Juice Access Improvement Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9304 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9304

  To require that juice be the default benefit under certain WIC food 
                               packages.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 11, 2026

Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. Soto) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                               Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To require that juice be the default benefit under certain WIC food 
                               packages.

    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 ``Juice Access Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. JUICE AS DEFAULT BENEFIT UNDER CERTAIN WIC FOOD PACKAGES.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the special supplemental nutrition 
program for women, infants, and children under section 17 of the Child 
Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786), the Secretary shall, with 
respect to a covered Food Package, require State agencies to--
            (1) establish juice as the default benefit; and
            (2) authorize that a $3 cash-value voucher substitution for 
        juice (to be adjusted annually for inflation consistent with 
        the annual inflation adjustments made to cash-value voucher 
        values for women and children) be available upon request by a 
        participant in such program.
    (b) Revision of Rules.--The Secretary shall issue or revise such 
rules as are necessary to carry out this section, including revision of 
paragraph (e)(10) of section 246.10 of title 7, Code of Federal 
Regulations and table 2 relating to such paragraph (as in effect on the 
date of the enactment of this section).
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Cash-value voucher.--The term ``cash-value voucher'' 
        has the meaning given the term in section 246.2 of title 7, 
        Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the 
        enactment of this section).
            (2) Covered food package.--The term ``covered Food 
        Package'' means the following food packages under section 
        246.10(e) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect 
        on the date of the enactment of this section):
                    (A) Food Package IV--Children 1 through 4 years.
                    (B) Food Package V--Pregnant and partially (mostly) 
                breastfeeding women.
                    (C) Food Package VI--Postpartum women.
                    (D) Food Package VII--Fully breastfeeding.
            (3) Juice.--The term ``juice'' means juice meeting the 
        minimum requirements and specifications for supplemental foods 
        under table 4 to paragraph (e)(12) of section 246.10 of title 
        7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the 
        enactment of this section).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
                                 <all>