On June 10, 2024, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed Senate Bill No. 721, making it Act No. 22 of 2024 (the “Act”). The Act establishes the Women, Infants, and Children State Advisory Board (WICSAB).
Rallying bi-partisan support in the State Senate and House of Representatives, the Act intends to increase participation and enrollment in programs that support women, infants and children in Pennsylvania.
KingSpry’s Adoption/ART Law Chair and Family Law Attorney, Dorota Gasienica-Kozak, Esq., details what the Act means for the future of WIC-programs and eligible participants in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
WIC is a is a 100% federally-funded program that supports mothers and children. Since 1974, WIC has provided nutrition services, breastfeeding support, healthcare and social service referrals, and healthy foods to eligible participants. However, WIC has been in decline for years, despite a need for the program to grow and continue supporting families in Pennsylvania.
Eligible Participants
WIC serves the following Pennsylvania residents:
- Pregnant women;
- Breastfeeding women, for up to one year postpartum;
- Women up to six months postpartum, who are not breastfeeding; and
- Infants and children under five (5) years old, including foster children.
To be WIC-eligible, residents must also meet income guidelines and apply online or over the phone.
Previous Efforts
The Act was previously introduced as Senate Bill No. 967 in the 2021-2022 Legislative Session, but was voted out of the State Senate.
Seeing a need for the establishment of the WICSAB, Senators Judith L. Schwank and Michele Brooks re-introduced the legislation, which received bipartisan support from the 2023-2024 General Assembly.
Purpose of the Board
The WICSAB will advise Pennsylvania’s Department of Health on the operation of WIC-programs to:
- Increase enrollment and utilization;
- Improve the quality of services offered;
- Increase participation and enrollment of underserved populations;
- Incorporate the use of technology and modernized tools that remove barriers for participants’ access, including telehealth technology;
- Establish security measures to protect participants’ personal information;
- Increase awareness of breastfeeding services for participants; and
- Increase access to WIC-authorized stores for participants.
The WICSAB will be comprised of regional WIC agencies, agency partners, advocates, grocers, healthcare providers and participants.
Effective Date
The Act will take effect in sixty (60) days on August 9, 2024.
If you have questions regarding the Act or WIC-programs in Pennsylvania, Dorota Gasienica-Kozak, Esq., is prepared to assist you. Ms. Gasienica-Kozak is a fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys (AAAA), a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), a member of SEEDS, a promoter for RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, and a committee member of the American Bar Association’s Family and ART Law sections.
