Small Business Liberation Act

Senate Bill

S. 1593

119th Congress

Small Business Liberation Act

In Committee

Introduced:Jul 16, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Edward J. Markey

Senator

Democratic

MA

Cosponsors

3

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Summary

This bill would extend the time that breastfeeding women and new mothers can receive benefits from the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. It would increase the eligibility period for breastfeeding women from 1 year to up to 2 years after giving birth, and expand the eligibility period for all postpartum women from 6 months to up to 2 years after their pregnancy ends.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

SponsorEdward J. Markey (D-MA)

Introduced7/16/2025

StatusCommittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.

ChamberSenate

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Small Business Liberation Act

This bill would extend the time that breastfeeding women and new mothers can receive benefits from the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. It would increase the eligibility period for breastfeeding women from 1 year to up to 2 years after giv

Community Breakdown

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This bill would extend the time that breastfeeding women and new mothers can receive benefits from the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. It would increase the eligibility period for breastfeeding women from 1 year to up to 2 years after giving birth, and expand the eligibility period for all postpartum women from 6 months to up to 2 years after their pregnancy ends.

Bill Number: 1593
Sponsor: Edward J. Markey (D-MA)
Introduced: 7/16/2025
Status: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
Policy Area: Agriculture and Food

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Small Business Liberation Act
Bill Number: 1593
Sponsor: Edward J. Markey (D-MA)
Status: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
Introduced: 7/16/2025
Summary: This bill would extend the time that breastfeeding women and new mothers can receive benefits from the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. It would increase the eligibility period for breastfeeding women from 1 year to up to 2 years after giving birth, and expand the eligibility pe

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would extend the time that breastfeeding women and new mothers can receive benefits from the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. It would increase the eligibility period for breastfeeding women from 1 year to up to 2 years after giving birth, and expand the eligibility period for all postpartum women from 6 months to up to 2 years after their pregnancy ends.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Extending WIC for New Moms ActThis bill amends the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to extend the eligibility periods for breastfeeding and postpartum women. Specifically, a state program may elect to certify a breastfeeding woman for up to 24 months (currently 1 year) postpartum. The bill also expands the eligibility period for postpartum women to up to 24 months after termination of pregnancy (currently 6 months).The Department of Agriculture must submit a report to Congress evaluating the effect of these changes to the WIC program on (1) maternal and infant health outcomes, (2) breastfeeding rates, and (3) qualitative evaluations of family experiences under WIC.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Extends the eligibility period for breastfeeding women on WIC from 1 year to up to 2 years after giving birth
Expands the eligibility period for all postpartum women on WIC from 6 months to up to 2 years after their pregnancy ends
Requires the USDA to study the effects of these changes on maternal/infant health, breastfeeding rates, and family experiences

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily impact new mothers and their infants who receive WIC benefits. By extending the eligibility periods, it would allow more women and children to access nutritional support and breastfeeding resources for a longer period after birth. This could lead to improved maternal and child health outcomes, as well as increased breastfeeding rates.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

1593, 119th Congress (2025). "Small Business Liberation Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-1593

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