Women, Infants & Children (WIC)

Laws & Regulations

Authority for the WIC Program: The WIC Program is authorized by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Title 42, United States Code, section 1786). The CDPH/WIC Division is authorized to administer California’s WIC Program through California Health and Safety (H&S) Code sections 123275-123355.

Primary Regulatory Guidance for the WIC Program: CDPH/WIC follows both Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations Parts 246 and 248 (i.e., federal regulations) and Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations.

Authority for Expedited Regulations: H&S Code section 123280 authorizes CDPH/WIC Division to follow an expedited regulatory process when adopting mandatory requirements and guidelines set forth in federal law, regulations, memoranda, and guidance letters. H&S Code section 123322 authorizes CDPH/WIC Division to follow an expedited regulatory process when adopting regulations for vendor peer groups and reimbursement, vendor authorization criteria, and WIC authorized foods. These expedited regulations can be adopted with a bulletin notice or similar instruction.

This webpage contains every WIC Regulatory Bulletin and Regulatory Alert that has been posted since December 26, 2012, along with other links and materials pertinent to the WIC Bulletin Regulations.

For more information, please read Regulatory Alert 2012-01 (PDF).

Sign-up to receive important regulatory notices regarding the California’s WIC Program.

WIC Bulletin Regulations

Active Proposed Regulations and Resources

There are currently no active proposed regulations.

All Final Adopted WIC Bulletin Regulations

Please contact CDPH at WICRegulations@cdph.ca.gov to request a PDF of the All Final Adopted WIC Bulletin Regulations document.

Final Rule

Bulletins adopted as regulations for California’s WIC Program:

WIC Regulatory Alerts

2021

WIC Authorized Food List Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2021-01: WIC Authorized Food List Eggs Amendments (PDF)

2020

2019

WIC Amendments to the Vendor Authorization Criteria:

Regulatory Alert 2019-02: Amendments to Section 71100: Minimum Stocking Requirements (PDF)

WIC Authorized Food List Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2019-01: WIC Authorized Food List Amendments (PDF)

2018

Reimbursement System for Vendors:

Regulatory Alert 2018-05: Amendments to Sections 60000, 60100, 60200, and 60300 (PDF)

WIC Authorized Food List Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2018-04: WIC Authorized Food List Amendments (PDF)

WIC Amendments to the Vendor Authorization Criteria:

Regulatory Alert 2018-03: Amendments to the Vendor Authorization Criteria (PDF)

WIC Authorized Food List Infant Formula Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2018-02: WIC Authorized Food List Infant Formula Amendments (PDF)

WIC Authorized Food List Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2018-01: WIC Authorized Food List Amendments (PDF)

2017

WIC Authorized Food List Breakfast Cereal Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2017-03: WIC Authorized Food List Breakfast Cereal Amendments (PDF)

WIC Authorized Food List Breakfast Cereal Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2017-02: WIC Authorized Food List Breakfast Cereal Amendments (PDF)

WIC Authorized Food List Juice Amendments:

Regulatory Alert 2017-01: WIC Authorized Food List Juice Amendments (PDF)

2016

Vendor Authorization Criteria:

Regulatory Alert 2016-02: Amendments to Business Integrity and Circumvention of WIC Sanction (PDF)

Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors:

Regulatory Alert 2016-01: Amendments to Rules for Calculating the Maximum Allowable Department Reimbursement Rate (PDF)

2015

WIC Authorized Food List Amendment:

Regulatory Alert 2015-02: WIC Authorized Food List Amendment (PDF)

2013

Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors:

Regulatory Alert 2013-03: Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors (PDF)

Disallowance of Pouches:

Regulatory Alert 2013-02: Disallowance of Pouches (PDF)

Vendor Authorization Criteria:

Regulatory Alert 2013-01: Adopt Vendor Authorization Criteria (PDF)

2012

WIC Authorized Food List:

Regulatory Alert 2012-02: Adopt California WIC Authorized Food List Shopping Guide (PDF)

Assembly Bill 2322:

Regulatory Alert 2012-01: Notification of AB 2322 (PDF)

Stakeholder Consultation Presentations

Please contact CDPH at WICregulations@cdph.ca.gov to request PDFs of past stakeholder consultation presentations.

