2145 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC Program); announcement of WIC Program regarding selection of local agencies

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC Program); Announcement of WIC Program Regarding Selection of Local Agencies

[45 Pa.B. 6935]
[Saturday, December 5, 2015]

 The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, established by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C.A. §§ 1771—1793) and administered in this Commonwealth by the Department of Health (Department) at the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), serves income eligible pregnant, breast-feeding or postpartum women, and their infants and children up to 5 years of age, who are at nutritional risk because of medical problems or poor diets. The WIC Program provides participant-centered nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, referrals to other health and social service programs, and supplemental foods in specific quantities to support adequate growth and development during critical stages. Federal WIC Program regulations are codified in 7 CFR 246.1—246.28 (relating to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children). State WIC Program regulations are codified in 28 Pa. Code Chapters 1101—1113 (relating to Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC Program)).

 The Department administers the Pennsylvania WIC Program with the assistance of Local Agencies located throughout this Commonwealth. The Local Agencies are responsible for prescribing and providing benefits to WIC participants, in compliance with 7 CFR 246.3(f) (relating to administration). Per 7 CFR 246.5 (relating to selection of local agencies), the Department is authorized to select Local Agencies through a written application process. Accordingly, the Department through this notice announces its intent to select Local Agencies, through the Request for Applications (RFA) process, for the following 24 service areas:

Service Area 1:	Philadelphia County
Service Area 2:	Bucks County
Service Area 3:	Chester County
Service Area 4:	Delaware County
Service Area 5:	Lancaster County
Service Area 6:	Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming Counties
Service Area 7:	Dauphin County
Service Area 8:	York County
Service Area 9:	Adams and Franklin Counties
Service Area 10:	Columbia, Cumberland, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Somerset, Snyder and Union Counties
Service Area 11:	Clinton and Lycoming Counties
Service Area 12:	Bedford, Fulton and Huntingdon Counties
Service Area 13:	Cambria County
Service Area 14:	Blair and Centre Counties
Service Area 15:	Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson and Potter Counties
Service Area 16:	McKean County
Service Area 17:	Fayette County
Service Area 18:	Westmoreland County
Service Area 19:	Greene and Washington Counties
Service Area 20:	Allegheny County
Service Area 21:	Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana and Lawrence Counties
Service Area 22:	Clarion, Crawford and Warren Counties
Service Area 23:	Forest, Mercer and Venango Counties
Service Area 24:	Erie County

 Within the next 2 months, the Department anticipates posting an RFA on www.emarketplace.state.pa.us. The RFA will seek applications from interested entities who wish to serve as a Local Agency and provide WIC services in one of the previous regions. The Department's evaluation of submitted applications will include consideration of the local agency priority system in 7 CFR 246.5(d)(1). Interested entities should monitor www.emarketplace.state.pa.us for information about the RFA including the required content of the application, the deadline for submission of an application and the application evaluation criteria.

 The WIC Program is funded by the USDA. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 Persons with a disability who require an alternative format of this notice (for example, large print, audiotape, Braille) should contact Jay Mast, Department of Health, Bureau of Women, Infants and Children (WIC), 625 Forster Street, Health and Welfare Building, 7th Floor West, Harrisburg, PA 17120, [phone]. Speech and/or hearing impaired persons use V/TT [phone] or the Pennsylvania AT&T Relay Service at [phone] (TT).

KAREN M. MURPHY, PhD, RN, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 15-2145. Filed for public inspection December 4, 2015, 9:00 a.m.]