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Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022

Public Law 117-129 · H.R. 7791 · 117th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Joe Biden (D) on May 21, 2022 · Agriculture and Food

Sponsor: Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT-5)

Cosponsors (129): Rep. Michelle Steel,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 414 yea, 9 nay414–9
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take certain actions to address emergencies, disasters, and supply chain disruptions (particularly the shortage of infant formula in the United States) affecting participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

The bill directs USDA to require each infant formula cost containment contract to include remedies in the event of an infant formula recall, including how an infant formula manufacturer would protect against disruption to WIC participants in the state.

USDA must, within 30 days, ensure there is a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health and Human Services that includes procedures for coordination and information sharing regarding any supply chain disruption, including a supplemental food recall.

The bill also authorizes USDA to waive or modify any WIC qualified administrative requirement during emergencies, disasters, and supply chain disruptions. Specifically, USDA may waive or modify such a requirement for one or more state agencies if (1) the requirement cannot be met by state agencies during the emergency, disaster, or disruption; and (2) the modification or waiver is necessary to provide assistance to WIC participants and does not substantially weaken the nutritional quality of supplemental foods. For example, USDA may waive the maximum monthly allowance for infant formula.

The bill establishes notification requirements for USDA and state agencies related to supply chain disruptions.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 117th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 414 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

414 yea9 nay6 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(220)

Republicans who voted yea(194)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 665 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

The record lists no related bills.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 14 actions.

  1. May 21, 2022Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-129.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. May 19, 2022FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  5. CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  6. May 18, 2022FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  7. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 414 - 9 (Roll no. 218).House roll call 218
  8. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  9. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  10. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 7791.
  11. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Scott (VA) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  13. May 17, 2022CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
  14. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.