Federal Appropriations for Breastfeeding
Each year funding is allocated to a variety of federally funded programs that include breastfeeding support through the federal appropriations process. Appropriations for breastfeeding have helped build and strengthen critical programs and initiatives to improve maternity care practices, increase access to peer & professional support, ensure continuity of breastfeeding care, increase support for breastfeeding employees, and address disparities in breastfeeding rates. Funding relevant to the breastfeeding field are primarily included in the Labor-HHS and Agriculture appropriations bills.
Opportunities for Action
USBC is urging Congress to increase funding for the CDC Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding line item in the FY 2022 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
Your Voice is Needed: Take Action to Support Federal Funding for Breastfeeding |
Historic Funding Levels for the Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding Program
|
FY2012 | FY2013 | FY2014 | FY2015 |
FY2016 |
FY2017 |
FY2018 |
FY2019 |
FY2020 |
FY2021 |
FY2022 |
$7M | $2.5M | $8M | $8M |
$8M |
$8M |
$8M |
$8M |
$9M |
$9.5M |
$9.75M |
Federal Program Funding in the FY2022 Federal Budget
|
Connection to Infant Feeding |
FY2021 Enacted |
FY2022 President's Budget |
FY2022 House Bill |
FY2022 Senate Bill |
FY2022 Enacted |
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
||||||
Funding for this program comes from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to support breastfeeding families in maternity care settings, communities, and workplaces. |
$9.5M |
$9.5M |
$9.5M |
$10.5M |
$9.75M |
|
The REACH program works to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities through local, culturally appropriate programs, including breastfeeding support programs. |
$63.95M |
$63.9M |
$73.95M |
$70.95M |
$65.95M |
|
The GHWIC program includes increased breastfeeding as a long-term goal. |
$22M |
$22M |
$27M |
$24M |
$22.5M |
|
Breastfeeding is included in the Perinatal Quality Collaboratives and Substance Abuse During Pregnancy programs within the SMIH program. |
$63M |
$89M |
$119M |
$103M |
$83M |
|
Food and Nutrition Service |
||||||
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program | WIC provides supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age 5 who are found to be at nutritional risk. | $6B | $6B | $6B | $6.28B | $6B |
WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program | WIC peer counselors are mothers in the community with personal breastfeeding experience who are trained to give information and support to new moms. | $90M | $90M | $90M | $90M | $90M |
Health Resources Service Administration |
||||||
Breastfeeding is included in the MCH Block Grant National Performance Measures.
|
$712.7M |
$822.7M |
$868.7M |
$857.7M |
$748M |
|
The Healthy Start program implements community-based interventions to improve the health of mothers and children, including breastfeeding education. |
$128M |
$128M |
$145M |
$137M |
$132M |
|
RMOMS supports grants to improve access to and continuity of maternal and obstetrics care in rural communities by increasing the delivery of and access to preconception, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum services, including breastfeeding support. |
$5M |
$10.4M |
$10.4M |
$10M |
$6M |
|
Office on Women's Health | ||||||
Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Promotion of Optimal Birth Outcomes |
Funding for OWH to convene a committee to oversee and coordinate the HHS Action Plan to Improve Maternal Health in America. |
- |
- |
- |
- |
$1M |
National Institutes of Health |
||||||
Panel on planning or conducting research specific to pregnant people and lactating people |
Funding for NICHD to contract with NASEM to convene a panel with specific legal, ethical, regulatory, and policy expertise to develop a framework for addressing medicolegal and liability issues when planning or conducting research specific to pregnant people and lactating people. |
- |
$1.9M |
$1.5M |
$1.5M |
$1.5M |
Federal Agency Funding in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Bills
Federal Agency/Division |
FY2021 Enacted |
FY2022 President's Budget |
FY2022 House Bill |
FY2022 Senate Bill |
FY2022 Enacted |
Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies and Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill |
|||||
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
$7.9B |
$9.7B |
$10.5B |
$9.73B |
$8.46B |
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity |
$56.9M |
$56.9M |
$56.92M |
$56.92M |
$58.4M |
Health Resources and Services Administration |
$7.2B |
$12.6B |
$8.7B |
$9.2B |
$8.9B |
Maternal and Child Health Bureau |
$975.284M |
$1.5B |
$1.18B |
$1.15B |
$1B |
U.S. Department of Labor |
$12.5B |
$14.3B |
$14.7B |
$13.8B |
$13.2B |
Wage and Hour Division |
$246M |
$327.5M |
$300M |
$278.7M |
$251M |
Women's Bureau |
$15M |
$20M |
$25M |
$22M |
$18M |
Office of Minority Health |
$61.8M |
$61.8M |
$75.8M |
$66.8M |
$64.8M |
Office on Women's Health |
$35.1M |
$35M |
$42.1M |
$43.1M |
$38.1M |
Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality |
$345.3M |
$380M |
$380M |
$380M |
$350.4M |
National Institutes of Health |
$42.9B |
$51.7B |
$49.4B |
$47.9B |
$45B |
Office of Research on Women’s Health |
$43M |
$52.3M |
$61.5M |
$57.4M |
$59M |
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill |
|||||
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | $404.5M | $445.9M | $445.9M | $424.9M | $420M |
About the Federal Budget Process
Each federal budget is developed for what is called a Fiscal Year, which begins on October 1 and runs through September 30 of the following year. Developing a federal budget begins with the President submitting a budget plan. The President's budget reflects the vision, values, and priorities of the Administration and sets the stage for the federal budget negotiation process.
Congress then develops its budget plan, called the budget resolution, to set a total amount for spending in the year ahead. The budget total is sent to the House and Senate appropriations committees, where it is divided among 12 subcommittees each charged with developing an appropriations bill. Appropriations Committees hold "mark-ups" for each of the 12 annual spending bills.
Once these bills pass both Houses, they must be "conferenced" to work out any differences between the two versions. House-Senate conference committees make final determinations and prepare a Conference Report. The Conference Report is then passed by the House and the Senate and sent to the President to be signed.
Learn more about the federal budget process.
USBC Analyses on Fiscal Year 2022 Funding and Infant Feeding
- "Fiscal Year 2022 President’s Budget Released"
- "Fiscal Year 2022 House Labor-HHS Appropriations Report Released"
- "Fiscal Year 2022 Senate Labor-HHS Appropriations Report Released"
- "Fiscal Year 2022 House Agriculture and DHS Appropriations Reports Released"
- "Fiscal Year 2022 Senate Appropriations Analysis"
- "Fiscal Year 2022 Federal Budget Signed Into Law"