Weekly Wire: Urgent call to action on the PUMP Act, appropriations update, 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.

Subscribe: visit the signup page
Submit: visit the submission form

Please note: Inclusion of an item in this e-newsletter does NOT imply endorsement or support of such item by the United States Breastfeeding Committee, unless specifically noted.

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.

Weekly Wire: Urgent call to action on the PUMP Act, appropriations update, and more

12/16/2022

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Update and Action Alert on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act
- Joint Letter on the Access to Donor Milk Act Delivered to House Leadership
- Support USBC in Your Year-End Giving
- Reminder: Weekly Wire Hiatus & USBC Office Closures
National News
- Continuing Resolution Passed to Prevent Government Shutdown
- Interactive Map of State Perinatal Quality Collaboratives
- ATNI Spotlight on Lobbying 2022
- Proposed Rule on Medicaid & Medicare Programs
State & Community News
- Workplace Protections for Breastfeeding Workers in New York Signed Into Law
News & Views
Journal Publications

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

USBC Updates

Update and Action Alert on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act

The 117th Congress is in its final days. If the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658/H.R. 3110) doesn't pass before Congress adjourns we will have to begin back at square one next session. We aren't giving up and you shouldn't either. Please join us in a final push for this critical legislation! Our congressional champions are working hard to get this crucial bill over the finish line, but time is running out. We are urging Senators to find a path forward to deliver relief for the 9 million working women who need and deserve the right to time and space to pump during the work day. Now is the time to raise your voice for the PUMP Act:

Contact your Senators with our easy action tool
Invite your network to take action by sharing PUMP Act posts on social media

Joint Letter on the Access to Donor Milk Act Delivered to House Leadership

The USBC-affiliated Pasteurized Donor Human Milk (PDHM) Constellation delivered the joint letter on the Access to Donor Milk Act (ADMA) 2022 to House leadership this week with 90 organizational signatories. The Constellation coordinated this letter as part of their work to increase access to lifesaving donor milk. Signatures will continue to be added on a rolling basis and included in future deliveries to legislators. Organizations are invited to sign on via the online form.

Support USBC in Your Year-End Giving

This holiday season, you can make a world of difference for babies and families. Please consider making a donation, one-time, or recurring, to the USBC before the end of the month. Our advocacy efforts cannot be supported by our grant funding, so we rely on the passionate and committed advocates who rely on the Weekly Wire newsletter and take action with us to step up and support our efforts with their generosity. We know it's a lot to ask for one more thing. But this is our year-end push and we need to raise $5,000 before the end of 2022. Can you make a commitment to support the USBC advocacy efforts today, and for the coming year? Any and all donations are appreciated and gratefully received. Thank you.

Reminder: Weekly Wire Hiatus & USBC Office Closures

The Weekly Wire will be on hiatus for the last two weeks of December, beginning the week of December 19. The USBC offices will be closed on Monday, December 26, in observance of the Christmas holiday, and on Monday, January 2 in observance of New Year's Day. We look forward to connecting in the New Year!

National News

Continuing Resolution Passed to Prevent Government Shutdown

The House and Senate have passed the Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023 (H.R.1437) to temporarily fund the government through Friday, December 23. Known as a continuing resolution, the bill gives policymakers additional time to negotiate an omnibus spending package containing the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bills. The continuing resolution will be sent to the President's desk for signature.

Interactive Map of State Perinatal Quality Collaboratives

The National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) serves as the coordinating center for the National Network of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (NNPQC). NNPQC was created to support the development and capacity of state perinatal quality collaboratives (PQCs) to make measurable improvements in statewide maternal and infant healthcare and health outcomes. The NNPQC webpage includes an interactive map of PQCs that can be filtered by perinatal activities, including breastfeeding and human milk.

ATNI Spotlight on Lobbying 2022

The Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) published "Spotlight on Lobbying 2022." The report is the first in-depth benchmark of the world's 25 largest food and beverage companies' lobbying policy commitments, management systems, and disclosures with a focus on nutrition-related public health measures. The purpose of the report is to encourage food and beverage manufacturers to improve their corporate practices to lobby more responsibly and in the public health interest. The report highlights the previous ATNI publication "Spotlight on Lobbying: BMS Manufacturers 2021" which provided a baseline benchmark on the lobbying policies of the world's nine largest manufacturers of Breast-Milk substitutes (BMS).

Proposed Rule on Medicaid & Medicare Programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register. The proposal would place new requirements on Medicaid and Medicare programs that would reduce overall payer and provider burden and increase patient access to health information by improving the electronic exchange of healthcare data and streamlining processes related to prior authorization. CMS is seeking comments on how the rule can support state efforts related to the CMS Maternity Care Action Plan, including expanding access to lactation consultations. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted through Monday, March 13, 2023.

State & Community News

Workplace Protections for Breastfeeding Workers in New York Signed Into Law

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law bill number A01236A. The legislation requires employers to designate a space, that is not a restroom or toilet stall, for employees to pump breast milk. The law also requires the development and annual distribution of a written policy regarding the rights of nursing employees to express breastmilk in the workplace. Media highlights include: