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Rural Health
News by Topic: Income support and assistance

Apr 19, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the Social Security Administration (SSA) expanding the definition of a public assistance household for purposes of SSA programs to include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as an additional means-tested public income-maintenance (PIM) program. Among other things, this rule also revises the definition of a public assistance household from a household in which every member receives some kind of PIM payment to a household that has both an SSI applicant or recipient, and at least one other household member who receives one or more of the listed PIM payments. This rule is effective September 30, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Apr 18, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) revising regulations governing the WIC food packages. The revisions align the WIC food package regulations with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and reflect recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in its 2017 report, "Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice" while promoting nutrition security and equity. Among other things, this rule intends to provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods that align with the latest nutritional science; provide WIC State agencies with greater flexibility to prescribe and tailor food packages that accommodate participants' special dietary needs and personal and cultural food preferences; provide foods in amounts that are more consistent with the supplemental nature of the Program; and strengthen support for individual breastfeeding goals to help establish successful long-term breastfeeding. This rule is effective June 17, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 1, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) making regulatory changes to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) to address some of the programmatic and systemic challenges to access to high-quality, affordable child care. Changes are intended to lower childcare costs for families participating in CCDF, improve the program's childcare provider payment rates and practices, and simplify enrollment in the childcare subsidy program. States and territories that are not in compliance with the provisions of this final rule on the effective date may request a temporary waiver for up to two years to come into compliance. This rule is effective April 30, 2024.
Source: Federal Register