Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Special Section on Paid Leave, Giving Season Continues & more

In this issue:

• USBC Updates
  • Giving Tuesday is Over but Giving Season Continues
  • Recently Updated: USBC Breastfeeding Policy Map 
• Special Section on Paid Leave
• National News
  • WIC Breastfeeding Policy Inventory II Findings Released
  • DeLauro Highlights Risks of Infant Formula for Vulnerable Infants in Letter to FDA
  • March of Dimes 2024 Report Card Released
  • Resources for Tribal Nations For Advancing Public Health 
• 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

Giving Tuesday is Over but Giving Season Continues

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Giving Tuesday campaign! While we didn’t meet our fundraising goal of 200 donations, we are incredibly grateful for the generosity of those who were able to make a gift. Donations help fuel our advocacy efforts for policy and practice changes that support breastfeeding in communities across the nation. If you didn't have a chance to donate on Tuesday, there's still time to give this calendar year. Here are a few options:

• Become a monthly donor. Set your own frequency and custom amount on our secure donation site. 
• Turn your used vehicle into a tax-deductible donation to the USBC. CARS will pick up, tow, and handle the details for you.
• Mail a check to our office to arrive before December 31. Here's the address:1629 K Street NW Suite 300,  Washington, District of Columbia 20006
• Shop for holiday cards and gifts from Minted and save 20% by using the code FUNDRAISEUSBC at checkout. In return, Minted will donate 15% to the USBC. 
• Purchase a USBC-branded sweatshirt, tee, tote, or mug by shopping for merchandise at our online store, and make a donation at point of sale. 

Recently Updated: USBC Breastfeeding Policy Map 

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee hosts the Breastfeeding Policy Map, a resource to help the lactation field monitor federal and state policy proposals — bills and regulations that have been introduced this session but are not yet passed. Updated regularly to reflect proposals with the potential to impact infant feeding and/or the lactation field, the map is a great way to keep tabs on the policy efforts happening in your state. The policies included on the map are curated from government sources, allowing the lactation field to quickly and proactively scan the policy landscape to stay informed about policy opportunities, challenges, and emerging trends. Select a state or issue area to view relevant bills and regulations, including bill status, most recent action, and a link to the full text. The map is up to date as of Saturday, November 30. Please note that the Breastfeeding Policy Map software platform does not currently support policy tracking for U.S. territories, however, the USBC team has and will continue to advocate for that important expansion.

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Special Section on Paid Leave

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. The USBC and the lactation field have been active in efforts to increase access to paid leave. Highlights from the field on this policy area include:

• Arkansas: The Arkansas legislature allows members to prefile bills before the opening of the legislative session. Two pieces of legislation related to paid leave were prefiled. 
  • Arkansas Representative Collins prefiled the Strong Families Act (HB 1018). The bill would offer an income tax credit to employers that provide paid family and medical leave. Employers would be eligible for a credit of up to 25 percent of the amount of wages paid to a qualified employee during leave, up to $4,000 per qualified employee each year.  
  • Arkansas Representative Collins prefiled House Bill 1017. The bill would require public school districts and public charter schools to provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to employees of public school districts and open-enrollment public charter schools in the state. 
• DOL: The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau announced the results from the "Understanding Equity in Paid Leave through Microsimulation Analysis" project. Through a literature review and data analysis, the project explored the distributional outcomes and impact of certain state and federal policies on paid leave access and usage, including research identifying who is least likely to have gained access to paid leave through various state and federal policy interventions. In addition to the national project report, the Women's Bureau released briefs on the impact of paid family and medical leave in four states, a brief on the treatment of paid family and medical leave for purposes of state and federal taxation, and a report on equity in paid family and medical leave programs. Read the press release.
• Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center: The Prental-to-3 Policy Impact Center published the "State policy progress on paid family and medical leave in 2024" research brief. The brief identifies fourteen states that have adopted a paid family and medical leave program in which all parents are allowed to take between six and 12 weeks off of work to bond with a new child. Ten of those states have already implemented their programs, and the remaining four states will do so by the end of 2026. The brief outlines how these programs vary from one another.
• Texas: The Texas legislature allows members to prefile bills before the opening of the legislative session. Texas legislators prefiled several pieces of legislation related to paid leave. 
  • Texas Senator Johnson prefiled Texas Senate Bill 237. The bill would allow school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt a parental leave policy that provides eight consecutive weeks of paid parental leave for a full-time employee who is the primary caregiver of the child or four consecutive weeks of paid parental leave for an employee who is the spouse of the primary caregiver of the child. School districts would be entitled to an annual allotment equal to the amount of compensation provided for paid parental leave.
  • Texas Senator Zaffirini prefiled Texas Senate Bill 48. The bill would amend the Texas Government Code to extend eligibility for paid parental leave, currently available to state employees, to employees of institutions of higher education.
  • Texas Representative Lalani prefiled Texas House Bill 846. The bill would require school districts in Texas to adopt a policy providing up to 12 weeks of parental leave for classroom teachers who have been employed for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours during the previous 12-month period. The teachers would be required to use any available paid vacation and sick leave, and the remainder of the leave would be unpaid.
  • Texas Representative Ordaz Perez prefiled Texas House Bill 334. The bill would establish a county employee family leave pool program, which would allow county employees to voluntarily transfer their accrued sick or vacation leave time to a pool that can be accessed by other eligible employees. 

