This bill would require the USDA to update the WIC program to include infant food combinations and dinners as part of the available supplemental foods. Currently, these types of infant foods are not allowed in the WIC program, which provides nutritional assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children.
Latest Action
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill would require the USDA to update the WIC program to include infant food combinations and dinners as part of the available supplemental foods. Currently, these types of infant foods are not allowed in the WIC program, which provides nutritional assistance to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children.
Last updated: 12/29/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Healthy Babies Act of 2023</strong></p><p>This bill requires that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) include infant food combinations and dinners as part of the program. (The WIC food packages provide supplemental foods designed to address the specific nutritional needs of income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum individuals, infants, and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk.)</p><p>Specifically, the Department of Agriculture must update the regulations that prescribe the supplemental foods that must be made available in the program. Currently, infant food combinations (e.g., meat and vegetables) and dinners (e.g., spaghetti and meatballs) are not allowed. </p><!--tinycomments|2.1|data:application/json;base64,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-->
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Expands the types of infant foods that can be included in the WIC program, adding combinations (e.g. meat and vegetables) and dinners (e.g. spaghetti and meatballs)
The USDA must update the regulations to allow these additional infant food options in the WIC program
WIC provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, and health care referrals to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women, as well as infants and children up to age 5
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
If this bill becomes law, it would expand the food options available to low-income families with infants participating in the WIC program. This could provide more nutritious and convenient food choices for these families, potentially improving infant health and nutrition.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Agriculture and Food
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
4989, 119th Congress (2025). "Streamlining Rural Housing Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-4989
