| (42) Separate economic unit--A group of individuals who indicate that they have a source of income adequate to sustain the unit and usually purchase and prepare food separately from other individuals dwelling in the same household, or a group of individuals who intend to purchase and prepare food separately from other individuals dwelling in the same household after being certified as eligible to receive benefits from the WIC Program. (43) Shelf price--The price normally charged all customers by a vendor for an item sold by the vendor. (44) State agency--The Texas Department of Health in its role as administrator of the WIC Program. (45) Supplemental foods--Those foods containing nutrients determined to be beneficial for pregnant, breastfeeding, or postpartum women, infants, and children as prescribed by the United States Secretary of Agriculture. (46) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)--The federal agency which funds the WIC Program. (47) Vendor account--A vendor approved by the state agency with one or more outlets. (48) Vendor agreement--The formal and legally binding agreement between the Texas Department of Health and a vendor authorized to accept and redeem WIC Program food instruments. (49) Vendor band--A comparison group of WIC Program vendors based on similar characteristics such as monthly WIC sales volume for each account or outlet, store size, location, number of checkout lanes, or store type. (50) Vendor competitive pricing--The process of comparing the cost of a standard WIC Program food package for a woman, infant, or child at an outlet to the cost of an average standard food package for the price region where the vendor is located. Vendor accounts or outlets with similar characteristics are compared within the same price region. (51) Vendor interactive training--A training session for vendors that includes a contemporaneous opportunity for questions and answers. (52) Vendor outlet--An individual store which operates and transacts WIC food instruments at a fixed location recognized by the U.S. postal system as an address, has an electric utility hook-up, is a store structure situated on a cement or pier-and-beam foundation, is not used simultaneously as a residence, has a minimum business area of 500 square feet, has clearly identifying signage, and is walk-in accessible directly from the street. (53) Verbal abuse--The verbal threat of physical abuse of local agency, state agency or vendor staff by a participant or a parent, guardian, client-designated proxy, state agency-appointed proxy, or caretaker of a participant. Rude, vulgar, or generally abusive language is not verbal abuse. (54) WIC-only store--A vendor outlet that primarily transacts WIC food instruments or transacts WIC food instruments totaling a sales volume greater than its Food Stamp Program sales volume or is not authorized by the Food Stamp Program. (55) WIC program--The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) authorized by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, §17, as amended. (56) WIC Vendor Profile Application--A form which includes demographic, financial, and other descriptive information for each vendor outlet. |
| Source Note: The provisions of this §31.21 adopted to be effective August 5, 2001, 26 TexReg 5642; amended to be effective April 1, 2002, 27 TexReg 2014; amended to be effective October 1, 2003, 28 TexReg 6846 |
