Bill
S 2567
Waives select WIC rules during a public-health emergency to ensure access: remote certifications, extended renewals, substitute foods, and electronic benefits.
Bill number: S 2567
Title (as provided): Waives certain requirements of the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children during a state of emergency declared as a result of a public health crisis
Introduced: July 31, 2025 (as listed)
Current status (as listed): Referred to Health
Important: the bill materials you provided contain conflicting information. The printed “Senate No. 2567” text included in your packet is an Order from the committee on Election Laws directing a study of several election-related bills (S501, S502, S508, S510, S512, S513, S518, S519, S520, S529, S532) and does not contain any WIC-related statutory language. Legislative action dates and committee referrals in the packet are also inconsistent. Because of these conflicts, the summary below is presented in two parts: (A) what the WIC-focused bill title implies (substantive summary of likely provisions and impacts) and (B) what the included text actually is (committee order on election bills and procedural notes). Please verify the official bill text with the legislature before relying on this for decisionmaking.
Purpose and intent
- Temporarily ease or waive specified administrative and program requirements of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) when the Commonwealth declares a state of emergency because of a public health crisis, to maintain participant access and program continuity.
Key provisions likely included (title-only interpretation)
- Allow remote or telephonic certification, recertification, and nutrition education in place of in-person visits.
- Extend certification periods and temporarily pause reenrollment deadlines to prevent participant termination.
- Permit substitution of approved or comparable foods when standard items are unavailable.
- Authorize emergency issuance or electronic delivery of food benefits (or authorize alternative benefit modalities).
- Relax identity, income, or documentation requirements when normal verification is impracticable.
- Allow designated proxies to pick up benefits on behalf of participants.
- Authorize program agencies to deploy temporary staffing/facility flexibilities and reimbursement adjustments needed during the emergency.
- Specify scope (which requirements are waivable), sunset provisions, and reporting/oversight requirements (e.g., agency to report waivers used, duration, and program impacts).
Who would be affected
- Primary: WIC participants (pregnant/postpartum women, infants, children up to age 5) and local WIC providers/clinics.
- Secondary: State WIC administration, vendors/suppliers, public health departments, and community organizations assisting with enrollment and benefit distribution.
Procedural/timing impact
- Waivers would apply only during a declared public-health emergency and likely include start/end triggers and post-emergency reporting requirements. The bill could authorize the Department of Public Health or WIC agency to implement waivers immediately upon a declaration.
What the packet contains
- The printed Senate document labeled “No. 2567” is an Order from the committee on Election Laws directing an investigation and study of multiple election-related Senate documents (S501, S502, S508, S510, S512, S513, S518, S519, S520, S529, S532). It is not a WIC-related statutory text.
Procedural history (as provided, contains inconsistencies)
- 2025-07-31: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; introduced in Senate; reported from Committee on Election Laws; order reported favorably and referred to Rules.
- 2025-08-21: Discharged to the Committee on Senate Rules.
- Two entries list the bill as “REFERRED TO HEALTH” with date 2025-01-21 (note: this predates the July 2025 introduction — an internal inconsistency).
Sponsors listed (as provided): Tom Cotton (primary), Leroy Comrie (primary) — these names are unusual for Massachusetts state legislation and may indicate data errors.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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