To make continuing appropriations for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in the event of a Government shutdown.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Bresnahan (for himself, Mr. Nunn of Iowa, and Mr. …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The "Keep WIC Working Act" ensures that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) continues to operate even when the federal government shuts down due to a lapse in appropriations. It automatically provides funding from the Treasury to keep WIC running during any shutdown in fiscal year 2026.
Who Benefits and How
WIC participants--low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children up to age 5--benefit directly because they would continue receiving nutrition assistance (food vouchers, formula, and nutritional support) without interruption during a government shutdown. State WIC agencies also benefit because they would be reimbursed for any state funds they advance to keep the program running during a shutdown. Food vendors participating in the WIC program benefit from continued business operations.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Taxpayers bear the cost through general Treasury funds, which would cover WIC operations during any shutdown period. The federal budget absorbs this as unspecified mandatory spending that bypasses the normal appropriations process.
Key Provisions
- Creates automatic appropriations from the Treasury to fund WIC during any lapse in regular appropriations for the Department of Agriculture in fiscal year 2026
- Provides retroactive reimbursement to states for any funds they spent maintaining WIC operations since September 30, 2025
- The emergency funding terminates once regular FY2026 appropriations (including continuing resolutions) are enacted
- Applies specifically to the program established under Section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786)
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Ensures continuous funding for the WIC nutrition program during government shutdowns in FY 2026
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Create automatic funding mechanism to prevent WIC program disruption during government shutdowns"
Likely Beneficiaries
- WIC program participants (low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and young children)
- State WIC agencies
- Food vendors participating in WIC
Likely Burden Bearers
- Taxpayers (via Treasury general funds)
- Federal budget (unspecified appropriation amount)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Agriculture
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
The special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children established under section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786)
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology