Casey’s Legislation to Empower FDA to Better Address Infant Formula Supply Chain, Prevent Future Shortages Was Included in FDA Package
HELP Committee’s First Major Retirement Legislation in a Decade Includes Casey Bill to Help Part-Time Workers Save for Retirement
Washington, D.C. - Today, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee voted out two of U.S. Senator Bob Casey’s (D-PA) key priorities to help working families. The Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act, introduced by Senator Casey in April in response to the nationwide baby formula shortage, would give the FDA more authority to resolve formula shortages and ensure families can access life-sustaining products. Major provisions from this bill were included in the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancement Act.
The Improving Part-Time Workers’ Access to Retirement Act, co-led by U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), would expand retirement plan eligibility to part-time workers after two years of employment, compared to three years under current law. Both bills now head to the full Senate for consideration.
“Today, Democrats and Republicans on the Senate HELP Committee voted for my legislation to stop the next infant formula crisis before it starts. For months, I’ve been following this crisis as it unfolded and one thing that’s clear is the challenges the FDA faces in identifying and acting on potential shortages. This bill empowers the FDA to work with manufacturers to keep formula stocked on shelves and requires companies to notify the FDA of potential supply disruptions,” said Senator Casey. “Today’s vote brings the legislation one step closer to becoming law, along with my bill to make retirement plans accessible to millions more part-time workers, who are often women, caregivers or lower-income workers.”
Senator Casey has led the charge in the Senate on the infant formula shortage. On February 24, Senator Casey and Senate HELP Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to Abbott nutrition requesting documents and more detail on the recall. On April 8, Casey and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Califf pressing for answers on their actions and plans to investigate the Abbott reports. On April 29, Senator Casey raised alarms on a whistleblower report from inside Abbott months before the first infant deaths. As the baby formula crisis was coming to a head in May, Senator Casey and Chair Murray sent a letter to Infant Nutrition Council of America calling on formula companies to step up manufacturing to get parents and families the formula they need to feed their kids. On May 19, Senator Casey introduced the Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act. The Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act is also cosponsored by Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Tina Smith (D-MN) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).
Read more about the Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act here.
Read more about the Improving Part-Time Workers’ Access to Retirement Act here.
