WASHINGTON, DC – In a united effort to support American families, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) introduced the MODERN WIC Act. This bipartisan bill proposes essential updates to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), aiming to simplify access through remote eligibility certifications.

By permanently authorizing remote eligibility certification, the legislation modernizes the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), making it easier for families to enroll and maintain benefits without requiring in-person visits.

Key Improvements Enacted by the MODERN WIC Act:

• Remote Certification Options: Facilitates video and telephone certifications, removing logistical hurdles and streamlining the process for families to access essential nutrition benefits.
• Guaranteed Accessibility: In line with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the bill ensures that remote services are fully accessible, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity.
• Prompt Nutritional Evaluations: Mandates nutritional risk assessments occur within 90 days through remote methods, ensuring timely support and intervention.
• Immediate Access to Benefits: Families can immediately qualify based on income, with subsequent nutritional assessments, speeding up the support process.

"The WIC program has stood as a pillar of support for America’s mothers and children. With the MODERN WIC Act, we are removing outdated obstacles and integrating technology to make this essential program more accessible to today's families. This legislation expands WIC's reach, ensuring that every mother and child in PA-1 and beyond has access to necessary nutrition. It's a sensible enhancement that provides real, tangible benefits," stated Rep. Fitzpatrick.

“WIC provides essential support to new parents and their children,” said Rep. Bonamici. “The Modern WIC Act makes commonsense updates to the program so families and WIC providers have more flexibility and more new parents and children can benefit from WIC’s services. I’m pleased to lead this bipartisan legislation with my colleague Congressman Fitzpatrick to improve the health of families in Oregon and across the country.”

 Support for the MODERN WIC Act

"The MODERN WIC Act is a transformative step forward in ensuring WIC remains accessible and effective for families across the nation. By making virtual certification options permanent, this legislation preserves WIC’s health screenings and protects program integrity, while providing families with the flexibility they need to easily access WIC services. But time is running out—without Congressional action, the ability to offer virtual certifications will end after September 30, 2026. Congress must act now to protect and modernize WIC for the families who depend on it. We are grateful to Representatives Fitzpatrick and Bonamici for their leadership on this crucial legislation,” said Georgia Machell, President and CEO of the National WIC Association.

“The Pennsylvania WIC Association endorses the MODERN WIC Act of 2025 and advocates for a permanent remote certification option to keep families connected to WIC, ensuring continuous access to nutritious food, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support. The flexible WIC service delivery methods introduced in recent years, including mobile, virtual, and telephonic options, have greatly enhanced access for Pennsylvania families. These remote services have lowered barriers, allowing more families to enroll and stay engaged with WIC, even when in-person visits are difficult due to transportation, childcare, and work challenges. Both WIC families and service providers across Pennsylvania have come to depend on these flexibilities,” stated Melissa Bishop, President of the Pennsylvania WIC Association (PWA).

“WIC participants juggle so much, being new parents and parenting young children all while balancing budgets, work schedules, medical appointments, and other activities that young children need to thrive. Therefore, it’s especially important for WIC services to be easily accessible. Over the last 5-years we have found that WIC can provide high-quality services, while still honoring the reality in which our WIC participants live. For example, the ability to provide remote services helps keep our families connected to WIC by removing barriers. We can offer services even when there is inclement weather or national disasters, when a caregiver’s only available time to speak with us is during their work breaks, or when they have sick kids and can’t come into the clinic. These innovative approaches allow Oregon WIC to support our vision of ensuring optimal nutrition and lifelong health for every Oregon Family,” said Tiare T. Sanna, MS, RDN, the Oregon WIC Director:

The MODERN WIC Act paves the way for a more accessible and efficient future, ensuring that all eligible mothers and children can access the nutrition support they need without delay.

Read the full text of the bill here.