Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Federal Budget Analysis, ATNI BMS & CF Marketing Index 2024 Release, & 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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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Federal Budget Analysis, ATNI BMS & CF Marketing Index 2024 Release, & more

3/29/2024

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Federal Budget Update
- Join the USBC Team! Job Application Deadlines
- Tune in Tuesday, 4/2! Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) & Complementary Foods (CF) Marketing: U.S. Country Report Launch Event
- Honor the Changemakers Close to Your Heart & Make a Special Kind of Donation
International News
- ATNI BMS & CF Marketing Index 2024 Release
National News
- ABM Position Statement on Paid Maternity Leave
- National Public Health Week 2024 Guide
- Letter to FAA on Lactation Accommodations for Flight Crew
- Black Maternal Health Week Social Media Toolkit
- FAMILY Act Briefing Document
- 2024 Care Report Card
- Executive Order on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation
State & Community News
- Texas Court Decision Limits PWFA Protections for State Employees
- Utah Bill Providing Paid Leave for Teachers 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

Federal Budget Update

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee released an updated version of the "Federal Appropriations For Breastfeeding" webpage. The webpage traces funding levels for agencies and programs relevant to the lactation field at each step in the federal budget process and reflects recent activity.

Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget finalized: Congress passed and the President signed the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (H.R.2882), finalizing the Fiscal Year 2024 federal budget. The six-bill appropriations package includes the appropriations bills on the Department of Defense; Financial Services and General Government; Department of Homeland Security; Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies; Legislative Branch Appropriations Act; and the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. Joint explanatory statements for each division of the package are available on the House Appropriations Committee “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024” webpage. The final budget includes $9.75M for the CDC Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding line item, level funding from the previous fiscal year.
President's Fiscal Year 2025 budget: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the "Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2025." The report contains the Budget Message of the President for Fiscal Year 2025, information on the President's priorities, and summary tables. The President's budget included level funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program at $9.75M, and the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program at $90M. One of the most notable provisions in the President's proposal is $325B to establish a national paid family and medical leave program, providing up to 12 weeks of leave for eligible employees.

Apply to Join the USBC Team! Job Application Deadlines

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is still accepting applications for the Executive Director and Senior Development Coordinator roles.

The Executive Director is responsible for leading and overseeing all aspects of the USBC portfolio of work, including the organization's strategic direction, program development, daily operations, and achievement of financial objectives. This position serves as a public face of the organization, advocating and collaborating closely with the board, staff, partners, and supporters to advance the USBC mission and create positive momentum to support breastfeeding. The deadline to apply for the Executive Director position is Friday, April 5.
The Senior Development Coordinator (SDC) will support the development and implementation of the overarching annual development plan and strategies, including managing USBC fundraising initiatives. This position is responsible for ensuring that individuals from member organizations, coalitions of all types, and beyond, are connected with the USBC in myriad opportunity spaces to ensure maximum engagement for impact and sustainability. The deadline to apply for the Senior Development Coordinator role is Monday, April 1.

Tune in Tuesday, 4/2! Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) and Complementary Foods (CF) Marketing: U.S. Country Report Launch Event

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is hosting the "Breast Milk Substitutes and Complementary Foods Marketing in the United States: Launch of the 2024 Country Report" webinar on Tuesday, April 2, from 12-1:30 p.m. ET. Developed by the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI), the BMS and CF Marketing indexes assess the marketing policies of the 20 largest baby food companies globally. As a compliment to this work, ATNI also conducts country studies that assess the companies' practices on the ground. This webinar will be the launch event for the United States BMS and CF Marketing country report and will feature a discussion with Kimarie Bugg, CEO and Change Leader of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, on the impact of BMS and CF marketing on families and communities, and with Jennifer Pomeranz, Associate Professor of Public Health Policy and Management at the NYU School of Global Public Health, on legally-feasible pathways to address marketing practices in the U.S.

Honor the Changemakers Close to Your Heart & Make a Special Kind of Donation

Every day the USBC team works to advance our mission to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. We rely on our partners, our member organizations, our action-takers, and supporters like you to help make it happen! Today we are asking you to show your support by making a special kind of donation that supports our mission, vision, and collective values. When you donate to the USBC in honor or memory of someone close to your heart, you are helping to sustain our vision of thriving families and communities. Your donation in their name supports USBC efforts to advance policy, system, and environmental changes critical to achieving this vision for every family and community. After choosing a donation amount, you will have the opportunity to share the name of your loved one. Thank you for your generosity and for celebrating your loved ones and the changemakers in your life!

International News

ATNI BMS & CF Marketing Index 2024 Release

The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) released the "Breast-milk Substitutes (BMS) and Complementary Foods (CF) Marketing Indexes 2024." The Indexes offer comprehensive insights into the marketing policies and practices of Breast-milk Substitutes and Complementary Foods (CF) of the 20 largest companies globally. The reports highlight key findings, trends, and areas of improvement, providing valuable information for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and advocacy groups. None of the companies assessed fully align with the Code. ATNI also published the "ATNI Complementary Food Product Profile 2024," which assesses the nutritional quality and labeling practices of commercially available complementary foods.

