[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 77 (Wednesday, May 26, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6043-S6045]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WIC FOR MILITARY FAMILIES

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have been circulating drafts of bills 
designed to provide WIC benefits to military personnel and to certain 
civilian personnel, stationed overseas, for a few weeks. I know that 
Senator Harkin and other Senators on both sides of the aisle have also 
been working on this matter as have members of the other body.
  I have received valuable input regarding my drafts from Members, 
national organizations and even personnel stationed overseas and I 
appreciate all who have helped. This bill introduction does not mean 
that I am no longer seeking input. On the contrary, as I have always 
handled nutrition legislation, I want to work with all Members on this 
important legislation, which I hope can be unanimously passed.
  Basically, the Strengthening Families in the Military Service Act 
mandates that the Secretary of Defense offer a program similar to the 
WIC program--the Supplemental Nutrition

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Program for Women, Infants and Children--to military and associated 
civilian personnel stationed on bases overseas. If it makes sense to 
allow those stationed in the United States to participate in WIC, it 
makes sense to allow those stationed overseas to have the important 
nutritional benefits of that program. Why should families lose their 
benefits when they are moved overseas?
  This bill provides that the Secretary of Defense will administer the 
program under rules similar to the WIC program administered by the 
Secretary of Agriculture within the United States.
  WIC is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In fact, just a 
few weeks ago, I joined Senators Lugar and Torricelli, the National 
Association of WIC Directors' Executive Director Doug Greenaway, as 
well as others, in celebrating this accomplishment.
  For 25 years the WIC program has provided nutritious foods to low-
income pregnant, post-partum and breast-feeding women, infants, and 
children who are judged to be at a nutritional risk.
  It has proven itself to be a great investment--for every dollar 
invested in the WIC program, an estimated $3 is saved in future medical 
expenses. WIC has helped to prevent low birth weight babies and 
associated risks such as developmental disabilities, birth defects, and 
other complications. Participation in the WIC program has also been 
linked to reductions in infant mortality.
  This program has worked extremely well in Vermont, and throughout the 
nation.
  However, despite the successes of this program, there continues to be 
an otherwise eligible population who cannot receive these benefits--
women and children in military families stationed outside of the United 
States.
  These are families who are serving our country, living miles from 
their homes on a military base in a foreign land, and whose nutritional 
health is at risk. If they were stationed within our borders, their 
diets would be supplemented by the WIC program, and they would receive 
vouchers or packages of healthy foods, such as fortified cereals and 
juices, high protein products, and other foods especially rich in 
needed minerals and vitamins. If they receive orders stationing them at 
a U.S. base located in another country, they lose this needed support.
  I know that I am not alone in my desire to establish WIC benefits for 
our women and children of military families stationed overseas. I look 
forward to working with all members of Congress in making a program 
that benefits nutritionally at risk women, infants and children serving 
America from abroad. I know there are other approaches being considered 
and I want to work out a good solution.
  I have been informed of situations where this nutrition assistance is 
desperately needed by military and civilian personnel overseas. I do 
not see how we can turn our backs on these Americans stationed abroad. 
I am willing to work with other ways of providing this assistance but I 
believe that my bill has advantages over other suggestions. First, this 
bill guarantees this assistance for the next three years and mandates a 
study to determine if improvements or other changes are needed.
  This bill also disregards the value of in kind housing assistance in 
calculating eligibility which increases the number of women, infants 
and children that can participate and makes the program more similar to 
the program in the United States. The CBO has estimated that the 
average monthly food cost would be about $28 for each participant based 
on a Department of Defense estimate of the cost of an average WIC food 
package in military commissaries. Administration costs which include 
health and nutrition assessments are likely to be about $7 per month 
per participant, according to CBO.
  I am advised that counting the value of in kind housing assistance as 
though it were cash assistance would reduce the cost of this program to 
$2 million per year and that 5,100 women and children would participate 
in an average month under such an approach. This will be an issue which 
I look forward to discussing with my colleagues.
  I ask unanimous consent that a copy of my bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                  S.--

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Families in 
     the Military Service Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) prenatal care and proper nutrition for pregnant women 
     reduces the incidence of birth abnormalities and low birth 
     weight among infants;
       (2) proper nutrition for infants and young children has 
     very positive health and growth benefits; and
       (3) women, infants, and children of military families 
     stationed outside the United States are potentially at 
     nutritional risk.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to ensure that 
     women, infants, and children of military families stationed 
     outside the United States receive supplemental foods and 
     nutrition education if they generally would be eligible to 
     receive supplemental foods and nutrition education provided 
     in the United States under 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).

