Bice, Houlahan, Salazar, Rubio, and Duckworth Support Mothers Access to Milk Donations

Washington, D.C. - This week, U.S. Representatives Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06), and Maria Salazar (R-FL-27), alongside U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (F-FL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Access to Donor Milk Act of 2023. This bicameral, bipartisan legislation to improve access to donor breast milk, combatting the infant formula shortage for American families across the country.

“As a mother of two, I am a proud co-lead of this bipartisan legislation which will promote healthy families and help mitigate the impacts of any future infant formula shortages,” said Rep. Bice. “Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District is fortunate enough to have the Oklahoma Mother’s Milk Bank, allowing abled mothers to donate safe pasteurized milk to infants in need. I look forward to working towards delivering results to families across the country.”

“Many of the best ideas in Congress come from everyday Americans in our communities - this bill was no exception,” said Rep. Houlahan. “In May of 2022, I visited the maternity ward at Paoli Hospital where I spoke with a lactation consultant who shared with me her concerns about a reliable supply of safe donor breast milk, especially for vulnerable infants. When we took a hard look, what we found was a gray space of federal regulation regarding donor breast milk. This legislation reflects the strength of democracy because we can make lasting change when we speak up. I'm proud to work with my Republican colleagues Reps. Bice and Salazar in the House, and we could not ask for a better partner in the Senate than Senator Duckworth and now Senator Rubio. Together, we will protect our most vulnerable infants and give parents safe, reliable choices in infant nutrition.”

“Feeding and nourishing our infants should be as easy as possible whether parents use breast milk, formula, or donor milk,” said Rep. Salazar. “As a mother of two beautiful daughters, I am proud to co-lead legislation that will, especially in times of crisis, help suppliers meet demand for safe and healthy donor milk.”

“I am proud to support the Access to Donor Milk Act because I believe it is essential for babies to have access to the nutrients they need to thrive,” said Sen. Rubio. “This bill would help to increase the availability of donor breast milk and make it more affordable for families. Donor breast milk is a safe and effective alternative to formula and contains numerous health benefits for mothers and babies. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation to improve the health of infants across the country.”

“For infants born premature or with serious medical conditions, access to donor milk is one of the best resources available,” said Sen. Duckworth. “I’m proud to work with Senator Rubio and Congresswoman Houlahan to introduce our bipartisan Access to Donor Milk Act so we can support donor milk banks nationwide and help ensure families have what they need to raise strong, healthy babies.”

The Access to Donor Milk Act of 2023 would:

• Empower State Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Agencies to use excess funds to purchase coolers to collect and store donated milk before it is collected by a donor milk bank;
• Provide $3 million in emergency funding to nonprofit donor milk banks to support donor milk demand following an event that causes an urgent spike in demand for donor milk;
• Establish a donor milk awareness program at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and a develop public awareness campaign at HRSA educate the public on donor milk from donor milk banks registered with the FDA; and
• Require FDA to convene a public meeting of stakeholders to examine potential donor milk regulation and then develop guidance on the best practices for donor milk donation, processing, storage and distribution.