National News

ABM Position Statement on Paid Maternity Leave

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) issued a position statement, "Paid Maternity Leave-Importance to Society, Breastfeeding, and Sustainable Development." The statement highlights the significance of paid leave to breastfeeding, bonding, and recovery from childbirth and how it helps meet a number of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, including fostering economic growth. The statement emphasizes that equitable paid maternity leave must be primarily provided by governments and cannot be accomplished by employers alone.

National Public Health Week 2024 Guide

National Public Health Week is Monday, April 1, through Sunday, April 7. The Public Health and Equity Resource Navigator (PHERN) released a guide for National Public Health Week 2024 focused on this year's theme Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: We Are All Public Health. The guide is designed to help the public health community prepare for National Public Health Week by providing information and curated resources for the daily themes, recommended events, and more. This year's focus on centering and celebrating cultures in health is an opportunity for those in the public health community to deepen knowledge about the connection between culture and health, center stories from different cultural groups, and take action to promote culture and health.

Letter to FAA on Lactation Accommodations for Flight Crew

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and eighteen additional senators sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Whitaker calling attention to the continued need for clear and workable rules permitting members of flight crews to pump breast milk aboard aircraft during non-critical phases of flight. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act guarantees working parents who want to pump milk during their workday have that right without risking discipline or termination from their employer, however, pilots and flight attendants were excluded from these protections. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 (S. 1939/H.R. 3935) includes a provision that would require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue guidance to air carriers relating to the expression of breast milk by crewmembers on an aircraft during non-critical phases of flight. The Senate letter urges the FAA to act preemptively to prepare this guidance. Read the press release.

USBC Insight: The PUMP Act Coalition and a variety of breastfeeding coalitions reached out to Senators to encourage them to sign on to the letter. Thank you to all who mobilized! Individuals are encouraged to contact their legislators about protecting lactating flight crew with the “Tell Congress: Support Breastfeeding Pilots & Flight Attendants” action tool.

Black Maternal Health Week Social Media Toolkit

Black Maternal Health Week will take place Thursday, April 11 through Wednesday, April 17. Black Mamas Matter Alliance released the "2024 Black Maternal Health Week Toolkit." The toolkit includes messaging guidance around this year's theme, Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!, along with key health facts, talking points, sample social media messaging, graphics, and other information to help organizations get engaged and ready for Black Maternal Health Week.

FAMILY Act Briefing Document

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) published a briefing document on the FAMILY Act. The new resource breaks down the current status of paid leave in the United States and how the FAMILY Act can help improve our health and the economy. The brief highlights the need for paid leave including the health and economic benefits, the consequences of not having it, and how the FAMILY Act would make paid family and medical leave available to working families.

2024 Care Report Card

The Century Foundation released "Care Matters: A 2024 Report Card for Policies in the States." The report card grades U.S. states on their care infrastructure and policies, including paid family and medical leave and pregnant worker fairness. The report includes recommended actions for states in each care area.

Executive Order on Advancing Women’s Health Research and Innovation

The White House issued an "Executive Order on Advancing Women's Health Research and Innovation." The executive order will integrate women's health across the federal research portfolio, prioritize investments in women’s health research, galvanize new research on women's midlife health, and assess unmet needs to support women's health research.

State & Community News

Texas Court Decision Limits PWFA Protections for State Employees

A Better Balance released a resource article, "Court Decision Limits Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Rights for Texas State Government Employees: FAQ." As a result of a recent court decision, people who work for the State of Texas cannot file claims under a new federal law, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which entitles most workers to reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions. The article provides answers to questions about how this decision affects Texas state government employees. Media highlights include:

The 19th: "If your boss is the state of Texas, some pregnancy protections just ended for you"

Utah Bill Providing Paid Leave for Teachers Signed Into Law

Utah Governor Cox signed House Bill 431 into law. The bill includes a range of provisions aimed at improving teacher retention in the state, including providing up to three weeks of paid postpartum recovery leave.

Action Opportunities

California WIC Association: "Celebrate WIC's 50th Anniversary"

Childhood Obesity: "Call for Papers: Promotion of Health and Wellness in Early Childhood Settings - Special Issue Honoring Dr. Dianne Stanton Ward"

National WIC Association: "FY25 Appropriations Sign-on: FRIENDS OF THE SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN (WIC)"

Funding Opportunities

Blue & You Foundation: "2024 Maternal and Pediatric Health Grants Request for Proposals." Letter of intent deadline: Friday, April 12. Application deadline: Friday, May 17.

HRSA Maternal & Child Health Bureau: "Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program: Base and Matching Grant Awards." Application deadline: Wednesday, May 29.

Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition: "Registration Stipend for USBC 2024 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening." Application deadline: Wednesday, April 10.