Paid Leave News & Views:

• Department of Labor Press Release: "Department of Labor recovers $14K in back wages from Little Rock hospital for employee illegally fired while on family medical leave"
• Ms. Magazine: "It’s Time for Federal Paid Leave for Caregivers"
• Senator Fischer Press Release: "Fischer Rallies Support for Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Bill" 

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National News

 WIC Breastfeeding Policy Inventory II Findings Released

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released findings from the WIC Breastfeeding Policy Inventory II survey. Over the past decade, FNS launched a national breastfeeding campaign and competency-based breastfeeding training curriculum for WIC staff; WIC state and local agencies increased their use of technology to serve WIC participants; and Congress substantially increased funding for the Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program. The study provides the first comprehensive update on WIC breastfeeding policies and practices since these changes were implemented. The study also responded to a congressional directive to understand the criteria WIC state agencies use to determine whether participants receive breastfeeding services and supplies.

DeLauro Highlights Risks of Infant Formula for Vulnerable Infants in Letter to FDA

Congresswoman Rosa Delauro sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration’s Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods, urging him to increase public awareness of the benefits of human donor milk and the potential benefits of human milk-derived human milk fortifier for very low birth weight infants. The letter highlights the clinical research demonstrating that human milk lowers the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis. Read the press release. 

March of Dimes 2024 Report Card Released

March of Dimes released the "2024 March of Dimes Report Card" which sheds light on the factors driving maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in the United States, District of Colombia, and Puerto Rico. Since 2008, this report has aimed to educate and advocate for improved outcomes for mothers and babies and has consistently shown that disparities persist. Preterm birth rates remain high with over 370,000 babies born preterm in 2023, which amounts to 10.4% of all births. This has earned the nation a D+ rating for the third consecutive year. The resource features an interactive map that allows you to compare your state's ranking to other states. The report highlights the connection between paid family and medical leave and increased breastfeeding rates. 

Resources for Tribal Nations For Advancing Public Health 

The Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law hosts the "Supporting Sovereignty and Indigenous Health" webpage. The webpage features resources designed to support Tribal Nations working to reinforce and restore traditional ways to advance health among Indigenous communities. Resources include the "First Food is Medicine: A Toolkit to Support Tribal Policies to Protect the First Food" which was developed to offer support and guidance for Tribal leaders, public health staff, child care providers, employers, and community members who seek to protect and sustain breastfeeding within their communities.

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Action Opportunities

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "Health Equity Advisory Committee." Member nominations deadline: Thursday, December 12.

Consumer Product Safety Commission: "Safety Standard for Soft Infant and Toddler Carriers." Public comments deadline: Friday, December 20.

National Association of County and City Health Officials: "Now Recruiting for NACCHO's Virtual Learning Collaborative for the Inclusion of MCH Populations in Emergency Preparedness and Response." Recruitment form deadline: Monday, December 16. 

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Funding Opportunities

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "EHB-Benchmark Plan Modernization Grant for States with a Federally-Facilitated Exchange." Application deadline: Wednesday, January 15, 2025.

National Institutes of Health: "Translational Research in Maternal and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)." Application deadline: Wednesday, February 5, 2025.

National Institutes of Health: "Translational Research in Maternal and Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)." Application deadline: Sunday, February 16, 2025.

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, December 12:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: "What to Expect When Expecting at Work: PWFA and the Power to Pump"

Tuesday, December 17:

•  BreastfeedLA: "The WHO Code: History, Relevance, and Responsibilities"

Tuesday, January 7, 2025:

• Health Resources and Services Administration: "Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality"

On-Demand:

•  Michigan Breastfeeding Network, Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinars: "Father Empowerment: Beneficial for Everyone"

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News & Views

BBC: "Breastfeeding sculpture aims to challenge stigma"

 Center for Health Equity, Education, & Research: "CHEER 2023 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: CATHY CAROTHERS, BLA, IBCLC, FILCA!"

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "CMS Announces New Policies to Reduce Maternal Mortality, Increase Access to Care, and Advance Health Equity"

Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast: "Preemie Strong – Get To Know The Facts!"

 National Institute for Children’s Health Quality: "NICHQ Awarded $6.9M to Eliminate Disparities for Black Mothers and Birthing People and Their Infants"

Psychology Today: "The ROI of Parental Leave"

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: "HHS Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health, Details Next Steps"

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Journal Publications

Environment International: "Personal care product use and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in pregnant and lactating people in the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals study" Media highlight:

• The Guardian: "Makeup, fragrance and hair dye use in pregnancy leads to more PFAS in breast milk – study"

Frontiers in Public Health: "A systematic review and meta-analysis of breastfeeding and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infant"