This is an affirmation by the Department of a final rule, without change, of an interim rule that amended the regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by implementing most of the nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that address participant certification and general program administration in the WIC program.
This final rule amends regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by adding three requirements mandated by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 in amendments to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 concerning retail vendors authorized by WIC state agencies to provide supplemental food to WIC participants in exchange for WIC food instruments.
This final rule amends the regulations governing the WIC program to clarify issues that have arisen subsequent to the publication of the WIC Food Delivery Systems Final Rule on Dec. 29, 2000, and to strengthen further the requirements for state vendor management and infant formula cost-containment systems.
This document delays from Aug. 5, 2009 until Oct. 1, 2009 the implementation date of the interim final rule entitled Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages, which was published in the Federal Register on Dec. 6, 2007, 72 FR 68966, and became effective on Feb. 4, 2008.
This interim final rule amends the regulations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children by implementing most of the nondiscretionary provisions of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that address participant certification and general program administration in the WIC program.
The interim rule announces approval of the information collection requirements associated with Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children: Revisions in the WIC Food Packages published on Dec. 6, 2007.
This interim rule revises regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, and provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences.
This final rule amends a number of existing provisions in the WIC program regulations to address issues raised by WIC state agencies, other members of the WIC community, and the US Government Accountability Office. This final rule also incorporates recent legislation and certain longstanding program policies and state agency practices into the regulations. Further, the final rule also streamlines certain requirements in the regulations.
This rule implements a provision of the Act that increases the minimum State Administrative Expense grant for each state administering the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and/or the Special Milk Program from $100,000 to $200,000 a year, adjusted by an index beginning in FY 2009.
This proposed rule would revise regulations governing the WIC food packages to align the WIC food packages with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and current infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics, better promote and support the establishment of successful long-term breastfeeding, provide WIC participants with a wider variety of food, provide WIC state agencies with greater flexibility in prescribing food packages to accommodate participants with cultural food preferences, and serve participants with certain qualifying conditions under one food package to facilitate efficient management of medically fragile participants.