     SEC. 3. SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION BENEFITS FOR WOMEN, 
                   INFANTS, AND CHILDREN OF MILITARY FAMILIES 
                   STATIONED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

       Section 1060a of title 10, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (h); and
       (2) by striking subsections (a) through (e) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall 
     establish and carry out a program to provide, at no cost to 
     the recipient, supplemental foods and nutrition education 
     to--
       ``(1) low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding 
     women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age of military 
     families of the armed forces of the United States stationed 
     outside the United States (and its territories and 
     possessions); and
       ``(2) eligible civilians serving with, employed by, or 
     accompanying the armed forces outside the United States (and 
     its territories and possessions).
       ``(b) Administration.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
     section, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of Agriculture, shall operate the program under 
     this section in a manner that is similar to 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).
       ``(c) Regulations.--The Secretary of Defense, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, shall 
     promulgate regulations to carry out this section that are as 
     similar as practicable to regulations promulgated to carry 
     out the special supplemental nutrition program for women, 
     infants, and children established under section 17 of the 
     Child Nutrition Act of 1966, but that take into account--
       ``(1) the need to use military personnel to carry out 
     functions under the program established under this section, 
     including functions relating to supplemental foods, nutrition 
     education, eligibility determinations, oversight, 
     enforcement, auditing, financial management, application 
     reviews, delivery of benefits and program information, 
     handling of local operations and administration, and 
     reporting and recordkeeping;
       ``(2) the need to limit participation to certain military 
     installations to ensure efficient program operations using 
     funds made available to carry out this section;
       ``(3) the availability in foreign countries of exchange 
     stores, commissary stores, and other sources of supplemental 
     foods; and
       ``(4) other factors or circumstances determined appropriate 
     by the Secretary of Defense, including the need to phase-in 
     program operations during fiscal year 2000.
       ``(d) Administrative Responsibility.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall be 
     responsible for the implementation, management, and operation 
     of the program established under this section, including 
     ensuring the proper expenditure of funds made available to 
     carry out this section.
       ``(2) Investigation and monitoring.--The Inspectors General 
     of the Armed Forces and the Department of Defense shall 
     investigate and monitor the implementation of this section.
       ``(e) Records.--The Secretary of Defense shall require that 
     such accounts and records (including medical records) be 
     maintained as are necessary to enable the Secretary of 
     Defense to--
       ``(1) determine whether there has been compliance with this 
     section; and
       ``(2) determine and evaluate the adequacy of benefits 
     provided under this section.
       ``(f) Report.--
       ``(1) In general.--Not later than March 1, 2001, the 
     Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of 
     Agriculture, shall submit a report describing the 
     implementation of this section to--
       ``(A) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
     Representatives;
       ``(B) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of 
     Representatives;

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       ``(C) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
     of the Senate; and
       ``(D) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
       ``(2) Contents of report.--The report under paragraph (1) 
     shall include a description of participation rates, typical 
     food packages, health and nutrition assessment procedures, 
     eligibility determinations, management difficulties, and 
     benefits of the program established under this section.
       ``(g) Funding.--
       ``(1) In general.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not 
     otherwise appropriated, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
     provide to the Secretary of Defense to carry out this 
     section--
       ``(A) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
       ``(B) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2001; and
       ``(C) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2002.
       ``(2) Receipt and acceptance.--The Secretary of Defense 
     shall be entitled to receive the funds and shall accept the 
     funds, without further appropriation.''.

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