Levin, Stefanik Introduce Bipartisan COVID-19 WIC Safety and Modernization Act

Press Release

Congressman Andy Levin (D-MI) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) today introduced legislation that would modernize the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program and address issues of accessibility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 WIC Safety and Modernization Act would establish a taskforce made up of relevant stakeholders, officials, and program participants to recommend updates to WIC programs that promote conenvience, safety, and equitable access to supplemental foods.

As the economy contracts from the effects of the pandemic, more single mothers and low-income households will need safe, equitable access to WIC's supplemental nutrition programs. Research from the Brookings Institution shows food insecurity has doubled since the start of the pandemic and that 40 percent of mothers with children under 12 are suffering from food insecurity. Modernizing WIC will provide families and young children with the nutrition they need while stimulating our local economies through the purchase of healthy, fresh foods.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected those already struggling to make ends meet," said Rep. Levin. "I've spoken to mothers in my district who say getting to the grocery store is tough during a pandemic when your safety and child's safety could be at risk. The taskforce convened by this bill will offer WIC the updates it sorely needs to modernize its programs and provide 21st century tools that give access to nutritious food."

"Many families are facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is crucial that this program is modernized to more effectively meet their needs," said Congresswoman Stefanik. "The North country is home to many who rely on the WIC program, and this bill will help to make the program more convenient and accessible for them. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important legislation so we can bridge some of the gaps in this program and feed low-income women and children."

"Streamlining the WIC transaction is no longer a matter of innovation -- it is an issue of public safety. WIC families should no longer be denied access to the variety of shopping options available to other consumers," said Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President & CEO of the National WIC Association. "WIC participants should not have to choose between access to nutritious food and their health. This bill pushes forward the much-needed conversation about modernizing the WIC shopping experience, bringing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the table with key stakeholders to develop a solution that prioritizes the safety of WIC participants, retail grocery staff, and their families."

The COVID-19 WIC Safety and Modernization Act convenes a taskforce consisting of food retailers, local, state, and Tribal officials, technology companies with experience maintaining WIC IT systems, food manufacturers, non-profits, and WIC participants to examine current WIC programs and provide recommendations to the program quickly.

The taskforce will recommend streamlining procedures for WIC programs that promote mother and child safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, including:

Online and telephone ordering;
Online purchasing;
Curbside pickup;
Self-check-out; and
Home delivery.
Reps. Levin and Stefanik will work together to garner support for this bipartisan effort as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. In May, Rep. Levin led a letter signed by 95 House Members to the USDA urging the agency to wave certain restrictions on the use of WIC funds during the COVID-19 crisis.

Source