Common use of PROGRAM BACKGROUND Clause in Contracts

PROGRAM BACKGROUND. 1. The United States Secretary of Agriculture is required to administer the WIC Program pursuant to Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended. The purpose of the WIC Program is to provide WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items and nutrition education at no cost to eligible persons. The WIC Program serves as an adjunct to good health care during critical times of growth and development, to prevent the occurrence of health problems, and improve the health status of WIC Program Participants. 2. The Department’s Bureau of WIC Program Services is authorized to administer the WIC Program in the state of Florida. The Department is required to design, establish, and administer a uniform retail food delivery system supporting the requirements of the WIC Program throughout the state of Florida consistent with all governing federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. The purpose of the uniform system is to ensure adequate WIC Program Participant access to WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items at the most competitive prices available in the market. 3. The designed food delivery system permits adult WIC Program Participants, and parents or caretakers of infant and child WIC Program Participants to obtain WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items by submitting a WIC EBT card to an authorized vendor. The Department issues WIC EBT card accounts to WIC Program Participants to permit the purchase of WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items. The WIC Program Participant accesses the WIC EBT account to permit payment for WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items at retail stores authorized to participate in the WIC Program. 4. WIC EBT transactions are completed in a specific manner with required information. Vendor will accept WIC EBT as payment for authorized quantities of WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items. Vendor’s retail account is credited with funds based on properly completed WIC EBT transactions. 5. The Department authorizes an appropriate number and distribution of vendors to meet the WIC Program’s objectives. Vendor has applied for participation in the WIC Program as an authorized WIC Vendor. The Department has approved Vendor based upon selection criteria, Vendor’s geographic location, availability to the WIC Program Participant population, and competitive MARL prices (regular price and not sale price) within a designated Vendor Peer Group. 6. The Department is required to ensure vendors comply with applicable competitive price requirements within their respective Vendor Peer Group, detect questionable WIC EBT transactions, prevent overcharges, and do not engage in other violations or errors in the WIC Program. Vendors are required to know and understand the requirements for properly transacting and submitting WIC EBT for redemption. Therefore, Vendor redemptions will be subject to continual evaluation for WIC Program compliance errors and violations. The Department may delay or deny payment, require repayment, and impose sanctions regarding WIC EBT transactions and redemptions consistent with the requirements of this Agreement and federal and state of Florida law and regulation.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND. 1. The United States Secretary of Agriculture is required to administer the WIC Program pursuant to Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, as amended. The purpose of the WIC Program is to provide WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items authorized supplemental food items and nutrition education at no cost to eligible persons. The WIC Program serves as an adjunct to good health care during critical times of growth and development, to prevent the occurrence of health problems, and improve the health status of WIC Program Participantsparticipants. 2. The Department’s Bureau of WIC Program Services is authorized to administer the WIC Program in the state of Florida. The Department is required to design, establish, and administer a uniform retail food delivery system supporting the requirements of the WIC Program throughout the state of Florida consistent with all governing federal and state laws, rules, and regulations. The purpose of the uniform system is to ensure adequate WIC Program Participant participant access to WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items authorized supplemental food items at the most competitive prices available in the market. 3. The designed food delivery system permits adult WIC Program Participantsparticipants, and parents or caretakers of infant and child WIC Program Participants participants to obtain WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items authorized supplemental food items by submitting a WIC EBT card to an authorized WIC vendor. The Department issues WIC EBT card accounts to WIC Program Participants participants to permit the purchase of WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Itemsauthorized supplemental food items. The WIC Program Participant participant accesses the WIC EBT account to permit payment for WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Items authorized supplemental food items at retail stores authorized to participate in the WIC Program. 4. WIC EBT transactions are completed in a specific manner with required information. Vendor will accept WIC EBT as payment for authorized quantities of WIC Authorized Supplemental Food Itemsauthorized supplemental food items. Vendor’s retail account is credited with funds based on properly completed WIC EBT transactions. 5. The Department authorizes an appropriate number and distribution of vendors to meet the WIC Program’s objectives. Vendor has applied for participation in the WIC Program as an authorized WIC Vendor. The Department has approved Vendor based upon selection criteria, Vendor’s geographic location, availability to the WIC Program Participant participant population, and competitive MARL prices (regular price and not sale price) within a designated Vendor Peer Grouppeer group. 6. The Department is required to ensure vendors comply with applicable competitive price requirements within their respective Vendor Peer Grouppeer group, detect questionable WIC EBT transactions, prevent overcharges, and do not engage in other violations or errors in the WIC Program. Vendors are required to know and understand the requirements for properly transacting and submitting WIC EBT for redemption. Therefore, Vendor redemptions will be subject to continual evaluation for WIC Program compliance errors and violations. The Department may delay or deny payment, require repayment, and impose sanctions regarding WIC EBT transactions and redemptions consistent with the requirements of this Agreement and federal and state of Florida law and regulation.