Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Welcome Congress Letter Delivery Approaching, Upcoming Events, & 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 - Welcome Congress Letter Delivery Approaching, Upcoming Events, & more

1/24/2025

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Welcome Congress Letter Delivery Approaching: Is Your State or Territory Included?
- Welcoming New USBC Member Organizations: Division of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, University of Rochester and the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective
- Share Your Organization's Resources, Events, and News for USBC Amplification
National News
- USDA Updates Guidance on Donor Milk in the WIC Program
- GAO Report on WIC Single-Supplier System for Infant Formula
- DOL Opinion Letter on State Paid Leave Benefits
- FAA Guidance on Lactating Flight Crew
State & Community News
- Brief on Funding Mechanisms for State PFML Programs
- IRS Guidance on Tax Treatment of Paid Leave Contributions
- Oklahoma Bill Introduced to Require Lactation Accommodations for Inmates
- South Carolina Bill Introduced to Require Insurer Coverage of Lactation Support and Supplies
Action Opportunities
Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Events
News & Views

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

USBC Updates

Welcome Congress Letter Delivery Approaching: Is Your State or Territory Included?

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is coordinating an organizational sign-on letter welcoming the new Congress and highlighting the lactation field's policy priorities for the 119^th congressional session. It's important that all states are represented via signatories so legislators are hearing from their constituents. As of today, we are still looking for coalitions, organizations and businesses from the following states/territories to join the letter: Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Utah. We invite your organization to sign on to the letter by Friday, January 31. Thank you for taking action with us and sharing with your network!

Welcoming New USBC Member Organizations: Division of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, University of Rochester and the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is thrilled to welcome 18 organizations to the USBC member network as of January 2025! Through the coming weeks, each edition of the Weekly Wire newsletter is highlighting two of the new member organizations, presented in alphabetical order. Access the archive to review past editions. The USBC warmly welcomes all new and returning member organizations to our table! This week we are highlighting the Division of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine at the University of Rochester and the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective.

The Division of Breastfeeding & Lactation Medicine at the University of Rochester provides medical care through lactation consultants and breastfeeding and lactation medicine providers in New York State, both in person and virtually. They operate a research program, offer education in local collaboratives and online, and engage with grant-funded projects to promote equitable access to lactation care.

The mission of the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective (IMMC) is to support the brilliance of Indigenous parents, caregivers, and communities in celebrating their Milk Medicine journeys to honor and strengthen their self-determination. They advocate for Indigenous-led solutions to dismantle barriers faced by Native milk medicine carriers, supporters, and healthcare providers. IMMC centers Indigenous knowledge and promotes equity in first food practices to reclaim cultural sovereignty and enhance the well-being of Indigenous communities.

Share Your Organization's Resources, Events, and News for USBC Amplification

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee invites you to submit your organization's news, updates, or events for consideration to be included in the Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire newsletter or other USBC communications channels. Share your news items today so that we can help amplify the impact of your efforts!

National News

USDA Updates Guidance on Donor Milk in the WIC Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued "WIC Policy Memorandum #2025-3: Use of Banked Human Breast Milk in WIC." The memorandum revises and replaces WIC Policy Memorandum #2000-2 issued in 2000. The memo details the updated USDA guidance on the use of human milk banks in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC federal funds cannot be used for the purposes of collecting, storing, purchasing, or disseminating banked human milk. If indicated by the nutrition assessment, WIC staff may inform caregivers about banked human milk, refer participants to donor human milk banks, and, if appropriate, inform caregivers about donating their milk. WIC regulations do not prohibit a state agency from using non-WIC funds to allow WIC clinic sites to serve as a human milk depot in partnership with another organization.

GAO Report on WIC Single-Supplier System for Infant Formula

The U.S. Government Accountability Office published the "WIC Infant Formula: Single-Supplier Competitive Contracts Reduce Program Costs and Modestly Increase Retail Prices" report. The report examines trends in the price of infant formula and the rebates states receive from manufacturers, how the WIC single-supplier competitive system affects infant formula prices and the formula market, advantages and disadvantages of the current system for WIC, and alternatives to the current system.

DOL Opinion Letter on State Paid Leave Benefits

The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division published the FMLA2025-01-A opinion letter. The letter outlines the interaction between state paid leave benefits, employer-provided paid leave, and unpaid leave provided through the Family and Medical Leave Act.

FAA Guidance on Lactating Flight Crew

The Federal Aviation Administration released an Information for Operators (InFO) Flight Standards document titled "Work Flexibility for Lactating Flightcrew Member(s)/Crewmember(s) Onboard Aircraft." The InFO notes that FAA regulations allow for expression of breast milk by lactating crewmembers and lists the need to express breast milk as a physiological need.

USBC Insight: The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R.3935), signed into law in May 2024, included a provision that requires the Administrator of the FAA 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 USBC and our partners advocated in support of this provision.

State & Community news

Brief on Funding Mechanisms for State PFML Programs

The Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center published the "Funding Mechanisms for State Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs" research brief. The brief is designed as a guide for policymakers considering the implementation of a new paid leave program, examining the mechanisms states have used to finance paid family and medical leave programs and outlining the key financing decisions that states must make to ensure long-term program viability.

IRS Guidance on Tax Treatment of Paid Leave Contributions

The Internal Revenue Service issued Revenue Ruling 2025-4, providing guidance on the income and employment tax treatment of contributions and benefits paid under a state paid family and medical leave program, as well as the related reporting requirements. The guidance is for the District of Columbia and states that have mandatory paid family and medical leave programs, employees working in states with paid leave programs, and employers operating in those states. The IRS is soliciting comments on additional situations and aspects of state paid family and medical leave programs that are not covered in this Revenue Ruling.

Oklahoma Bill Introduced to Require Lactation Accommodations for Inmates

Oklahoma Senator Hicks introduced Oklahoma Senate Bill 145. The bill would require the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to provide clean and safe accommodations for the pumping, storage, and delivery of breast milk for inmates who are lactating.

South Carolina Bill Introduced to Require Insurer Coverage of Lactation Support and Supplies

South Carolina Senator Davis introduced South Carolina Senate Bill 42. The bill would require health insurance plans, including the state's Medicaid health plan, to provide coverage for lactation support and supplies as well as doula services.