WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence Notice - Public Comment Period

Detected March 15th, 2026

Summary

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is seeking public comment on a proposed revision to an information collection regarding the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence. This award recognizes local WIC agencies for their breastfeeding promotion and support activities. The comment period closes on May 11, 2026.

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What changed

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has issued a notice inviting public comment on a proposed revision to an existing information collection, specifically concerning the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence program. This program, mandated by the Child Nutrition Act, recognizes WIC local agencies and clinics for exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support. The revision seeks to gather feedback on the necessity, utility, accuracy, and clarity of the information collection process, as well as methods to minimize respondent burden.

Regulated entities, primarily WIC local agencies and clinics, should review the proposed information collection and submit comments by May 11, 2026, via the Federal eRulemaking Portal or by mail. The agency is soliciting input on the accuracy of burden estimates and potential technological enhancements to streamline data collection. While this is a notice for comment and not a final rule, feedback is crucial for the proper performance of the agency's functions and the effective administration of the award program.

What to do next

Review the proposed information collection for the WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence.
Submit written comments on the proposed collection by May 11, 2026.

Source document (simplified)

Content

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to
comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a revision of a currently approved collection for awarding
local agencies for excellence in WIC breastfeeding services and support. The Child Nutrition Act of 1966 at 42 U.S. Code § 1786(h)(4)(B),
requires that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) establish a program to recognize WIC local agencies and clinics that demonstrate
exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities.

DATES:

Written comments must be received on or before May 11, 2026.

ADDRESSES:

The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, invites interested persons to submit written comment.

• Preferred Method: Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.

• Mail: Send comments to: Kristin Garcia, Director, Food Safety and Nutrition Division, Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs,
Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1320 Braddock Pl, Alexandria, VA 22314.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for Office of Management and Budget approval.
All comments will be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Requests for additional information or copies of this information collection should be directed to Valery Soto, Chief, Nutrition
Services and Promotion Branch, Food Safety and Nutrition Division, Supplemental Nutrition and Safety Programs, FNS, USDA,
1320 Braddock Pl, Alexandria, VA 22314. Email: Valery.Soto@usda.gov, Telephone: (703) 305-2742.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the
functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's
estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
that were used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including use of appropriate automated,
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Title: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Breastfeeding Award of Excellence.

Form Number: Not applicable.

OMB Number: 0584-0591.

Expiration Date: 12/31/2026.

Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Collection.

Abstract: This information collection is mandated by the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 at 42 U.S. Code § 1786(h)(4)(B), herein referred
to as the Child Nutrition Act. The Child Nutrition Act requires USDA to implement a program to recognize exemplary breastfeeding
support practices at WIC local agencies and clinics. The WIC program provides breastfeeding promotion and support for pregnant
and postpartum mothers as a part of its mission to improve the health of the approximately 6.7 million Americans it serves
each month. Breastfeeding is a priority in WIC and WIC mothers are strongly encouraged to breastfeed their infants unless
medically contraindicated.

In recognizing exemplary local agencies and clinics, the Child Nutrition Act requires the Secretary to consider the following
criteria: (1) performance measurements of breastfeeding; (2) the effectiveness of a peer counselor program; (3) the extent
to which the agency or clinic has partnered with other entities to build a supportive breastfeeding environment for women
participating in WIC; and (4) other criteria the Secretary considers appropriate after consultation with state and local program
agencies. The information will be submitted voluntarily by WIC local agencies who will be applying for an award. FNS will
use the information collected to evaluate the components of existing breastfeeding programs and support in WIC local agencies
and make decisions about awards. This program is expected to provide models of breastfeeding support excellence and motivate
local agencies and clinics to strengthen their breastfeeding promotion and support activities.

A notable improvement from past collection requests is that FNS plans to explore ways to streamline the application questions
and instructions for local agencies. WIC state agencies will continue to conduct their evaluation on PartnerWeb, which was
modernized in fiscal year (FY) 2025 for a better user experience. The total estimated time for local WIC agencies to complete
the application is not expected to change.

Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government: Respondent groups identified include local and WIC state agencies.

Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of respondents is 258: 170 local WIC agencies and 88 WIC state agencies.

Since the inception of the program in 2015, a total of 1,137 awards have been given. In FY 2023, 143 eligible local agencies
applied for awards; in FY 2024, 136 eligible local agencies applied for awards; and in FY 2025, 216 eligible local agencies
applied for awards. FNS estimates that applications will increase from a range of 130-150 to 130-170 annually. FNS estimates
that 7-8 percent (13 applications) of local agency applications are small entities as they do not come from health departments.
The estimated number of respondents for the state agency application

  verification is derived from the total number of WIC state agencies, which has decreased by one since the previous burden
  collection.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent:

The estimated number of responses per respondent for the WIC local agency is one, as each eligible WIC local agency can submit
one application. The estimated number of responses per respondent for the WIC state agency is 2.0, as each WIC state agency
will evaluate approximately 2.0 applications annually. These estimates were derived by dividing the total number of responses
for the WIC local agency application or the WIC state agency evaluation by the respective number of respondents. Overall,
the estimated number of responses per respondent across the entire collection is 1.3, which is derived by dividing the total
number of annual responses (346) by the total estimated number of respondents (258).

Estimated Total Annual Responses: 346.

Estimated Time per Response: FNS estimates the WIC local agency application response is 2.0 hours, and the WIC state agency response is 1.2 hours. Overall,
the average estimated time for all the award participants is 1.6 hours. The estimated average number of hours per response
was derived by dividing the number of estimated total hours (551), by the number of total annual responses by all respondents
(346). The time for the WIC local agency is an estimated time for the agency to voluntarily review the instructions, fill
out the “WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence” application, and attach supportive documentation. The time for the WIC state
agency is an estimated time for the agency to review the instructions, evaluate the components of the local WIC agencies applications,
and make a recommendation for an award.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 551.2 hours.

See the Burden table below for estimated total annual burden for each type of respondent.

| Respondent | Estimated #
respondent | Responses
annually perrespondent | Total annual responses | Estimated avg. # of
hours perresponse * | Estimated
total hours |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reporting Burden | | | | | |
| Small Entity Application | 13.0 | 1.0 | 13.0 | 2.0 | 26.0 |
| WIC Local Agency Application | 157.0 | 1.0 | 157.0 | 2.0 | 314.0 |
| WIC State Agency Evaluation | 88.0 | 2.0 | 176.0 | 1.2 | 211.2 |
| Total Reporting Burden | 258.0 | 1.3 | 346.0 | 1.6 | 551.2 |
| * Estimated average # of hours per response includes .5 hours for reviewing instructions. | | | | | |
Parick A. Penn, Deputy Under Secretary, Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. [FR Doc. 2026-04773 Filed 3-10-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410-30-P