[Federal Register: March 13, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 49)]
[Notices]
[Page 12028-12031]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food and Nutrition Service
Child Nutrition Programs--Income Eligibility Guidelines
AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This Notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to
the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility
for free and reduced price meals or free milk for the period from July
1, 2003 through June 30, 2004. These guidelines are used by schools,
institutions, and facilities participating in the National School Lunch
Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program,
Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program
and Summer Food Service Program. The annual adjustments are required by
section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. The
guidelines are intended to direct benefits to those children most in
need and are revised annually to account for changes in the Consumer
Price Index.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2003.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Robert M. Eadie, Chief, Policy and
Program Development Branch, Child Nutrition Division, FNS, USDA,
Alexandria, Virginia 22302, or by phone at (703) 305-2620.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 that Act.
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C.
3507), no new recordkeeping or reporting requirements have been
included that are subject to approval from the Office of Management and
Budget.
This action is exempted from review by the Office of Management and
Budget under Executive Order 12866.
These programs are listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance under No. 10.553, No. 10.555, No. 10.556, No. 10.558 and No.
10.559 and are subject to the provisions of Executive Order 12372,
which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local
officials. (See 7 CFR Part 3015, Subpart V, and the final rule related
notice published at 48 FR 29114, June 24, 1983.)
Background
Pursuant to sections 9(b)(1) and 17(c)(4) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1) and 42 U.S.C.
1766(c)(4)), and sections 3(a)(6) and 4(e)(1)(A) of the Child Nutrition
Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1772(a)(6) and 1773(e)(1)(A)), the Department
annually issues the Income Eligibility Guidelines for free and reduced
price meals for the National School Lunch Program (7 CFR Part 210), the
Commodity School Program (7 CFR Part 210), School Breakfast Program (7
CFR Part 220), Summer Food Service Program (7 CFR Part 225) and Child
and Adult Care Food Program (7 CFR Part 226) and the guidelines for
free milk in the Special Milk Program for Children (7 CFR Part 215).
These eligibility guidelines are based on the Federal income poverty
guidelines and are stated by household size. The guidelines are used to
determine eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk in
accordance with applicable program rules.
Definition of Income
In accordance with the Department's policy as provided in the Food
and Nutrition Service publication Eligibility Guidance for School Meals
Manual, ``income,'' as the term is used in this Notice, means income
before any deductions such as income taxes, Social Security taxes,
insurance premiums, charitable contributions and bonds. It includes the
following: (1) Monetary compensation for services, including wages,
salary, commissions or fees; (2) net income from nonfarm self-
employment; (3) net income from farm self-employment; (4) Social
Security; (5) dividends or interest on savings or bonds or income from
estates or trusts; (6) net rental income; (7) public assistance or
welfare payments; (8) unemployment compensation; (9) government
civilian employee or military retirement, or pensions or veterans
payments; (10) private pensions or annuities; (11) alimony or child
support payments; (12) regular contributions from persons not living in
the household; (13) net royalties; and (14) other cash income. Other
cash income would include cash amounts received or withdrawn from any
source including savings, investments, trust accounts and other
resources that would be available to pay the price of a child's meal.
``Income,'' as the term is used in this Notice, does not include
any income or benefits received under any Federal programs that are
excluded from consideration as income by any legislative prohibition.
Furthermore, the value of meals or milk to children shall not be
considered as income to their households for other benefit programs in
accordance with the prohibitions in
[[Page 12029]]
section 12(e) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and
section 11(b) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1760(e) and
1780(b)).
The Income Eligibility Guidelines
The following are the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be effective
from July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004. The Department's guidelines
for free meals and milk and reduced price meals were obtained by
multiplying the year 2003 Federal income poverty guidelines by 1.30 and
1.85, respectively, and by rounding the result upward to the next whole
dollar. Weekly and monthly guidelines were computed by dividing annual
income by 52 and 12, respectively, and by rounding upward to the next
whole dollar. The numbers reflected in this notice for a family of four
represent an increase of 1.66% over the July 2002 numbers for a family
of the same size.
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P
[[Page 12030]]
[GRAPHIC][TIFF OMITTED]TN13MR03.006
[[Page 12031]]
Authority: (42 U.S.C. 1758(b)(1)).
Dated: March 6, 2003.
Roberto Salazar,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 03-6079 Filed 3-12-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-C
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