Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Welcome Congress Sign-On Letter Opportunity, Special Section on Paid Leave, & 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 Sign-On Letter Opportunity, Special Section on Paid Leave, & more

12/19/2024

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Organizational Sign-On Letter Opportunity: Educate New Congress on Breastfeeding Policy Priorities
- 2024 Policy Impact Report: Celebrating Our Collective Action
Special Section on Paid Leave
National News
- 2024 America's Children's Special Issue Features Breastfeeding Indicators For the First Time
- House Bill on Military Parental Leave Introduced
State & Community News
- Arkansas Bill to Exempt Breastfeeding Supplies from Sales Tax Introduced
Action Opportunities
Upcoming Events
News & Views

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

USBC Updates

Organizational Sign-On Letter Opportunity: Educate New Congress on Breastfeeding Policy Priorities

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee launched an organizational sign-on letter welcoming the new Congress and urging them to prioritize infant nutrition security, federal funding for breastfeeding, paid family and medical leave, access to lactation support and supplies, and maternity practices during the 119^th Congressional Session. National, regional, state, territorial, and tribal nonprofit organizations, coalitions, and businesses are all encouraged to sign on. The letter will be delivered electronically to all Senators and Representatives to help educate them on the breastfeeding policy priorities most in need of attention over the next two years. To be included in the initial delivery, organizations must sign on by close of business on Friday, January 31, 2025. Additional signers will be added on an ongoing basis. Please share this opportunity widely with organizations in your network!

2024 Policy Impact Report: Celebrating Our Collective Action

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee published "2024 Policy Impact Report: Removing the Barriers to Breastfeeding, Together," a detailed account of USBC advocacy efforts and accomplishments. The blog describes our work to secure federal funding for breastfeeding, protect infant nutrition security, ensure access to lactation support and supplies, advance workplace protections, and improve maternity care practices. The USBC and our network of members, partners, and supporters are diligently working to remove the policy, system, and environmental barriers that families face. We are proud to share that in 2024, we did many great things together, including achieving forward movement on all five of the policy priorities that were selected by our supporters and member organizations. We are so grateful to have you with us on this journey and look forward to continued progress in 2025!

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:

California: California Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry introduced California Assembly Bill 65. The bill would require public schools and community colleges to provide up to 14 weeks of paid leave for an employee who is required to be absent from duty because of pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, or recovery from those conditions.
KCEP: The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy released "The Case for Paid Parental Leave for Kentucky State Employees.” The report outlines the current paid leave landscape and how establishing a parental leave program for state employees in Kentucky would benefit workers and the state government.
New Jersey: New Jersey Senator Bob Smith introduced New Jersey Senate Bill 3920. The bill would require the New Jersey State Police to establish a paid maternity leave policy for State troopers, providing at least eight weeks of continuous maternity recovery leave after giving birth with full pay and benefits.
South Carolina: South Carolina Representatives Bernstein and Stavrinakis introduced South Carolina House Bill 3490. The bill would amend the existing paid leave program for South Carolina State employees by extending the length of leave from six weeks to twelve weeks for an employee who gives birth and from two weeks to four weeks for an employee who is a parent and did not give birth.
Texas: Texas Representative Meza introduced Texas House Bill 135 1. The bill would create the Texas Employee Leave for Family or Medical Obligations Act, which would allow eligible employees to take up to 30 days of leave for their own serious health condition, to care for certain family members with a serious health condition, for the birth or adoption of a child, or to address issues related to family violence, sexual assault, sexual abuse, stalking, or trafficking. The bill would also establish a wage replacement benefit fund to provide benefits to eligible employees whose employers do not provide paid leave.

Paid Leave News & Views:

A Better Balance: "Tennessee's Public Sector Paid Parental Leave Shows Positive Economic Impact Within First Two Years of Implementation"
Washington Center for Equitable Growth: "Recent research shows how paid leave impacts women's employment and financial security in the United States"
The Associated Press: "Kentucky governor unveils paid leave plan for state workers with a new child or serious illness"
Ogletree Deakins: "New York's New Paid Prenatal Leave Benefit: Are You Ready for January 1, 2025?"

National News

2024 America's Children's Special Issue Features Breastfeeding Indicators For the First Time

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics released the "2024 America's Children's Special Issue: Key National Indicators of Well-Being." The annual report advances the understanding of what our nation's children and families may need to help ensure bright, healthy futures. The report includes fifteen indicators across various domains related to health, family and social environment, economic circumstances, health care, physical environment and safety, and behavior. This year's report features breastfeeding indicators for the first time.

House Bill on Military Parental Leave Introduced

Representatives Bice and Houlahan introduced the Protecting Military Parental Leave Evaluations Act (H.R.10200). The bill would exempt military servicemembers from performance evaluations during periods of parental leave and would allow servicemembers two years to use their leave without a waiver. Parental leave policies vary across the different branches of the military, and, currently, there is no universal framework for how long-term parental leave should be treated in evaluations. Read the press release.

State & Community News

Arkansas Bill to Exempt Breastfeeding Supplies from Sales Tax Introduced

Arkansas Representative Collins introduced Arkansas House Bill 1016. The bill would create a sales and use tax exemption for menstrual products, diapers, and breastfeeding supplies.