Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Special Section on State Family and Medical Leave Legislation & more

In this issue:

• USBC Updates
  • New USBC Data Survey Tool and Technical Assistance Sessions
  • Take Action with the USBC: Urge the President to Prioritize Babies in the Federal Budget
  • USBC Highlights How Paid Leave Impacts Breastfeeding Rates In Response to Request for Information
  • Call for Applications: Join a USBC Committee
  • Call for Submissions: Black History Month & Breastfeeding
• Special Section on State Family and Medical Leave Legislation
• International News
  • UNICEF e-Course on International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
  • USAID Ages and Stages Reference Package for Program Managers
• National News
  • Provisional Committee Announced for NASEM Study on Economic, Social, and Health Impact of Breastfeeding
  • Spanish Language Website on Medication Exposure during Pregnancy and Lactation
• State & Community News
  • New Jersey Bill Requiring Lactation Counseling at Health Care Facilities Introduced
• Action Opportunities
• Funding Opportunities
• Upcoming Events
• News & Views
• Journal Publications

 denotes a USBC member organization news item        denotes a USBC-affiliated constellation news item 

---

USBC Updates

New USBC Data Survey Tool and Technical Assistance Sessions 

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee launched a new data project tool, Infant Feeding in the U.S. With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the USBC is using the "Rebel.Science" platform to host this simple survey tool and support maternal and child health stakeholders in collecting timely and accurate data on infant feeding at the organizational, state, and national levels. Organizations are able to brand the survey with their own logo and images and distribute the 5-question multiple choice survey to their clients who have given birth within the past 6 months. As more organizations join in, survey hosts will be able to compare their results with other participating organizations. In collaboration with the designers at Rebel.Science, the USBC is hosting two technical assistance (TA) sessions in February to help organizations launch their survey. Join us for one of the sessions to get your data project off to a great start! Register below:

• Session 1: Monday, February 12, at 3:00 p.m. ET
• Session 2: Wednesday, February 28, at 3:00 p.m. ET

Take Action with the USBC: Urge the President to Prioritize Babies in the Federal Budget

The USBC launched the "Families Need Support: Prioritize Breastfeeding in the President's Budget" action tool. Individuals can use the tool to contact the President and Vice President and urge them to prioritize breastfeeding. Each fiscal year, the federal budget process begins with the President's Budget, which sets the stage for negotiations. Decisions about the 2025 President's Budget are being made right now, so we must raise our voices together to ask the White House to recommend $20 million for the CDC Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program. Take action with us today!

USBC Highlights How Paid Leave Impacts Breastfeeding Rates In Response to Request for Information

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee submitted a comment in response to the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional working group request for information (RFI) on paid leave. The USBC comment was developed with input from the Workplace Support Constellation and highlights how expanding access to paid leave can make a difference for breastfeeding, public health, and the economy; shares stories from families about their experiences with paid leave and how it impacts infant feeding; and provides recommendations and considerations for policymakers on providing equitable and comprehensive paid leave. Visit the Letters & Public Comments webpage for all USBC public comments and sign-on letters. 

Call for Applications: Join a USBC Committee

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is accepting applications for committee service. Working with a USBC committee is a fantastic way to lead, learn new skills, and experience the joy of governance rooted in inclusion and innovation. Volunteers provide critical recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding membership, finances, operationalizing equity, and beyond.  Express your interest via the form and our team will reach out when a committee has an opening.

The following committees are open solely to USBC member organization representatives:

• Finance & Audit Committee
• Membership Engagement Committee
• Nominating Committee

The following committees are open to all interested individuals:

• Conference Program Committee (Please note, the 2024 cohort has already been identified.)
• CRASH Committee (DEI)
• Sustainability & Vitality Committee (We aim to launch this new fundraising committee in 2024!)

Visit the USBC Committee webpage to learn about the work of each group. We hope you'll join us, because together, we do great things!

Call for Submissions: Black History Month & Breastfeeding

February is Black History Month! The USBC hosts a webpage for the month with a curated selection of infant feeding news and resources. Celebrate breastfeeding during Black History Month with us by sharing relevant materials and tools that can be amplified on the USBC webpage. By working together to raise awareness about Black maternal, infant, and child health and bringing to light community priorities, strengths, and assets, we can better support families and advance health equity.

Are you involved with an organization working to reduce disparities and advance health equity? The USBC coordinates the Creating Space Scholarship for new USBC member organizations that are led by and serving BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) or other priority populations. Scholarship recipients receive complimentary organizational membership to the USBC for one year. Learn more. 

