Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - National Breastfeeding Month Theme Announcement & 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 - National Breastfeeding Month Theme Announcement & more

5/30/2024

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- 2024 National Breastfeeding Month Theme Announcement & Proclamation Toolkit
- Last Chance to Register for the USBC Conference!
- USBC Interim Executive Director Quoted in Article on Breastfeeding and Air Travel
- June is Pride Month: Join the Celebration
- Weekly Wire Hiatus
International News
- Report on Implementation of the Code Around the Globe
- 2024 World Health Statistics Report
National News
- New Resources on Title IX Protections for Pregnant and Parenting Students
State & Community News
- North Carolina Momnibus Act of 2024 Introduced
- South Carolina Bill Requiring Coverage of Lactation Services Introduced
- Lactation Accommodation in Public Transportation Facilities Act Introduced in New York
- Ohio Bill Allowing Use of Sick Leave Towards Parental Leave 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

2024 National Breastfeeding Month Theme Announcement & Proclamation Toolkit

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is gearing up for the 13^th annual National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) this August, and we are thrilled to announce that this year's theme is Nourish, Sustain, Thrive. This theme will shine a light on why protecting, promoting, and supporting lactation is so important for the human life cycle, honor the incredible work that organizations are doing to make the world a little more friendly for new parents and families, and highlight how individuals, funders, and policymakers can contribute to a strong and sustainable lactation field.

The USBC also released this year's NBM Proclamation Toolkit, a package of resources designed to ease the process of submitting a request to your state or territory's governor to proclaim August as Breastfeeding Month. The toolkit includes a spreadsheet with links and information on submitting a request in each state and territory, as well as templates for both long and abbreviated proclamations that can be customized for your submission. The toolkit can also be utilized for proclamation requests in cities and municipalities, but please note that you will need to identify the method and criteria for submitting a request in your district.

Last Chance to Register for the USBC Conference!

The 2024 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening kicks off on Monday, but you can still register to attend through this weekend. The event will take place online, Monday, June 3, through Wednesday, June 5, from 12 to 5 p.m. ET each day with the theme, Inspiring Change, Embracing Inclusion, and Impacting Communities. Experts and leaders from across the First Food field come together for this singular event to catalyze policy and systems-level changes to better support breastfeeding and human milk feeding across the nation. Sessions are designed to advance our collective understanding of the barriers that keep us from achieving national goals related to maternal, infant, and child health outcomes, in addition to revealing promising solutions to overcome these challenges. We hope you'll join us next week for a rich three days filled with informative sessions and inspirational speakers who will help you take your efforts to the next level, making an even bigger difference for babies and families.

USBC Interim Executive Director Quoted in Article on Breastfeeding and Air Travel

Kentucky Lantern published the article, "A bipartisan push to make air travel easier for new parents packing breast milk and formula." The article discusses some of the challenges of navigating airports while breastfeeding and how the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Enhancement Act would make it easier for new parents to travel while breastfeeding. The article features insights from Tina Sherman, USBC Interim Executive Director.

June is Pride Month: Join the Celebration

June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. The commemorative month recognizes the impact that LGBTQIA+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Visit the USBC Pride Month webpage for a compilation of resources for families and providers. If your organization hosts relevant human milk-feeding resources, share them with us by using the submission form. USBC member organizations are also invited to share upcoming events for Pride Month and beyond for the USBC Events Calendar by submitting them through the USBC Member Portal.

Weekly Wire Hiatus

The Weekly Wire will be on hiatus next week while we host the 2024 National Breastfeeding and Convening. We look forward to connecting and bringing you the latest updates from the field when we return!

International News

Report on Implementation of the Code Around the Globe

The World Health Organization released the "Marketing of breast-milk substitutes: national implementation of the International Code, status report 2024." The report provides updated information on the status of implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, "the Code," and examines the processes countries use to monitor and enforce compliance with Code laws. The report also provides case studies from several countries on their legislative processes, highlighting examples of interference from manufacturers and distributors of breast-milk substitutes in efforts to weaken and delay Code implementation.

2024 World Health Statistics Report

The World Health Organization released the "World Health Statistics 2024" report. This report contains an annual compilation of health and health-related indicators. The 2024 edition reviews more than 50 health-related indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO's Thirteenth General Programme of Work. Protecting and promoting breastfeeding is highlighted as a strategy for addressing malnutrition. Media highlights include:

ReliefWeb: "World health statistics 2024: Monitoring health for the SDGs, Sustainable Development Goals [EN/AR/RU]"

National News

New Resources on Title IX Protections for Pregnant and Parenting Students

The Pregnant Scholar released "Frequently Asked Questions: 2024 Title IX Regulations on Pregnant and Parenting Students," a document that answers common questions about new protections for pregnant and parenting students under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act. The Pregnant Scholar also released "Title IX Medical Documentation Requests," a guide on requesting documentation for pregnancy-related modifications.

USBC Insight: Last month, the U.S. Department of Education published updated regulations interpreting Title IX of the Education Amendments Act, the federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in educational programs receiving federal funding. The regulations clarify and expand important protections for pregnant and parenting students, including those who are breastfeeding. The regulations will go into effect on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

State & Community News

North Carolina Momnibus Act of 2024 Introduced

A group of North Carolina senators introduced the MOMnibus 2.5 (S838). The bill would enact the North Carolina Momnibus Act of 2024, which would establish an implicit bias training program for maternal healthcare providers, a perinatal education program for pregnant women and their families, and a training program for community health workers.

South Carolina Bill Requiring Coverage of Lactation Services Introduced

A group of South Carolina legislators introduced S 5543. The bill would require the coverage of lactation care and services provided by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) under state health insurance plans beginning in 2025. The bill would require coverage without cost sharing for all active and retired state employees and its public school districts, and their spouses and other dependents.

New York Bill Requiring Lactation Accommodations in Public Transportation Facilities Introduced

New York Senator Cooney introduced the Lactation Accommodation in Public Transportation Facilities Act (S09509). The bill would require the construction of a private room for nursing mothers during the construction, replacement, or renovation of a service area or roadside rest area where food is offered for sale.

Ohio Bill Allowing Use of Sick Leave Towards Parental Leave Introduced

Ohio Representative Robinson, Jr. and Representative Brent introduced House Bill 574. The bill would allow Board of Education employees to utilize up to 480 hours of accrued but unused sick leave for parental leave after the birth of a child, stillborn birth, or adoption of a child.