Pennsylvania Act 1986-121 — WOMEN'S, INFANTS' AND CHILDREN'S NUTRITION IMPROVEMENT ACT

Act text

WOMEN'S, INFANTS' AND CHILDREN'S NUTRITION IMPROVEMENT ACT
                 Act of Jul. 10, 1986, P.L. 1396, No. 121             Cl. 67
                                  AN ACT

     Authorizing the use of State funds to expand a special
        supplemental food program for women, infants and children.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

     Section 1.  Short title.
        This act shall be known and may be cited as the Women's,
     Infants' and Children's Nutrition Improvement Act.
     Section 2.  Declaration of purpose.
        It is the purpose of this act to allow for the provision of
     State funds for use in the expansion of the WIC Program to
     unserved women, infants and children experiencing nutritional
     deficiencies, nutritionally related health problems and other
     maladies which might adversely affect the proper growth and
     development of persons potentially eligible for WIC services.
     Section 3.  Definitions.
        The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
     have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
     context clearly indicates otherwise:
        "Department."  The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
        "Secretary."  The Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth.
        "State WIC supplement."  State funds which are added to the
     Commonwealth's Federal WIC grant for the expansion of services
     to WIC-eligible persons.
        "WIC eligibles."  Persons who meet Federal nutritional risk
     criteria, whose family income falls below 185% of poverty and
     who fall into one of the following categories:
            (1)  Pregnant or postpartum and breast-feeding women.
            (2)  Infants.
            (3)  Children under five years of age.
        "WIC Program."  The special supplemental food program for
     women, infants and children, authorized by section 17 of the
     Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-642, 42 U.S.C. §
     1786).
     Section 4.  State supplement.
        (a)  Determination by General Assembly.--The General Assembly
     is hereby authorized to provide a State supplement to increase
     the percentage of WIC Program participation above the level
     which would be achieved without the State WIC supplement.
        (b)  Allocation of funds.--Of the funds appropriated by the
     General Assembly, at least 80% shall be utilized for food and no
     more than 20% shall be utilized for State and local
     administration and program services.
        (c)  Report by local WIC provider.--Each local WIC provider
     shall report to the department the information on the State-
     funded program in the same manner and within the same time
     period as required by the Federal WIC Program.
        (d)  Report by department.--The secretary shall provide an
     annual report to the General Assembly, no later than January 1
     of each year, which covers the State-administered WIC program
     for the prior fiscal year.
        (e)  Outreach program.--From the moneys available for
     administration, the department shall fund a Statewide outreach
     project and an evaluation of the effectiveness of WIC services
     in meeting the stated goals of the program in this Commonwealth.
     Section 5.  Program operation.
        (a)  Eligibility of participants.--Participants in the WIC
     Program enrolled through the use of funds available under the
     State supplement shall be subject to the same eligibility
     criteria prescribed by the Federal Government for the existing
     WIC Program.
        (b)  Areas for expansion.--The department shall utilize its
     expansion plan, as required by section 17 of the Child Nutrition
     Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-642, 42 U.S.C. § 1786) and published
     in its annual State Agency Plan of Program Operation and
     Administration, in allocating State funds.
     Section 6.  Effective date.
        This act shall take effect immediately.