Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening Registration & more

In this issue:

• USBC Updates
  • Announcing the 2024 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening: Registration Is Open!
  • USBC Mission Moment with Lourdes Santabella
  • Give a Mother's Day Gift That Makes a Difference For All Moms
  • May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month!
  • USBC Supports...
• International News
  • Online Platform for Tracking Nutrition Commitments
  National News
  • Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Resources for Workers, Employers, and Attorneys 
  • Resource for Managers & Employers on Lactation Accommodations
  • Report Connecting Environmental Justice and Reproductive Justice
• State & Community News
  • Georgia Bill Increasing Paid Parental Leave Duration Signed Into Law
  • Minnesota Bill Requiring Lactation Rooms at Public Universities Introduced 
  • Louisiana Bill Requiring Medicaid Coverage of Maternal Infant Health Services 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

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USBC Updates

Announcing the 2024 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening: Registration Is Open!

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is thrilled to open registration for the 2024 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening (NBCC)! This year's theme, Inspiring Change, Embracing Inclusion, and Impacting Communities, was crafted to focus on resources, information, and opportunities relevant to our diverse breastfeeding field as they work to serve lactating mothers and support families in communities across the country. Taking place Monday, June 3, through Wednesday, June 5, from 12 to 5 p.m. ET each day, the virtual convening is being thoughtfully designed to center attendees in equity and belonging, provide inspiration and practical information about levers for change, and spotlight how lactation-friendly policies can make an impact in a variety of settings. Learn more about the event, pricing, and marketing opportunities by visiting the 2024 conference webpage. Discounted early bird registration rates are available through Wednesday, May 15, with additional discounted options available to representatives from USBC member organizations via promo codes that were included in the May Member Newsletter, and are posted in the Members Connection of the First Food Connection Hub. Secure your spot at the conference today!

USBC Mission Moment with Lourdes Santabella

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee hosted the March 2024 Membership Meeting, a biannual event bringing together the nearly 140 member organizations that comprise the USBC and work collaboratively to drive policy and practice changes that create a landscape of breastfeeding support. At the opening of the meeting, USBC board member Lourdes Santabella delivered the Mission Moment, recalling her story of joining the USBC and reflecting on the growth of the USBC as a coalition of organizations. Thank you, Lourdes, for grounding us and inspiring our collective power to keep working toward more equitable systems and policies for breastfeeding families! Visit the "USBC Membership Meeting Mission Moment with Lourdes Santabella" blog to read a transcript of the mission moment.

Give a Mother's Day Gift That Makes a Difference For All Moms

Make a tribute donation to the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee this Mother's Day to honor a mom in your life while giving a gift that makes a difference for families nationwide. Breastfeeding flourishes with support, and breastfeeding success demands a systems-level approach. A donation to the USBC this Mother's Day funds our ongoing efforts for policies that safeguard breastfeeding and human milk access for mothers and families everywhere. Donate today!

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month!

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is here! This month honors the rich diversity of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and celebrates the countless contributions they have made throughout America's history. Asian/Pacific Americans make up more than 7% of the U.S. population. Visit our "May Is Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month" observance page for breastfeeding resources, tools, and materials that are centered around the needs of AAPI communities. Join us in honoring the rich culture of Asians and Pacific Islanders and raising awareness of the health disparities that exist among pregnant and breastfeeding families.

USBC Supports...

Coalition on Human Needs: "FY 2025 Labor-HHS-Ed 302(b) Organization Sign-on Letter"

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International News

Online Platform for Tracking Nutrition Commitments

The Global Nutrition Report Stakeholder Group released "The Nutrition Accountability Framework," an independent platform for registering nutrition commitments and monitoring nutrition actions made by governments, donors, civil society organizations, businesses, and others. The framework aims to help inform, shape, and inspire strong commitments to nutrition through comprehensive methods for qualifying, classifying, and reporting on nutrition action and monitoring how action translates to impact. The commitments are classified under different global nutrition targets, which include exclusive breastfeeding.

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National News

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Resources for Workers, Employers, and Attorneys

The Center for WorkLife Law released a package of resources to help workers, employers, attorneys, and advocates understand and access new protections available under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA):

• "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Understanding Your Rights" answers common questions from employees on doctors' notes and medical paperwork requirements and privacy protections. 
• "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Understanding Employer Obligations" is an employer briefing on permissible medical certification requests for employees seeking accommodation under the PWFA.
• The "Sample Medical Certification Form" is a template that can be used by workers requesting accommodation, healthcare providers recommending work changes, and employers seeking supporting documentation. The template is designed to protect worker privacy to the extent possible while giving employers the information they are allowed to request under the law.
• The "Pregnancy, Childbirth, Lactation, Related Medical Conditions: Reasonable Accommodation Request Form" is a model accommodation request form employers can adopt as a human resources tool or for employee handbooks.

