The Senate and House passed and the President signed the Fiscal Year 2023 omnibus spending package into law. The package contains all twelve appropriations bills which include a variety of funding provisions that impact infant feeding. Highlights include: 

• $9.75M for the CDC Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program, level funding from the previous fiscal year
• $90M for the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program, level funding from the previous fiscal year
• $1.25M for an analysis of the macroeconomic, health, and social costs of U.S. breastfeeding rates and national breastfeeding goals

Visit the "Federal Appropriations for Breastfeeding" webpage for a comprehensive look at the final funding levels for federal agencies and programs that impact infant feeding. 

The omnibus spending package also included historic passage of the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

​In addition, the bill language and associated explanatory statements include the following provisions:

• Financial Services and General Government: Continues the provision that permits breastfeeding in a Federal building or on Federal property if the woman and child are authorized to be there.
• Department of Homeland Security Appropriations: The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is directed to provide semiannual reports on the total number of pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women in ICE custody, including detailed justification of the circumstances warranting each such detainee's continued detention.
• State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is required to publish a report on the following outcomes achieved during the previous fiscal year, disaggregated by country: (1) the approximate number of treatments provided to children for pneumonia and diarrhea, reported separately, as a result of U.S. Government assistance; and (2) the approximate number of mothers and infants who received postnatal care within two days of childbirth as a result of such assistance.

The Fiscal Year 2023 budget is complete but the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget process is already underway. Federal funding for breastfeeding remains a top policy priority for the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee. Join us by taking action:

• Organizations are invited to sign on to the Welcome Congress letter urging Congress to prioritize breastfeeding during the 118th Congressional Session, including by supporting federal funding for breastfeeding
• Individuals can use the USBC easy action tool to urge the President and Vice President to invest in breastfeeding
• Donate to support USBC advocacy efforts

The Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658/H.R. 3110) was signed into law by the President on December 29, 2022, extending federal protections for time and space to pump during the workday to millions more workers.
 
The bill was passed as part of the omnibus spending package. This legislation is the first standalone breastfeeding bill to receive a recorded vote on the House and Senate floor, where it received strong bipartisan support, including an astounding 92 yes votes in the Senate! The House version of the PUMP Act (H.R. 3110) was passed with a vote of 276-149.
 
“The future of our nation’s children is a little bit brighter thanks to the PUMP Act. Working parents who are trying to feed their babies now have the law on their side,” said Cheryl Lebedevitch, Senior Policy & Communications Manager at the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee, a national coalition of organizations with a shared mission to create a landscape of breastfeeding support.  
 
The Break Time for Nursing Mothers law, passed in 2010, requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for breastfeeding employees to pump during the work day. The 2022 PUMP Act makes several important changes to this landmark legislation:

• Provides the right to break time and space to pump breast milk at work to millions more workers, including teachers and nurses
• Makes it possible for workers to file a lawsuit to seek monetary remedies in the event that their employer fails to comply
• Clarifies that pumping time must be paid if an employee is not completely relieved from duty

 
The legislation went into effect immediately when it was signed, however, the enforcement provision included a 120-day delay, making the effective date for that provision April 28, 2023. In addition, there is a 3-year delay in the implementation of the protections for railway workers. Unfortunately, due to significant industry opposition, the law does not apply to flight attendants and pilots.