Bill Overview
Title: WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 2022
Description: WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 202 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make available online certain information about solicitations for infant formula bids under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Under current law, state agencies must control infant formula costs in the WIC program through competitive bidding for infant formula rebate contracts. The bill requires state WIC agencies to provide USDA with a description of open solicitations for these competitive bids that includes the title of the solicitation, the state agency administering the solicitation, and other relevant information for the USDA to publish online.
Sponsors: Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
Target Audience
Population: People participating in or eligible for the WIC program
Estimated Size: 6800000
- WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) is a federal assistance program in the United States, hence it primarily affects individuals within the US.
- The program supports low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, infants, and children under the age of five with nutritional assistance.
- The bill specifically focuses on the procurement processes for infant formula, which is directly relevant to participants in the program who rely on infant formula as part of their nutritional support.
- Publishing solicitations for infant formula bids online could potentially lead to better pricing and availability of infant formula for these families, affecting their access and affordability of this essential nutritional product.
Reasoning
- The WIC program primarily benefits low-income families with young children, so the impact is centered around these demographics.
- The policy focuses on the cost and procurement of infant formula, which is crucial for families reliant on WIC as a nutritional source for infants.
- While the policy might result in better competitive pricing, the immediate impact on wellbeing depends on how quickly and effectively the policy is implemented and perceived.
- Given the stated budget constraints and the scale of the WIC program, the policy's direct benefits may primarily be experienced by families with infants relying heavily on formula.
- We assume not everyone in the WIC program uses infant formula as not all participants have infants, and those with very young infants will feel the impact most significantly.
Simulated Interviews
Stay-at-home parent (Los Angeles, California)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy sounds useful because it could make formula cheaper.
- I'm not sure how quick the changes would be or how much it would save us right now.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Part-time retail employee (Austin, Texas)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It could be beneficial once my baby is born if formula prices drop.
- Right now, I care more about how easy it is to get into the program and what other support WIC provides.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Construction worker (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Even though our kids aren't on formula now, having cheaper formula could have really helped back when we needed it.
- It might help our budget if we have another, but it's hard to tell yet.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Unemployed (Atlanta, Georgia)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I need all the help I can get so any reduction in formula costs would be welcome.
- I'm more concerned with immediate access to formula than pricing changes at this point.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Social worker (New York, New York)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could potentially help many of the clients I work with by making essential supplies like formula more affordable.
- There's an ever-present need for more transparency and easier access to program resources in social services.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Accountant (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Since we're not using WIC, this policy doesn't impact me directly.
- I can see how improved WIC services might help some friends who've used it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Factory worker (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.5 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Even small reductions in food costs could offer some breathing room in our budget.
- The current application and renewal process for WIC is cumbersome, so improvements there would be appreciated too.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Freelance designer (Miami, Florida)
Age: 27 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy doesn't affect us as we don't use WIC or formula.
- Improvements in assistance programs are generally positive, even if they don't affect us directly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Student (Cleveland, Ohio)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If formula becomes more affordable, it'd really help us as I try to finish college.
- I hope the policy quickly makes formula more universally available through WIC.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Healthcare Administrator (Houston, Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 9
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy would allow better management and reporting for cost updates, benefiting our program efficiency.
- Expected improvements might streamline infants' formula distribution, which could alleviate some client concerns.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 2: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 3: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 5: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 10: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Year 100: $1500000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2000000)
Key Considerations
- The USDA may require additional resources for staffing and IT changes to implement this bill.
- There is potential for cost savings within the WIC program due to enhanced competitive bidding encouraged by online publication.
- The bill does not create direct tax revenue changes or significant GDP impacts.