# 119-hr-5836: Keep WIC Working Act

119-hr-5836, Keep WIC Working Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8] (R-PA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5836
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5836
- Congress: 119
- Title: Keep WIC Working Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-10-28
- Sponsor: Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8] (R-PA)
- Cosponsors: 5
- Policy area: Agriculture and Food
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**Provides temporary, lapse-contingent funding to keep WIC operating.** This bill would let the Agriculture Secretary tap unobligated Treasury funds to maintain the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) during a lapse in FY2026 discretionary USDA appropriations. It would also require that those funds include reimbursements to State agencies for state money spent to sustain participation beginning September 30, 2025 through the date of enactment. - Families and participants: WIC clients would continue receiving nutrition benefits without interruption during a FY2026 USDA funding lapse. - State agencies: States would get retroactive reimbursement for funds they used to keep people enrolled from Sept 30, 2025 until this authority is enacted. - USDA operations: The Agriculture Secretary would be allowed to use unobligated Treasury funds, as needed, until FY2026 Agriculture appropriations or a continuing resolution are enacted. - Program rules: The bill focuses on continuity funding and retroactive reimbursement while keeping current WIC eligibility, benefit formulas, and program structure intact.

## Cosponsors (5)

- Rep. Nunn, Zachary [R-IA-3] (R-IA), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2025-10-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2] (R-KS), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7] (R-PA), 2025-10-31T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1] (R-NY), 2025-11-04T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Keep WIC benefits running during shutdown: benefit, medium. This bill would keep WIC benefits and clinics running if USDA funding lapses in fiscal year 2026. USDA could use Treasury funds, as needed, to operate WIC during the lapse. This authority would end once FY2026 USDA appropriations are enacted, including a continuing resolution. States would be repai…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-2853: Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5836 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5836)

## Related
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-4206: CONNECT for Health Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4206)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-2853: Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2853)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5836 (as of 2026-04-21).