I
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10794
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 9, 2026
Mrs. Torres of California (for herself, Ms. Barragán, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Costa, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Deluzio, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mrs. Grijalva, Mr. Ivey, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Kennedy of New York, Ms. Morrison, Ms. Norton, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Ross, Ms. Simon, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Tlaib, and Mr. Vargas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
A BILL
To establish a grant program to make grants to States to improve access to the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Improving Access to WIC Act
.
Grant program to improve access to WIC
Establishment
Not later than 1 year after funds are first made available under subsection (g)(1), the Secretary shall carry out a grant program to make grants to each participating State agency for purposes of improving access to, and participation and retention in, the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786) (in this section, referred to as WIC
).
Opt-In participation
The Secretary shall make a grant under subsection (a) to each State agency that opts in to the grant program by submitting an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
Use of funds
A State agency that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to carry out activities to improve access to, and participation and retention in, WIC. Such activities shall include at least one of the following:
Conducting outreach to potential participants in WIC, including by—
supporting direct referrals to WIC from healthcare providers;
establishing a statewide uniform process for such direct referrals; and
improving the notification of, or referral systems for, such potential participants at Head Start programs, preschools, elementary and secondary schools, and such other programs or locations as the Secretary determines appropriate.
Establishing, maintaining, or expanding statewide or multi-statewide data-sharing guidelines to better allow healthcare providers to—
securely refer an individual to WIC; or
with the consent of the individual, provide local agencies with read-only access to the individual’s clinical data necessary for WIC certification or participation.
Streamlining healthcare providers’ ability to, subject to applicable law and with the consent of the individual, send such individual’s height, weight, hemoglobin measurements, and other WIC-related documentation, to local agencies for purposes of WIC certification or participation.
Activities to improve the WIC enrollment experience, including establishing or expanding an online application.
Only for the purposes of certifying eligible individuals for WIC, identifying and contacting individuals who receive medical assistance under title XIX of the Social Security Act or are members of a household participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 who are not currently participating in WIC.
Limitation on data sharing
Data collected pursuant to subsection (c) shall be—
used only for the purposes of—
certifying eligible individuals for WIC;
maintaining participation in WIC; or
carrying out an activity specified in paragraph (2)(B) or (3) of subsection (c); and
subject to the confidentiality provisions described in section 246.26(d) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations).
Distribution of funds
For each fiscal year in which funds are appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection (g), a State agency participating the program under this section shall receive—
to the maximum extent practicable, an initial amount of at least $200,000; and
an additional amount that bears the same proportion to the amount appropriated for that fiscal year (less the amounts reserved under subsection (g)(2) and distributed under paragraph (1)) as the amount of participants in WIC in the State served by the State agency bears to the amount of participants in WIC in all States participating in the program, as determined according to the most recent annual data available.
Report
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually for each year subsequent to a year in which a grant is carried out under the program, the Secretary shall make publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture and submit to Congress a report—
on the outcomes of the program (including the impact of the program on participation and retention in WIC); and
that includes best practices for establishing and carrying out the activities under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c).
Funding
Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal year 2027 through 2031.
Reservation for administrative expenses
The Secretary may reserve not more than 5 percent of funds appropriated under paragraph (1) for administrative expenses related to carrying out this section.
Definitions
In this section:
The term Head Start program—
means a program carried out under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.); and
includes Early Head Start programs.
The term local agency has the meaning given that term in section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
The term State agency has the meaning given that term in section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).
The term WIC means the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786).