Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - USBC Staff Update, State of the Science Webinar, and 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, State of the Science Webinar, and more

11/10/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Celebrating USBC Staff Promotions
- Call for Stories on Access to Breast Pumps and Lactation Supplies
- State of the Science Webinar on Public Policy and Breastfeeding
- Jump-Start the Season of Giving at USBC
- PUMP Act Know Your Rights Livestream Recording Now Available
National News
- Senate Passes Three-Bill Spending Package
- MOMMIES Act Re-Introduced
- Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act Introduced
- Rapid Review Project Report on Human Milk Feeding Disparities
- DOL Cost of Doing Nothing Report
State & Community News
- Michigan Bill Introduced to Exempt Lactation Supports from Sales Tax
Action Opportunities
Upcoming Events
News & Views
Journal Publications

denotes a USBC-affiliated constellation news item denotes a USBC-affiliated constellation news item

USBC Updates

Celebrating USBC Staff Promotions!

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is thrilled to celebrate the promotion of several members of the USBC staff team:

Camille Abbe, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Cheryl Lebedevitch, National Policy Director
Erin Fortuna, Senior Collective Impact Coordinator
Michelle Hilliard, Operations Manager

Their work has been invaluable in helping the USBC forge and grow relationships with members and partners in the field, and in advocating for policies and practices that support breastfeeding and human milk feeding across the nation. Visit the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee Staff Team webpage to find details on their new job roles.

Call for Stories on Access to Breast Pumps and Lactation Supplies

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee released a call for stories on experiences accessing lactation supplies. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a Request for Information (RFI) on the benefits and challenges of requiring insurers to cover the cost of preventive items and services that are available over the counter, including breastfeeding supplies, without cost sharing and without a prescription by a health care provider. To inform the USBC response to this public comment opportunity and help us understand how the policy landscape is impacting access to lactation supplies, we are inviting individuals and stakeholders to share information and experiences about barriers and challenges related to insurer coverage of lactation supplies, including breast pumps, replacement pump parts, and milk storage supplies. Just a few sentences in your own words can make a difference. Share your story with us today!

State of the Science Webinar on Public Policy and Breastfeeding

U.S. Breastfeeding Committee National Policy Director, Cheryl Lebedevitch, will present on the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network (NOPREN) State-of-the-Science webinar "Public Policy and its Effect on Breastfeeding" on Monday, November 13, at 12 p.m. ET. The presentation will describe the current state of infant feeding in the United States and what it means for public health. Cheryl will provide an overview of the federal policies and investments impacting breastfeeding and how recent events have shaped the infant feeding experience.

Jump-Start the Season of Giving at USBC

Giving Tuesday is almost here, but there's no need to wait to make a difference with the USBC: donate now to help get our season of giving off to a great start! In the coming months, the USBC will advocate for expanded access to donor human milk while we push for a national paid family and medical leave program that would truly transform the lives of families nationwide. Help fuel our momentum by becoming a donor today! By supporting the USBC mission to create a landscape of breastfeeding support in all communities across the country, you can help make real change for future generations.

PUMP Act Know Your Rights Livestream Recording Now Available

Last week, U.S. Breastfeeding Committee National Policy Director Cheryl Lebedevitch joined the National WIC Association, the Center for Worklife Law, A Better Balance, and 1,000 Days for the "PUMP Act: Know Your Rights" webinar. The session covers information on protections under the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and describes how workers can assert their rights under the law. View the recording.

National News

Senate Passes Three-Bill Spending Package

The Senate passed the first three of its fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills in a spending package known as a "minibus." The package combined the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (S. 2127), the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (S. 2131), and the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 (S. 2437) appropriations bills. Before passing the package, the Senate adopted by voice vote a substitute amendment that replaced the text of the House-passed Military Construction-VA bill (H.R. 4366) that the Senate used as a vehicle with the text of the three spending bills. The bill included $6.3B for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and $90M for the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program. Highlights from the field:

National WIC Association: “Senate's Minibus Bill a Promising Start But More Needed to Fully Fund WIC”

MOMMIES Act Introduced

Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07) reintroduced the Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services (MOMMIES) Act (S. 3090/H.R. 6004). The bill would work to improve maternal health outcomes, reverse the rising maternal mortality rate, and eliminate racial disparities by:

Extending full-benefit Medicaid coverage to a full year postpartum
Increasing Medicaid minimum reimbursement rates for maternal and obstetric services for people in underserved areas
Establishing a maternity care home model demonstration project to study the model's effectiveness in improving maternal health outcomes
Directing the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to publish a report on coverage of doula support under Medicaid, including recommendations for legislative and administrative actions to increase access to such care
Studying telehealth as a mechanism for increasing access to maternity care in Medicaid

Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act Introduced

A bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives introduced the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act (S. 1095/H.R. 2597). The bipartisan bill would expand parental leave eligibility for Reserve and National Guard members to cover all new parents. Currently, only birth parents are eligible for parental leave benefits within the Reserves and National Guard, leaving out non-birth parents and parents of adoptive or foster children. This bill would ensure that all parents welcoming a child into their lives are able to take parental leave. Media highlights include:

National Guard Association of the United States: "Lawmakers: Provide Guard, Reserve Parental Leave Parity"
Senator Hassan press release: "Senators Hassan, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Parental Leave Eligibility for Reserve and National Guard Members"

Rapid Review Project Report on Human Milk Feeding Disparities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) Branch released "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Human Milk Feeding in the United States: A Rapid Review Project." NESR conducted a rapid review project to summarize evidence on racial and ethnic disparities in human milk feeding in the United States and the interventions, programs, initiatives, and policies that impact these disparities.

DOL Cost of Doing Nothing Report Update

The U.S. Department of Labor released "The Cost of Doing Nothing, 2023 Update: The Price We STILL Pay without Policies to Support Working Families." The report is an update to the 2015 Cost of Doing Nothing report and showcases new insights into the cost of not implementing policies to support working families, particularly paid leave. The report outlines the costs associated with this policy deficit, including lost income and worse health outcomes for families, and increased turnover and more difficulty recruiting workers for employers.

State & Community News

Michigan Bill Introduced to Exempt Lactation Supports from Sales Tax

Michigan State Representative Schuette introduced House Bill 5267. The bill would exempt certain baby and toddler items, including breast pumps and breast pump collection and storage supplies, from state sales and use tax.