WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 2022
Bill: S.4692 | Sponsor: Sen. Marshall, Roger (R-KS)
Policy area: Agriculture and Food

Summary:
WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 2022
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make available online certain information about solicitations for infant formula bids under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Under current law, state agencies must control infant formula costs in the WIC program through competitive bidding for infant formula rebate contracts. The bill requires state WIC agencies to provide USDA with a description of open solicitations for these competitive bids that includes the title of the solicitation, the state agency administering the solicitation, and other relevant information for the USDA to publish online.

To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the Secretary of 
 Agriculture to make publicly available information on infant formula 
procurement under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, 
                         infants, and children.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 
2022''.

SEC. 2. INFANT FORMULA PROCUREMENT ONLINE SOURCE OF INFORMATION.

    Section 17(h)(8)(A) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 
1786(h)(8)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(xi) Infant formula procurement online 
                        source of information.--
                                    ``(I) In general.--Not later than 
                                180 days after the date of enactment of 
                                this clause, the Secretary shall make 
                                available to the public the information 
                                described in items (aa) through (dd) of 
                                subclause (II) relating to bid 
                                solicitations of State agencies for 
                                infant formula under the program.
                                    ``(II) State agencies.--In 
                                soliciting bids for infant formula 
                                under the program, a State agency, or a 
                                State agency on behalf of a State 
                                alliance, shall submit to the 
                                Secretary, not later than 5 business 
                                days after the date on which a bid 
                                solicitation is made available online 
                                to bidders by the State, a description 
                                of the bid solicitation, including--
                                            ``(aa) the title of the bid 
                                        solicitation and the State 
                                        agency administering the bid 
                                        solicitation;
                                            ``(bb) the website 
                                        hyperlink and other information 
                                        needed for the purpose of 
                                        submitting a bid in response to 
                                        the bid solicitation;
                                            ``(cc) the contact 
                                        information and website 
                                        hyperlink for the State agency 
                                        administering the bid 
                                        solicitation, for the purpose 
                                        of gathering additional 
                                        information relating to the bid 
                                        solicitation; and
                                            ``(dd) the period during 
                                        which bids are accepted or the 
                                        due date for bids, as 
                                        applicable, under the bid 
                                        solicitation.
                                    ``(III) Publication.--Not later 
                                than 5 days after receiving a 
                                description of a bid solicitation under 
                                subclause (II), the Secretary shall 
                                make that description publicly 
                                available.
                                    ``(IV) Guidance.--The Secretary 
                                shall issue guidance to implement this 
                                clause.''.
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