Juice Access Improvement Act

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

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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.
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