Extending WIC for New Moms Act

Bill: 118-s-1593
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
Introduced: 2023-05-15
Policy area: Agriculture and Food
Latest action: action_date: 2023-05-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-05-15
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Extending WIC for New Moms Act</strong></p><p>This bill amends the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to&nbsp;extend the eligibility periods for breastfeeding&nbsp;and postpartum women.&nbsp;</p><p>Specifically, a state program may elect to certify a breastfeeding woman for up to 24 months (currently 1 year) postpartum. The bill also expands the eligibility period for postpartum women<em> </em>to up to 24 months after termination of pregnancy (currently 6 months).</p><p>The Department of Agriculture must submit a report to Congress evaluating the effect of these changes to the WIC program on (1) maternal and infant health outcomes, (2) breastfeeding rates, and (3) qualitative evaluations of family experiences under&nbsp;WIC.&nbsp;</p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1593 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 15, 2023 Mr. Blumenthal (for himself and Mr. Booker ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry A BILL To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to extend eligibility of new moms for the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Extending WIC for New Moms Act . 2. Extending WIC eligibility for new moms (a) Extension of postpartum period Section 17(b)(10) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 ( 42 U.S.C. 1786(b)(10) ) is amended by striking six months and inserting 24 months . (b) Extension of breastfeeding period Section 17(d)(3)(A)(ii) of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 ( 42 U.S.C. 1786(d)(3)(A)(ii) ) is amended by striking 1 year and inserting 24 months . (c) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report that includes an evaluation of the effect of each of the amendments made by this section on— (1) maternal and infant health outcomes, including racial and ethnic disparities with respect to such outcomes; (2) breastfeeding rates among postpartum individuals; (3) qualitative evaluations of family experiences under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 ( 42 U.S.C. 1786 ); and (4) other relevant information, as determined by the Secretary.