HR0593 LRB093 14758 MKM 40307 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program of
3 Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) was established as a
4 permanent program in 1974 and is currently administered by the
5 Food and Nutrition Services of the United States Department of
6 Agriculture (USDA); and
 
7     WHEREAS, The stated mission of WIC is to safeguard the
8 health of low-income women, infants, and children up to the age
9 of 5 who are at nutritional risk, by providing nutritious foods
10 to supplement their diet, information on healthy eating, and
11 referrals to health care services; and
 
12     WHEREAS, Most state WIC programs provide vouchers that
13 participants use at authorized food stores, a wide variety of
14 state and local organizations cooperate in providing food and
15 health care benefits to WIC participants, and 46,000 merchants
16 nationwide accept WIC vouchers; and
 
17     WHEREAS, A WIC food package is a set of foods for which a
18 particular category of participants, such as pregnant and
19 breastfeeding women, receive vouchers; and
 
20     WHEREAS, Scientific understanding about nutrition has
21 advanced considerably since the WIC program was established in
22 1974; and
 
23     WHEREAS, 6 out of 7 WIC food packages have never been
24 significantly changed or updated; and
 
25     WHEREAS, In April, 2000, the USDA announced that it would
26 publish proposed regulations regarding updating the WIC food
27 packages in September, 2000 and, to date, the USDA has failed
28 to publish a proposed regulation; therefore, be it
 

 

 

HR0593 - 2 - LRB093 14758 MKM 40307 r

1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3 urge the USDA to update and improve the quality of all WIC food
4 packages, while further requiring that all food packages,
5 target nutrients, and nutrient needs of participants be
6 reevaluated and revised to reflect current nutritional science
7 at least every 10 years; and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
9 presented to Anne M. Veneman, Secretary of the United States
10 Department of Agriculture, and to each member of the Illinois
11 congressional delegation.