[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 34 (Tuesday, February 21, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10495-10497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03548]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and 
Children (WIC): 2023/2024 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 (WIC). These income eligibility guidelines are to be used in 
conjunction with the WIC Regulations.

DATES: Applicable July 1, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allison Post, Chief, WIC 
Administration, Benefits, and Certification Branch, Policy Division, 
FNS, USDA, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-457-
7708.

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).

[[Page 10496]]

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 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 
2023 was published by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 
at 88 FR 3424 on January 19, 2023. The guidelines published by HHS are 
referred to as the ``poverty guidelines.''
    Program Regulations at 7 CFR 246.7(d)(1) specify 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.
    Currently, the Department is publishing the maximum and minimum WIC 
income eligibility guidelines by household size for the period of July 
1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. 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, 2023. State agencies that do not coordinate implementation 
with the revised Medicaid guidelines must implement the WIC income 
eligibility guidelines on or before July 1, 2023.

                                                              Income Eligibility Guidelines
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Federal poverty guidelines--100%                                Reduced price meals--185%
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Household size                                     Twice-                                                      Twice-
                                    Annual      Monthly     monthly    Bi-weekly    Weekly      Annual      Monthly     monthly    Bi-weekly    Weekly
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................     $14,580      $1,215        $608        $561        $281     $26,973      $2,248      $1,124      $1,038        $519
2...............................      19,720       1,644         822         759         380      36,482       3,041       1,521       1,404         702
3...............................      24,860       2,072       1,036         957         479      45,991       3,833       1,917       1,769         885
4...............................      30,000       2,500       1,250       1,154         577      55,500       4,625       2,313       2,135       1,068
5...............................      35,140       2,929       1,465       1,352         676      65,009       5,418       2,709       2,501       1,251
6...............................      40,280       3,357       1,679       1,550         775      74,518       6,210       3,105       2,867       1,434
7...............................      45,420       3,785       1,893       1,747         874      84,027       7,003       3,502       3,232       1,616
8...............................      50,560       4,214       2,107       1,945         973      93,536       7,795       3,898       3,598       1,799
Each add'l family member add....      +5,140        +429        +215        +198         +99      +9,509        +793        +397        +366        +183
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Alaska
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................      18,210       1,518         759         701         351      33,689       2,808       1,404       1,296         648
2...............................      24,640       2,054       1,027         948         474      45,584       3,799       1,900       1,754         877
3...............................      31,070       2,590       1,295       1,195         598      57,480       4,790       2,395       2,211       1,106
4...............................      37,500       3,125       1,563       1,443         722      69,375       5,782       2,891       2,669       1,335
5...............................      43,930       3,661       1,831       1,690         845      81,271       6,773       3,387       3,126       1,563
6...............................      50,360       4,197       2,099       1,937         969      93,166       7,764       3,882       3,584       1,792
7...............................      56,790       4,733       2,367       2,185       1,093     105,062       8,756       4,378       4,041       2,021
8...............................      63,220       5,269       2,635       2,432       1,216     116,957       9,747       4,874       4,499       2,250
Each add'l family member add....      +6,430        +536        +268        +248        +124     +11,896        +992        +496        +458        +229
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...............................      16,770       1,398         699         645         323      31,025       2,586       1,293       1,194         597
2...............................      22,680       1,890         945         873         437      41,958       3,497       1,749       1,614         807
3...............................      28,590       2,383       1,192       1,100         550      52,892       4,408       2,204       2,035       1,018
4...............................      34,500       2,875       1,438       1,327         664      63,825       5,319       2,660       2,455       1,228
5...............................      40,410       3,368       1,684       1,555         778      74,759       6,230       3,115       2,876       1,438
6...............................      46,320       3,860       1,930       1,782         891      85,692       7,141       3,571       3,296       1,648
7...............................      52,230       4,353       2,177       2,009       1,005      96,626       8,053       4,027       3,717       1,859
8...............................      58,140       4,845       2,423       2,237       1,119     107,559       8,964       4,482       4,137       2,069
Each add'l family member add....      +5,910        +493        +247        +228        +114     +10,934        +912        +456        +421        +211
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 10497]]