---

Special Section on State Family and Medical Leave Legislation

Access to paid family and medical leave has a significant impact on breastfeeding outcomes. Yet, the United States is one of the only countries in the world without a national paid family and medical leave program, and many workers are not even eligible for unpaid leave. Currently, thirteen states and the District of Columbia have paid leave programs. In recent weeks, dozens of state legislatures have begun new legislative sessions and a flurry of state family and medical leave bills have been filed, including:

• Arizona:
  • Arizona State Representative Hamilton introduced the Arizona Thriving Families Act (House Bill 2715). The bill would provide up to 26 weeks of paid leave for employees who are pregnant or have given birth, to care for a new child, to care for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, or in relation to military service. The program would be funded through employer and employee payroll contributions and would include a civil penalty for violations of the law.
• Hawaii:
  • Hawaii State Senator Chang and Representative Kapela introduced Senate Bill 2046/House Bill 1658. The bill would provide up to 16 weeks of paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child, to care for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, in response to violence or abuse, or in relation to military service.
  • Hawaii State Senator Kouchi and Representative Saiki introduced Senate Bill 2207/House Bill 1876. The bill would establish a paid family leave program for state and county employees that provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth or placement of a child or to care for a family member who has a serious health condition. 
• Kentucky:
  • Kentucky State Representative Stevenson introduced An Act Relating to Family Care Leave (House Bill 195). The bill would require employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid family care leave to care for a child or family member. 
  • Kentucky State Representative Bojanowski introduced House Bill 366. The bill would provide up to 40 days of maternity leave to teachers following the birth or adoption of a child. 
• Mississippi: Mississippi State Senator Turner-Ford introduced the Mississippi Paid Family Leave Act. The bill would require the Mississippi Department of Employment Security to administer a paid family leave program providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for employees to care for a new child, care for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, or in relation to military service.
• Missouri: Missouri State Representative Manlove introduced the Missouri Family and Medical Leave Act. The bill would provide up to four weeks of paid family and medical leave for employees to care for themselves or a loved one. 
• Nebraska: Nebraska State Senator Cavanaugh introduced the Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act (LB 1139). The bill would provide up to 10 weeks of annual paid leave for employees to care for a new child, care for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, or in relation to military service.
• New Mexico: 
  • New Mexico State Senator Stewart and Representative Chandler introduced the Paid Family Medical Leave Act (Senate Bill 3/House Bill 6). The bill would establish a state-run paid family medical leave (PFML) program, providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for employees who do not receive a qualifying benefit from their employer. The program would be funded through payroll tax contributions.
  • New Mexico State Representative Matthews introduced the Paid Family & Medical Leave Insurance Act (House Bill 11). The bill would establish a state-run paid family medical leave (PFML) program, providing up to six weeks of paid leave for employees who do not receive a qualifying benefit from their employer. 
• Virginia:
  • Virginia State Senator Boysko introduced Senate Bill 373. The bill would require the Virginia Employment Commission to establish and administer a paid family and medical leave insurance program, providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave to eligible employees. Funding for the program would be provided through premiums assessed to employers and employees and the benefit amount would include up to 80 percent of the employee's average weekly wage, not to exceed 80 percent of the statewide average weekly wage.
• West Virginia: 
  • West Virginia State Representative Young introduced the Establishing the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Benefits Act (House Bill 4489). The bill would establish a state-sponsored medical and family leave insurance program that provides up to 12 weeks of annual leave for employees to care for a new child, care for themselves or a family member with a serious health condition, or in relation to military service. The program would be funded through employer and employee payroll contributions. 
  • West Virginia State Senator Deeds and Representative Pushkin introduced Senate Bill 417/House Bill 4631. The bill would establish a pilot program to provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave to determine the viability of paid parental leave for state employees as a means of promoting working families' physical and mental health, increasing employee retention, and improving employee productivity and morale following the birth or adoption of a child.
  • West Virginia State Senator Nelson introduced Senate Bill 372. The bill would provide up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for state employees. 
  • West Virginia State Representative Foster introduced the Local Government Labor and Consumer Marketing Regulatory Limitation Act (HB 4636). The bill would prohibit political subdivisions from enacting certain ordinances, regulations, local policies, local resolutions, or other legal requirements, including requirements related to paid family and medical leave. 

