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 adopt expedited regulatory requirements pertaining to vendor peer groups and reimbursement, vendor authorization criteria, and WIC authorized foods 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
Sign-up to receive important regulatory notices regarding the California’s WIC Program.
Active Proposed Regulations
Regulatory Alert 2017-02: WIC Authorized Food List Breakfast Cereal Amendments
Regulatory Alert 2017-01: WIC Authorized Food List Juice Amendments
All Final Adopted WIC Bulletin Regulations
A list of WIC Bulletin Regulations for California’s WIC Program (without statement of reasons and public comment):
All Final Adopted WIC Bulletin Regulations
Final Rule
Bulletins adopted as regulations for California’s WIC Program:
2016
Regulatory Bulletin 2016-01: Adoption of Rules for Calculating the Maximum Allowable Department Reimbursement Rate
Regulatory Bulletin 2016-02: Adoption of Amendments to Business Integrity and Circumvention of WIC Sanction
2015
Regulatory Bulletin 2015-02: Adoption of WIC Authorized Food List Amendment
Regulatory Bulletin 2015-01: Adoption of Federal Mandatory Requirements for Fruits and Vegetables
2014
Regulatory Bulletin 2014-02: Adoption of Federal Mandatory Requirements for Whole Grains
Regulatory Bulletin 2014-01: Adoption of Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors
2013
Regulatory Bulletin 2013-02: Adoption of Disallowance of Pouches
Regulatory Bulletin 2013-01: Adoption of California WIC Vendor Authorization Criteria
2012
Regulatory Bulletin 2012-02: Adoption of California WIC Authorized Food List Shopping Guide
Regulatory Bulletin 2012-01: Adoption of Federal Mandatory Requirements
WIC Bulletin Alerts and Resources
2017
WIC Authorized Food List Juice Amendments:
Regulatory Alert 2017-01: Stakeholder Consultation Presentation
2016
Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors:
Regulatory Alert 2016-01: Amendments to Rules for Calculating the Maximum Allowable Department Reimbursement Rate
Regulatory Alert 2016-01: Stakeholder Workgroup Presentation
Vendor Authorization Criteria:
Regulatory Alert 2016-02: Amendments to Business Integrity and Circumvention of WIC Sanction
Regulatory Alert 2016-02: Stakeholder Workgroup Presentation
2015
WIC Authorized Food List Amendment:
Regulatory Alert 2015-02: WIC Authorized Food List Amendment
Regulatory Alert 2015-02: WIC Authorized Food List Amendment Stakeholder Consultation Webinar
2014
Federal Mandatory Requirements for Whole Grains:
Whole Grains Flyer/WIC Identification Folder (WIF) Insert
2013
Disallowance of Pouches:
Regulatory Alert 2013-02: Disallowance of Pouches
Regulatory Alert 2013-02: Stakeholder Workgroup Presentation
Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors:
Regulatory Alert 2013-03: Peer Group Criteria and Reimbursement System for Vendors
Regulatory Alert 2013-03: Stakeholder Workgroup Presentation
Vendor Authorization Criteria:
Regulatory Alert 2013-01: Adopt Vendor Authorization Criteria
Regulatory Alert 2013-01: Stakeholder Workgroup Presentation
Minimum Stocking Requirements Comparison
Competitive Price Criteria Process Flow Chart
2012
WIC Authorized Food List:
Regulatory Alert 2012-02: Adopt California WIC Authorized Food List Shopping Guide
Regulatory Alert 2012-02 Stakeholder Workgroup Presentation
Other Resources
Expedited Regulatory Process Flow Chart
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.