 3 .................... 4 .................... 5 .................... 6 .................... 7 .................... 8 .................... Each add'l family member add $15,060 20,290 25,520 30,750 35,980 41,210 46,440 51,670 $1,255 1,691 2,127 2,563 2,999 3,435 3,870 4,306 $628 846 1,064 1,282 1,500 1,718 1,935 2,153 $580 781 982 1,183 1,384 1,585 1,787 1,988 $290 391 491 592 692 793 894 994 $27,861 37,537 47,212 56,888 66,563 76,239 85,914 95,590 $2,322 3,129 3,935 4,741 5,547 6,354 7,160 7,966 $1,161 1,565 1,968 2,371 2,774 3,177 3,580 3,983 $1,072 1,444 1,816 2,188 2,561 2,933 3,305 3,677 $536 722 908 1,094 1,281 1,467 1,653 1,839 + $5,230 + $436 + $218 + $202 + $101 + $9,676 + $807 + $404 + $373 + $187 Hawaii 15MRN1 $13,860 $1,155 $578 $534 $267 $25,641 $2,137 $1,069 $987 $494 18,670 23,480 28,290 33,100 37,910 42,720 1,556 1,957 2,358 2,759 3,160 3,560 778 979 1,179 1,380 1,580 1,780 719 904 1,089 1,274 1,459 1,644 360 452 545 637 730 822 34,540 43,438 52,337 61,235 70,134 79,032 2,879 3,620 4,362 5,103 5,845 6,586 1,440 1,810 2,181 2,552 2,923 3,293 1,329 1,671 2,013 2,356 2,698 3,040 665 836 1,007 1,178 1,349 1,520 8 .................... Each add'l family 47,530 3,961 1,981 1,829 915 87,931 7,328 3,664 3,382 1,691 + $4,810 + $401 + $201 + $185 + $93 + $8,899 + $742 + $371 + $343 + $172 member add EN15MR17.000</GPH> 13789 1 .................... 2 .................... 3 .................... 4 .................... 5 .................... 6 .................... 7 .................... Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 49 / Wednesday, March 15, 2017 / Notices 18:19 Mar 14, 2017 Annual Federal Poverty Guidelines- 100% BiMonthly Twice-Monthly Weekly asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2 13790 (Effective from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018) Reduced Price Meals - 185% Federal Poverty Guidelines-100% Household Size Annual Monthly Twice-Monthly Bi-Weekly Weekly Annual Monthly Twice-Monthly Bi-Weekly Weekly 48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories Jkt 241001 Frm 00003 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 15MRN1 Territories, including Guam. Separate tables for Alaska and Hawaii have been E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, and all United States PO 00000 9 .................... 10 .................... 11 .................... 12 .................... 13 .................... 14 .................... 15 .................... 16 .................... $45,500 49,680 53,860 58,040 62,220 66,400 70,580 74,760 $3,792 4,140 4,489 4,837 5,185 5,534 5,882 6,230 $1,896 2,070 2,245 2,419 2,593 2,767 2,941 3,115 $1,750 1,911 2,072 2,233 2,394 2,554 2,715 2,876 $875 956 1,036 1,117 1,197 1,277 1,358 1,438 $84,175 91,908 99,641 107,374 115,107 122,840 130,573 138,306 $7,015 7,659 8,304 8,948 9,593 10,237 10,882 11,526 $3,508 3,830 4,152 4,474 4,797 5,119 5,441 5,763 $3,238 3,535 3,833 4,130 4,428 4,725 5,023 5,320 $1,619 1,768 1,917 2,065 2,214 2,363 2,512 2,660 Each add'l family member add + $4,180 + $349 + $175 + $161 + $81 + $7,733 + $645 + $323 + $298 + $149 Alaska 9 .................... 10 .................... 11 .................... 12 .................... 13 .................... 14 .................... 15 .................... 16 .................... $56,900 62,130 67,360 72,590 77,820 83,050 88,280 93,510 $4,742 5,178 5,614 6,050 6,485 6,921 7,357 7,793 $2,371 2,589 2,807 3,025 3,243 3,461 3,679 3,897 $2,189 2,390 2,591 2,792 2,994 3,195 3,396 3,597 $1,095 1 '195 1,296 1,396 1,497 1,598 1,698 1,799 $105,265 114,941 124,616 134,292 143,967 153,643 163,318 172,994 $8,773 9,579 10,385 11 '191 11 ,998 12,804 13,610 14,417 $4,387 4,790 5,193 5,596 5,999 6,402 6,805 7,209 $4,049 4,421 4,793 5,166 5,538 5,910 6,282 6,654 $2,025 2,211 2,397 2,583 2,769 2,955 3,141 3,327 Each add'l family member add + $5,230 + $436 + $218 + $202 + $101 + $9,676 + $807 + $404 + $373 + $187 Hawaii 9 .................... 10 .................... 11 .................... 12 .................... 13 .................... 14 .................... 15 .................... 16 .................... $52,340 57,150 61,960 66,770 71,580 76,390 81,200 86,010 $4,362 4,763 5,164 5,565 5,965 6,366 6,767 7,168 $2,181 2,382 2,582 2,783 2,983 3,183 3,384 3,584 $2,014 2,199 2,384 2,569 2,754 2,939 3,124 3,309 $1,007 1 '1 00 1 '192 1,285 1,377 1,470 1,562 1,655 $96,829 105,728 114,626 123,525 132,423 141,322 150,220 159,119 $8,070 8,811 9,553 10,294 11,036 11,777 12,519 13,260 $4,035 4,406 4,777 5,147 5,518 5,889 6,260 6,630 $3,725 4,067 4,409 4,751 5,094 5,436 5,778 6,120 $1,863 2,034 2,205 2,376 2,547 2,718 2,889 3,060 Each add'l family member add + $4,810 + $401 + $201 + $185 + $93 + $8,899 + $742 + $371 + $343 + $172 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 49 / Wednesday, March 15, 2017 / Notices 18:19 Mar 14, 2017 The table of this Notice contains the income limits by household size for the VerDate Sep<11>2014 EN15MR17.001</GPH> INCOME ELIGIBILITIY GUIDELINES Supplemental Chart for Family Sizes Greater Than Eight Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 49 / Wednesday, March 15, 2017 / Notices included for the convenience of the State agencies because the poverty guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii are higher than for the 48 contiguous States. Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786. Dated: February 27, 2017. Jessica Shahin, Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA. [FR Doc. 2017–05119 Filed 3–14–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–30–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food and Nutrition Service Request for Information: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Income Conversion Factors for Anticipated Income Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) seeks input on the use of the current Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) income conversion factors used to anticipate a household’s income for the purposes of SNAP eligibility when a household’s income is received on a weekly or biweekly basis. FNS hopes to obtain perspective from State agencies and other stakeholders as it considers how to best balance the flexibilities States are granted in calculating anticipated monthly income under current SNAP regulations, while adhering to the legislative intent of reducing administrative burden on State agencies and removing barriers to eligibility for needy households. DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 15, 2017. ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent to Sasha Gersten-Paal, Chief, Certification Policy Branch, Program Development Division, Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 812, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments will also be accepted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to https:// www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically. All written comments will be open for public inspection at the FNS office located at 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia, 22302, Room 812, during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday). All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES2 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:19 Mar 14, 2017 Jkt 241001 (OMB) approval. All comments will be a matter of public record. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or copies of this request for information should be directed to Sasha GerstenPaal via email to Sasha.Gersten-Paal@ fns.usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.10(c)(2)(i) provide State agencies with three options when converting weekly and biweekly income into anticipated monthly income: Multiplying by 4.3 for weekly income or by 2.15 for biweekly income; using the State agency’s public assistance (PA) conversion standard; or, using a household’s exact amount, if it can be anticipated. These options have been available to State agencies since the enactment of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, and the majority of States opt to use the first set of conversion factors. Generally, when calculating a SNAP recipient’s benefit amount, the lower the recipient’s income, the greater their SNAP benefit will be. Some stakeholders contend that using the first set of conversion factors (4.3 for weekly income or 2.15 for biweekly income) underestimates a recipient’s actual monthly income, which in turn raises the amount of the recipient’s SNAP benefit. These stakeholders maintain that not only does this result in an overpayment to the recipient, it also creates inequity between SNAP recipients paid on a monthly basis and those paid on a weekly or biweekly basis. These stakeholders recommend that FNS increase income conversion accuracy by amending current SNAP regulations to carry the current factors out by two decimal places, specifically, to 4.33 for weekly income, and 2.17 for biweekly income. In 1971, Congress amended the Food Stamp Act of 1964 and directed FNS to establish standards of eligibility for the Food Stamp Program. In implementing the amendment, FNS began adjusting a household’s monthly income to include income anticipated to be received during the certification period. For income received less frequently than a monthly basis, the factors used to average income were 4.3 for weekly income, and 2.15 for biweekly income. In the Food Stamp Act of 1977, Congress expanded the definition of anticipated income in Section 5(f) to include ‘‘income reasonably anticipated to be received’’ during the certification period, and again provided FNS the authority to establish standards for calculating anticipated income. The House Committee of Agriculture’s Report on the Food Stamp Act of 1977 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 13791 states that the purpose in adopting this standard was ‘‘. . . to smooth the way for participation by the needy, not to place obstacles in their path by making them out to be less needy than they in fact are.’’ FNS codified these conversion factors through rulemaking, including a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on May 2, 1978, and a Final Rule published on October 17, 1978. Between the Proposed Rulemaking and the Final Rule, FNS received nearly 500 comments regarding the sections on determining anticipated income. In the preamble to the Final Rule, FNS stated that ‘‘State and local agencies were frequently concerned with the use of the proposed multipliers for converting income received on a weekly (4.3) or biweekly (2.15) basis. Some recommended using 4.333 and 2.167 to conform to the [Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)] factors for weekly and biweekly income conversions.’’ To address this concern, in addition to using the established factors of 4.3 and 2.15, the Final Rule permitted State agencies to align their conversion factors with other public assistance programs, or to use the exact monthly figure if it could be obtained for the entire certification period. In 1981, Congress added Section 5(f)(4) to the Act and directed FNS to ensure, ‘‘to the extent feasible,’’ that the income of households receiving both Food Stamp benefits and benefits from AFDC, the predecessor to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, were ‘‘calculated on a comparable basis under the two Acts.’’ With this history in mind, FNS is seeking information from State agency partners and stakeholders on the following particular questions: 1. Of the three income conversion options provided by 7 CFR 273.10(c)(2)(i), which option does your State agency use? a. Why does your State agency use this particular option? b. What are the perceived strengths, if any, of this option? c. What are the perceived weaknesses, if any, of this option? 2. What, if any, administrative challenges would your State agency face in adopting a different income conversion option? 3. What, if any, technological challenges would your State agency face in adopting a different income conversion option? 4. Is there another methodology in converting weekly and biweekly income that FNS should consider? E:\FR\FM\15MRN1.SGM 15MRN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13788-13791]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05119]


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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.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 49 / Wednesday, March 15, 2017 / 
Notices

[[Page 13788]]


=======================================================================
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and 
Children (WIC): 2017/2018 Income Eligibility Guidelines

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Department of Agriculture 
(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 (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in 
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

DATES: Effective date July 1, 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurtria Watson, Chief, Policy Branch, 
Supplemental Food Programs Division, FNS, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, (703) 605-4387.

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 
2017 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
at 82 FR 8831, January 31, 2017. 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 of 
July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. 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, 2017. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation 
with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income 
eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2017.

[[Page 13789]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN15MR17.000


[[Page 13790]]


[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN15MR17.001

    The table of this Notice contains the income limits by household 
size for the 48 contiguous States, the District of Columbia, and all 
United States Territories, including Guam. Separate tables for Alaska 
and Hawaii have been

[[Page 13791]]

included for the convenience of the State agencies because the poverty 
guidelines for Alaska and Hawaii are higher than for the 48 contiguous 
States.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1786.

    Dated: February 27, 2017.
Jessica Shahin,
Acting Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
[FR Doc. 2017-05119 Filed 3-14-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P

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