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Pennsylvania State Senate
06/03/2024 11:29 AM
Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?SPick=20230&chamber=S&cosponId=40603
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: April 27, 2023 09:20 AM
From: Senator Judith L. Schwank and Sen. Michele Brooks
To: All Senate members
Subject: Establishing the Women, Infants, and Children State Advisory Board (WICSAB)
 
In the near future, we will be re-introducing legislation to create the Women, Infants, and Children State Advisory Board. This bill was previously Senate Bill 967 in the 2021-22 legislative session and was successfully voted out of the Senate with nearly unanimous support. 
 
The Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) has improved the nutrition and health of families in Pennsylvania since 1974 by providing access to healthy foods, nutrition services, breastfeeding support, health care and social service referrals. The 100% federally funded program is the cornerstone for producing a healthy mother and baby. However, PA’s WIC Program has been in serious decline for many years, despite a critical need for the program to grow, evolve, and connect families with a broad array of social, mental, educational, and other healthy support programs. 
 
First, the Advisory Board will be comprised of regional WIC agencies, agency partners, advocates, grocers, health care providers and participants. The Board will be tasked to advise the Department of Health on its operation of programs to increase enrollment and utilization, such as proper implementation of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for technology and data advancement, thus improving the access and availability of the program and its resources to those it serves.
 
The second piece of legislation will streamline the eligibility screening process by allowing WIC participants the opportunity to submit eligibility documentation online. It will also establish a WIC Modernization Fund to help improve accessibility to young mothers and their children. 
 
Please join us in sponsoring this important piece of legislation.


Introduced as SB721