                                               Income Eligibility Guidelines: Household Size Larger Than 8
                                                     [Effective from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Federal poverty guidelines--100%                                Reduced price meals--185%
                                 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Household size                                     Twice-                                                      Twice-
                                    Annual      Monthly     monthly    Bi-weekly    Weekly      Annual      Monthly     monthly    Bi-weekly    Weekly
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    48 Contiguous States, D.C., Guam and Territories
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9...............................     $55,700      $4,642      $2,321      $2,143      $1,072    $103,045      $8,588      $4,294      $3,964      $1,982
10..............................      60,840       5,070       2,535       2,340       1,170     112,554       9,380       4,690       4,329       2,165
11..............................      65,980       5,499       2,750       2,538       1,269     122,063      10,172       5,086       4,695       2,348
12..............................      71,120       5,927       2,964       2,736       1,368     131,572      10,965       5,483       5,061       2,531
13..............................      76,260       6,355       3,178       2,934       1,467     141,081      11,757       5,879       5,427       2,714
14..............................      81,400       6,784       3,392       3,131       1,566     150,590      12,550       6,275       5,792       2,896
15..............................      86,540       7,212       3,606       3,329       1,665     160,099      13,342       6,671       6,158       3,079
16..............................      91,680       7,640       3,820       3,527       1,764     169,608      14,134       7,067       6,524       3,262
Each add'l family member add....      +5,140        +429        +215        +198         +99      +9,509        +793        +397        +366        +183
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Alaska
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9...............................      69,650       5,805       2,903       2,679       1,340     128,853      10,738       5,369       4,956       2,478
10..............................      76,080       6,340       3,170       2,927       1,464     140,748      11,729       5,865       5,414       2,707
11..............................      82,510       6,876       3,438       3,174       1,587     152,644      12,721       6,361       5,871       2,936
12..............................      88,940       7,412       3,706       3,421       1,711     164,539      13,712       6,856       6,329       3,165
13..............................      95,370       7,948       3,974       3,669       1,835     176,435      14,703       7,352       6,786       3,393
14..............................     101,800       8,484       4,242       3,916       1,958     188,330      15,695       7,848       7,244       3,622
15..............................     108,230       9,020       4,510       4,163       2,082     200,226      16,686       8,343       7,701       3,851
16..............................     114,660       9,555       4,778       4,410       2,205     212,121      17,677       8,839       8,159       4,080
Each add'l family member add....      +6,430        +536        +268        +248        +124     +11,896        +992        +496        +458        +229
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                         Hawaii
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9...............................      64,050       5,338       2,669       2,464       1,232     118,493       9,875       4,938       4,558       2,279
10..............................      69,960       5,830       2,915       2,691       1,346     129,426      10,786       5,393       4,978       2,489
11..............................      75,870       6,323       3,162       2,919       1,460     140,360      11,697       5,849       5,399       2,700
12..............................      81,780       6,815       3,408       3,146       1,573     151,293      12,608       6,304       5,819       2,910
13..............................      87,690       7,308       3,654       3,373       1,687     162,227      13,519       6,760       6,240       3,120
14..............................      93,600       7,800       3,900       3,600       1,800     173,160      14,430       7,215       6,660       3,330
15..............................      99,510       8,293       4,147       3,828       1,914     184,094      15,342       7,671       7,081       3,541
16..............................     105,420       8,785       4,393       4,055       2,028     195,027      16,253       8,127       7,502       3,751
Each add'l family member add....      +5,910        +493        +247        +228        +114     +10,934        +912        +456        +421        +211
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 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.

Cynthia Long,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-03548 Filed 2-17-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P