Bill > SR71

Introduced Session

This Senate resolution urges the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) waiver program that permits WIC state agencies to authorize the purchase of alternative brands, formulations, and quantities of infant formula in response to public emergencies. Under federal law, each WIC state agency is required to contract with the lowest bidder for the provision of infant formula available for purchase using WIC benefits. In response to the nationwide shortages of infant formula, attributable to supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and voluntary recalls of powdered infant formula, the USDA established multiple waiver programs that provided WIC state agencies with flexibilities to ensure adequate supplies of infant formula were available for purchase by WIC participants. Among the flexibilities available to WIC state agencies was the ability to authorize the purchase of alternative quantities, formulations, and brands of infant formula using WIC benefits. As the infant formula supply shortages abated, however, the USDA notified WIC state agencies that all WIC infant formula waivers would expire by July 1, 2023. State officials and child nutrition advocates, however, believe that the State should continue to have flexibilities to quickly authorize WIC participants to purchase whatever infant formula their child needs in the event of future public emergencies. As such, State officials urge the USDA to create a permanent WIC infant formula waiver program that could be activated whenever a public emergency affects the infant formula supply in a given state or region in order to ensure that at-risk infants receive the nutrition required for healthy development. The WIC is a federal nutrition assistance program that provides nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, and health care referrals for nutritionally at-risk infants, children up to five years of age, and pregnant and postpartum individuals from low-income households. New Jersey residents may be eligible for WIC benefits with a gross annual income at, or below, 185 percent of the federal poverty line, which equals $55,500 for a family of four during FY 2024.

Committee Categories

Teresa Ruiz (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (on 02/08/2024)

Official Document