Resource for Managers & Employers on Lactation Accommodations

The Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law released "Lactation Accommodations Laws & Practices - What Every Manager Should Know." This resource details why workplace lactation support is important for employees and businesses and highlights common mistakes employers and managers make when implementing worksite lactation support policies and how to avoid them. It includes a sample worksite lactation support policy that is based on federal requirements and good practices.

Report Connecting Environmental Justice and Reproductive Justice

The Mom and Baby Action Network released a report, "Healthy Environment for a Healthy Start: Promoting Environmental Justice for Equitable Birth Outcomes." The report uses data to connect reproductive justice and environmental justice concerns in the United States. It explains why major environmental health issues such as air pollution, extreme heat, fossil fuels, cosmetics, and natural disasters should also be understood and managed as serious reproductive justice and maternal and newborn health problems. Data and key research are presented showing how environmental health threats are exacerbating the current inequities that exist for Black, Indigenous, and other BIPOC pregnant and birthing people and their infants in the U.S.

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State & Community News

Georgia Bill Increasing Paid Parental Leave Duration Signed Into Law

Georgia Governor Kemp signed House Bill 1010 into law. The law increases the amount of paid parental leave available for state and local government employees from 120 hours to 240 hours and specifies that individuals employed full time by local education agencies are eligible for parental leave. Media highlights:

• Georgia Recorder: "Supporters of paid family leave for state workers applaud new Georgia law"

Minnesota Bill Requiring Lactation Rooms at Public Universities Introduced 

Missouri Representative Mann introduced HB 2848. The bill would require that beginning July 1, 2025, all public colleges and universities in Missouri to make a sufficient number of lactation rooms available on campus and provide free menstrual products in public restrooms.

Louisiana Bill Requiring Medicaid Coverage of Maternal Infant Health Services Introduced

Louisiana Representative Hughes introduced HB 489. The bill would require the Louisiana Department of Health to revise Medicaid coverage of maternal and infant health related services to include dietician and nutrition consultation, hospital-grade breast pumps for mothers with an infant in the neonatal intensive care unit, double electric breast pumps beginning at twenty weeks gestation, and funding for remote patient monitoring programs for pregnant and postpartum women. 

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Action Opportunities

Health Resources and Services Administration: "Information Collection Request: The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program Performance Measurement Information System"

Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective: "Request for Proposal for Indigenous Milk Medicine Week 2024: 'Mind Body Milk Medicine'" (deadline extended)

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Funding Opportunities

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "2024 Minority Research Grant Program." Application deadline: Monday, June 3.

Health Resources and Services Administration: "Maternal and Child Health Policy Innovation Program." Application deadline: Wednesday, July 10.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes." Application deadline: Wednesday, May 15.

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Upcoming Events

Monday, May 13:

• Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN): "May State of the Science Webinar - USDA Actions on Food and Nutrition Security: Child Nutrition Updates"

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News & Views

Bipartisan Policy Center: "Bipartisan Momentum on Paid Family Leave Policy in the 118th Congress"

JD Supra: "New York State Budget Bill's Impact on the Workplace: New York Enacts Paid Prenatal Leave and Paid Breast Milk Expression Time, While Keeping Paid COVID-19 Sick Leave on the Books through Mid-2025"

Michigan Breastfeeding Network: "Community Conversations To Advance Breastfeeding To Advance Breastfeeding Justice In Kent County Justice In Kent County"

National Partnership for Women & Families: "NPWF Condemns Partisan Effort To Weaken Pregnant Worker Protections"

New Beginnings: "The PUMP Act: What Nursing Families Need to Know"

New England Biz Law Update: "DOL offers industry-specific guidance on PUMP Act compliance"

U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): "EEOC Releases Workplace Guidance to Prevent Harassment"

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Journal Publications

Breastfeeding Medicine:

• "Partners with a Highly Favorable Attitude Toward Breastfeeding Contribute to Promoting Initiation and Length of Breastfeeding for More than 5 Months in a Population-Based Canadian Study"
• "Variation in Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration by Mode of Childbirth: A Prospective, Population-Based Study"