---

International News

UNICEF e-Course on International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes

UNICEF updated the free e-learning course, "Introduction to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (2nd Edition)." The self-paced course offers learners a comprehensive introduction to the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and the duties it confers on governments, manufacturers, and distributors of certain infant feeding products, and health care providers. The resource covers the impact of infant feeding practices on child survival, development, and health outcomes throughout the life course; the role of the International Code in creating facilitating environments for breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding; the scope and provisions of the International Code; obligations of duty-bearers identified in the International Code; and tools and resources available to support the implementation of the International Code. 

USAID Ages and Stages Reference Package for Program Managers

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) released "Supporting Integrated Infant and Young Child Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Programming: Ages and Stages Reference Package and Resource Collection." The resource is designed to help program managers design and implement more holistic and integrated programming that will support the health and development of children from zero to two years of age. The package includes four age-specific modules that provide information, at each age/stage, on how children grow and develop, what their feeding and care needs are, and the challenges caregivers face in providing optimal care. 

---

National News

Provisional Committee Announced for NASEM Study on Economic, Social, and Health Impact of Breastfeeding

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) gathered a committee of experts to conduct a consensus report study on policies, programs, and investments to better understand the landscape of breastfeeding promotion, initiation, and support across the United States. The study will provide an evidence-based analysis of the macroeconomic, social, and health costs and benefits of the United States' current breastfeeding rates and goals; and will build on what is known about inequalities in breastfeeding rates and reducing racial, geographic, and income-related breastfeeding disparities. A formal comment period on the provisional committee slate is open through Monday, February 19.

USBC Insight: Funding for this study was established in the Fiscal Year 2023 federal budget which had advocacy support from the First Food field. 

Spanish Language Website on Medication Exposure during Pregnancy and Lactation

MotherToBaby launched a new bilingual website featuring evidence-based information on the benefits or risks of medications and other exposures during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. The revamped website is now fully accessible in Spanish, addressing the need for inclusive health education for Spanish-speaking pregnant and breastfeeding individuals. The website is supported by funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

---

State & Community News

New Jersey Bill Requiring Lactation Counseling at Health Care Facilities Introduced

New Jersey State Senator Timberlake introduced Senate Bill 1099. The bill would require every hospital that provides inpatient maternity services and every birthing center licensed in the state to offer at least one consultation with a lactation counselor or lactation consultant after birth prior to that person's discharge. 

---

Action Opportunities

Employment and Training Administration: "National Apprenticeship System Enhancements"

Federal Emergency Management Agency: "Individual Assistance Program Equity"

---

Funding Opportunities

Systems for Action: "2024 Call for Proposals: Systems & Services Research to Address Systemic Racism." Application deadline: Wednesday, February 7.

---

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, February 7:

•  Alimentación Segura Infantil: "¿Qué Son los 1000 Días? [What are the 1000 Days?]" 
  *Event reshared with corrected hosting organization

Thursday, February 15:

•  Michigan Breastfeeding Network: "2024 Local Breastfeeding Supporter Meetings" (Recurring Meeting)

Tuesday, February 27:

• The Main Street Alliance: "Getting Up To Speed: State Momentum for Paid Family Medical Leave!"
• U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): "PUMP at Work Protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act for Teachers"

---

News & Views

Boston 25: "'Vital initiative': Cape Cod Hospital opens human donor milk depot"

Forbes: "Maternity Leave Benefits Are On A Decline, National Study Shows"

Health Resources and Services Administration: "HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson, Joined by Rep. Lauren Underwood, Launches New National Maternal Health Initiative"

Source NM: "Paid family and medical leave bill moves ahead in the Roundhouse"

The 19th: "WIC has never turned qualifying people away. If Congress can't agree, it may have to start."

U.S. Department of Agriculture: "Chart Detail: Breastfeeding initiation increased among WIC participants and WIC-eligible nonparticipants across racial and ethnic groups from 2009–17"

21-WFMJ: "Pennsylvania law expands access for infants needing donor breast milk"

---

Journal Publications

American Journal of Public Health: "Breastfeeding by Disability Status in the United States: Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2018-2020"

Community, Work & Family: "Explaining the positive relationship between state-level paid family leave and mental health"

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: "Racial and ethnic inequities in the quality of paediatric care in the USA: a review of quantitative evidence"

Women's Health Issues: "Effects of Breastfeeding Peer Counseling on County-Level Breastfeeding Rates Among WIC Participants in Greater Minnesota" Media highlights:

• Medical Xpress: "Peer counseling programs found to positively impact rates of breastfeeding among rural WIC participants"