Sponsors (28)
The bill funds and standardizes evidence-based, non-stigmatizing nutrition and infant-care materials for pregnant/postpartum people and infants affected by substance use—improving care and consistency nationwide—while imposing modest federal cost and additional implementation and clinical complexity for state agencies and providers.
Pregnant and postpartum people with substance use disorder will receive evidence-based nutrition education tailored to pregnancy and lactation, improving maternal nutrition and potential infant health outcomes.
Parents and infants affected by prenatal substance exposure or neonatal abstinence will have access to training and resources to support infant nutrition and care, helping caregivers manage infant feeding challenges and support child development.
State WIC agencies will get a federally funded online clearinghouse of vetted materials (supported by a $1,000,000 appropriation), enabling faster, more consistent implementation across states without immediate state-level costs.
State WIC agencies and healthcare staff will incur added implementation work to adapt local materials and trainings to align with the federal clearinghouse, increasing administrative workload for program staff.
Broader vocabulary such as 'illicit or other harmful substances' may broaden the scope of materials and require additional clinical guidance, increasing complexity for healthcare workers and program delivery.
The $1,000,000 appropriation increases federal spending and carries opportunity costs for other programs and priorities paid for by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Updates WIC statute with person-centered substance use language, requires HHS nutrition education/outreach for WIC participants affected by substance use disorder, and authorizes $1M for FY2026.
Amends the WIC statute to replace stigmatizing language about "drug abuse/substance abuse" with person-centered terms like "substance use disorder" and to broaden some wording (for example, "drugs" to "illicit or other harmful substances"). It directs HHS to develop and share evidence-based nutrition education and outreach materials for WIC-eligible people affected by substance use disorder, create an online clearinghouse for State agencies, and authorizes $1,000,000 for FY2026 (available until expended) to carry out that work. The bill also makes minor numeric style updates and renumbers existing subsections to accommodate the new provision.
Official title: To amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to support women, infants, and children impacted by substance use disorder, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 4, 2025 by Eugene Simon Vindman · Last progress June 4, 2025