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119-hr-10393119th CongressWALLET

WIC for Kids Act

Sponsored By: Representative Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]

Introduced

Summary

Makes WIC easier to access and more stable for children and kinship families. It broadens program-based eligibility and reduces paperwork that can interrupt benefits.

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  • Families and children: Extends the standard child certification from 1 year to 2 years and lets infants born to enrolled pregnant participants be certified without a separate application.
  • Program participants: Adds Head Start, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and nutrition programs funded by block grants for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands as adjunctive eligibility pathways.
  • Kinship caregivers: Explicitly makes children in kinship families automatically eligible under the program's automatic eligibility rules.
  • State agencies: Requires a 90-day look-back for adjunct documentation and directs states to use available records for adjunct eligibility before requesting new income paperwork during recertification.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Longer child certification and auto-enroll babies

If enacted, States could align certification dates for family members so several relatives share a single WIC schedule. States could start new aligned certification periods when someone is certified using income or adjunct documentation. Before asking for new income paperwork to recertify, States would check adjunct eligibility and recertify if eligible. The bill would also automatically certify babies born to pregnant WIC participants and extend normal child certification from 1 year to 2 years.

More WIC access but recent proof required

If enacted, the bill would let more people get WIC without a separate income test. Households with Medicaid or CHIP, Head Start, FDPIR, or certain territorial nutrition grants would qualify. For these pathways, proof must be dated within 90 days before certification or recertification, or the State can use its own records. This would cut paperwork for many families but requires recent documentation.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]

CT • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

  • Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/5/2026

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4]

    NV • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1]

    ME • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]

    MS • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Brown, Shontel M. [D-OH-11]

    OH • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]

    MO • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]

    LA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Courtney, Joe [D-CT-2]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]

    FL • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9]

    MA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

  • Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

  • Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

  • Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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