Other Resources

Expedited Regulatory Process Flow Chart (PDF)

State Laws and Regulations

California Health and Safety Code

California WIC statutory authority can be found in sections 123275-123355.

California Code of Regulations

Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, Chapter 6, California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children provides regulatory requirements for WIC local agencies, authorized grocers (i.e., vendors), and participants.

Federal Laws and Regulations

United States Code

Title 42 of the United States Code section 1786 is the federal authority for the WIC Program.

Code of Federal Regulations

Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations parts 246 and 248 are the federal requirements for states to implement and administer the WIC Program.

Temporary Regulations Related to COVID-19

Authority: Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-40-20 (PDF) allowing CDPH to make temporary changes to CDPH's WIC regulations in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency for the duration of the authority granted by Congress or the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.

Temporary Local Agency Procedures Regulations:

Temporary Local Agency Procedures Regulations, effective September 30, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary Food Delivery System Regulations:

Notice of Repeal of Temporary Food Delivery System Regulations, effective June 1, 2021 (PDF)

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List:

Notice of Repeal of Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, effective June 1, 2021 (PDF)

COVID-19 Regulatory Waivers and Flexibilities: CDPH/WIC intends to use all available program flexibilities to serve WIC applicants and participants. CDPH/WIC has received the Governor's Executive Order and federal waivers below that ease program operations and protect the health of participants during the COVID-19 emergency. Additional waivers will be posted as they are issued.

State:

Executive Order State of California N-40-20 (PDF)

Federal:

California COVID-19 Physical Presence Waiver Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Remote Benefit Issuance Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Minimum Stock Requirements Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Separation of Duties Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Food Package Substitutions Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Food Package Substitutions Response - 2 (PDF)

California COVID-19 Medical Documentation Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Local Agency Monitoring Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Certification Extension Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Vendor Pre-Authorization Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Transactions in the Presence of Cashier Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Onsite Routine Monitoring Response (PDF)

Federal Extensions:

WIC Policy Memorandum #2020-2: Extensions for USDA FNS-Approved COVID-19 Waivers through June 30, 2020 (PDF)

California USDA FNS COVID-19 Waiver Extensions, by Approval Status, through July 31, 2020 (PDF)

WIC Policy Memorandum #2020-5: Extensions for USDA FNS-Approved COVID-19 Waivers through September 30, 2020 (PDF)

WIC Policy Memorandum #2020-06: Extensions for Certain USDA FNS-Approved COVID-19 Waivers [until 30 days after the end of the nationally-declared public health emergency] (PDF)

WIC Policy Memo #2021-1: Implementation of WIC and WIC FMNP Waiver Extension Provisions in the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act (PDF)

Waivers Expired September 30, 2020:

California COVID-19 Routine Monitoring Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Routine Monitoring Response - 2 (PDF)

California COVID-19 Compliance Investigations Response (PDF)

California COVID-19 Compliance Investigations Response - 2 (PDF)

California COVID-19 Farmers' Market Nutrition Program Monitoring Response (PDF)

Previous Versions of Temporary Regulations: These versions of temporary regulations are no longer operative. The link(s) below are for historical purposes only.

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, effective January 27, 2021 (PDF)

Temporary Food Delivery System Regulations, effective September 30, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, effective September 30, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary Food Delivery System Regulations, effective July 1, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, effective July 1, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary Food Delivery System Regulations, effective June 1, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, effective June 1, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, Effective April 14, 2020 (PDF)

Temporary WIC Authorized Food List, Effective April 6, 2020 (PDF)

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