Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - USBC Staff Update, AHRQ Systematic Review, & more

The USBC e-Newsletter, Staying Abreast, is published in a weekly news brief format, called the Weekly Wire (WW). Past issues are archived below.

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The WW goes on hiatus several times a year: the weeks of the Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Year's holidays, the weeks before the Presidents Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day holidays, and the weeks of the USBC membership meetings.

Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - USBC Staff Update, AHRQ Systematic Review, & more

10/4/2024

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- National Policy Director Cheryl Lebedevitch Transition Announcement
- USBC is Hiring! Apply to the Advocacy and Policy Director Role
- Welcoming New Colorado-Based USBC Member Organizations: Yellowtail Lactation Consultants and Nurture & Nourish
- October is SIDS Awareness Month: Share Your Resources
- USBC Supports...
National News
- Draft Report on Systematic Review of Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children
- DOL Fact Sheet on Pumping Space Requirements for Employees
- Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act Passed by Senate and Advanced by House Committee
- Federal Budget Update
- Health Equity and Accountability Act Introduced in House and Senate
- CLASP Report on the Need for Paid Leave
- 2024 Progress Report on the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers
State & Community News
- Workplace Support Resources for Employers in Maine
- California Bill on Lactation Spaces for Court Users Signed Into Law
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

National Policy Director Cheryl Lebedevitch Transition Announcement

After fifteen years with the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee, National Policy Director Cheryl Lebedevitch will be stepping down from her role as Policy Director and transitioning to a role in the environmental field while continuing in a part-time capacity at the USBC as Policy Specialist. We at the USBC want to express our sincere gratitude to Cheryl for her years of dedication, leadership, collaboration, and for the countless contributions she made during her tenure. Cheryl's impact on the First Food field and on improving the breastfeeding experience for families and infants across the United States cannot be overstated. Her years of advocacy and partnership that led to the historic passage of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act is just one of her notable contributions! Visit the USBC blog to read a message of "Transition & Gratitude" from Cheryl.

USBC is Hiring! Apply to the Advocacy and Policy Director Role

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is seeking applicants for the full-time, remote Advocacy and Policy Director position. The National Advocacy and Policy Director will focus inclusively on developing and implementing policy strategies that advance the mission of the organization. This position provides leadership and oversight for USBC policy-related efforts, including legislative and regulatory tracking, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement. Visit our Job Opportunities webpage for a full description of the role and to apply.

Welcoming New Colorado-Based USBC Member Organizations: Nurture & Nourish and Yellowtail Lactation Consultants

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is thrilled to welcome two new Colorado-based lactation service organizations to the USBC membership network. Nurture & Nourish offers in-home lactation counseling, breastfeeding assessments, and prenatal breastfeeding education. They hope to empower families in making evidence-based feeding decisions that meet their lifestyle and personal goals and believe that large widescale policy change is needed to help more families provide human milk to their infants.

Yellowtail Lactation Consultants offers individual services by an Indigenous Lactation Counselor and full-spectrum doula. Yellowtail Lactation Consultants’ mission is to center the birthing person and support families in feeding their babies and honoring their bodies. They show up for their community by hosting booths at pow wows, hosting free community childbirth education classes and lactation sessions, and connecting with other community leaders. The USBC warmly welcomes both organizations to the USBC network!

October is SIDS Awareness Month: Share Your Resources

Each October, the infant care community recognizes Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month by spreading the word about ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related infant deaths. Babies who are breastfed or fed human milk are at a reduced risk for SIDS. The SIDS Awareness Month Toolkit provides sample social media messages, graphics, materials, and ideas for activities to engage with your communities. Find adaptable resources for new caregivers and grandparents, review materials in multiple languages, and learn about the Clear the Crib Challenge, a fun and friendly way to learn about a safe sleep environment for babies, with instructions provide in Spanish and English. We invite you to submit your organization's resources, tools, and materials on safe sleep for inclusion on our "October Is Safe Sleep And SIDS Awareness Month" webpage.

USBC Supports...

Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs: "FY25 SPRANS Sign-On Letter"

CDC Coalition: "opposing the cuts to CDC proposed in the House FY 2025 Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations bill"

National News

Draft Report on Systematic Review of Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality posted the draft report for the systematic review evidence report, "Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children." The review examines the evidence on the association between breastfeeding and infant and child health outcomes, including the extent to which these associations vary by the intensity, duration, mode, and source of breast milk consumption. In this review, breastfeeding refers to feeding breast milk directly from the breast or by other means and includes breast milk from pasteurized donor milk. Public comments on the draft systematic review can be submitted through Wednesday, October 23.

DOL Fact Sheet on Pumping Space Requirements for Employees

The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division released the "Space Requirements for Employees to Pump Breast Milk at Work under the FLSA" fact sheet. The resource provides detailed information on the space requirements for pumping breaks provided through the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act and is featured on the "FLSA Protections to Pump at Work" webpage.

Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act Passed by Senate and Advanced by House Committee

The Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act (S.1570/H.R. 3386) was advanced by the House Committee on Homeland Security and passed by the Senate. In 2016, the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Act was signed into law, requiring hygienic handling of breast milk and baby formula by security screening personnel of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The BABES Enhancement Act would build on the BABES Act by directing the TSA to issue guidance to minimize the risk for contamination and direct the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General to audit compliance with these requirements and submit a report to Congress.

Federal Budget Update

The House and Senate have passed and the President has signed the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R.9747). Known as a continuing resolution, the bill gives policymakers additional time to negotiate and pass the Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills, preventing a government shutdown that would have otherwise occurred on Tuesday, October 1. The continuing resolution provides funding for federal agencies through Friday, December 20.

USBC Insight: Detailed information on how the federal budget impacts the lactation field can be found on the Federal Appropriations for Breastfeeding webpage. Urge your legislators to prioritize funding for breastfeeding with the USBC "Tell Congress: Invest in Breastfeeding" action tool.

Health Equity and Accountability Act Introduced in House and Senate

The Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2024 (S.4773/H.R.9161) was introduced in both the House and Senate. The legislation would address health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities as well as women, the LGBTQ+ community, rural populations, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities across the United States. The bill includes a variety of provisions related to breastfeeding and lactation, including requiring the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a nationwide media campaign to increase awareness among health care providers and at-risk populations about pregnancy and breastfeeding information services; establishing awards for demonstration projects which provide support services, including breastfeeding support; and creating model programs for the care of incarcerated individuals in the prenatal and postpartum periods. Read the press release.

CLASP Report on the Need for Paid Leave

The Center for Law and Social Policy published the "Working People Need Access to Paid Leave" report. The report explores the need for paid leave in the 37 states that have not passed paid family and medical leave policies and examines the disproportionate harm to Black, Latina, and Native American women as well as the economic losses that families incur as a result of unpaid or partially paid leaves.

2024 Progress Report on the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living released the "2024 Federal Progress Report," detailing progress on the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers. The strategy presents a vision, establishes goals, and provides recommendations, including access to paid leave, for ensuring that family caregivers have the support and resources they need. The strategy also includes commitments from 15 federal agencies to nearly 350 actions to implement these recommendations. Read the press release.

State & Community News

Workplace Support Resources for Employers in Maine

The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition released the "Resources for Workplaces to Support Lactating Employees" toolkit for employers. The toolkit includes resources, tips, and guidance for employers to support their lactating employees when returning to work after having a baby. The coalition also announced the availability of the "Lactation-Friendly Workplace Support" video series. The videos showcase the importance of workplace support through the lens of several companies that are supporting their breastfeeding employees.

California Bill on Lactation Spaces for Court Users Signed Into Law

California Governor Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 3280 into law. Existing law requires the superior court, commencing July 1, 2026, to provide any court user access to a lactation room in any courthouse in which a lactation room is also provided to court employees. The new law authorizes a court to designate a lactation room for court users that does not meet all of the space requirements for lactating employees. The law requires the California Judicial Council to submit an annual report to the California Legislature with information about the construction, installation, and renovation of lactation rooms in superior courts.