Summary
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is conducting a study titled WIC Tribal Organizations and U.S. Territories. This study aims to inform FNS about variations in operations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) among Tribal Organizations, U.S. territories, and geographic states administering the program as local and state agencies.
Congress authorized WIC in 1972 in an amendment to the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 USC 1786, Sec. 17), which included “Indian tribes” and “intertribal councils” recognized by the Department of the Interior in the definition of state and local agencies. Legislation in 1975 (PL 94-105) formally established WIC as a permanent national health and nutrition program. Section 28 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act as amended by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (PL 111-296, Sec. 305) provides general statutory authority for this planned data collection.
Request for Comments
Comments regarding this information collection received by May 6, 2026 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days of the publication of this notice on the following website Reginfo.gov. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
Need and Use of the Information
This data collection will inform FNS about WIC operations among 32 Tribal Organizations and 5 U.S. territories administering the program as state agencies and five Tribally operated local agencies (collectively referred to as “case study agencies”). Although limited information is available about the experiences of Tribal Organizations and U.S. territories operating WIC, previous research shows that WIC programs in Tribal Organizations and U.S. territories have unique funding and administrative issues and typically have the highest costs across all state agencies. This study will help fill those knowledge gaps and improve FNS's understanding of the strengths and challenges these agencies face when administering and implementing the program. Insights from this study can inform efforts to enhance the effectiveness of WIC program operations and services. This study will also provide FNS with the necessary information to determine WIC coverage rates (i.e., the share of eligible people who receive WIC benefits). Currently, no other effort can address the research objectives of the proposed study.