Representatives Escobar, Bacon Introduce Bill to Prevent Military Families from Losing Access to Nutrition Benefits

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Congressman Don Bacon (NE-2) introduced the Nutrition Continuity for Military Families Act of 2026. This bill would ensure that at-risk military families do not lose access to crucial supplemental nutritional benefits through the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program while conducting military required permanent changes of station (PCS).

"Receiving orders to move around the country or the world is one of the most stressful sacrifices a military family can make," said Congresswoman Escobar. "It's critical that when families conduct a permanent change of station, Congress and the military make this drastic change as smooth as possible. The last thing they should be worried about is the transferring of their nutrition assistance. My bipartisan bill addresses this by ensuring military families have the resources and tools at their disposal to ensure they have food on the table."

"Food costs are one of the biggest financial pressures on military families right now, and WIC benefits are a lifeline for many of them," said Shannon Razsadin, Military Family Advisory Network CEO. "Our own research backs that up: the Military Family 360° Survey found 41.2% of military families report low or very low food security, up from 15.6% just two years ago, and families who've recently moved due to military orders are among the hardest hit. Families report WIC benefit coverage gaps when they relocate, and some don't even know they qualify in the first place. This legislation fixes both problems: it helps families know what they're eligible for and ensures those benefits don't lapse just because they got new orders. That's real financial stability for the families who need it most, and it strengthens the readiness of our all-volunteer force."

• Require the DoD to notify service members upon receipt of PCS orders, if they are likely to fall within the category of income eligibility for WIC based on their grade/rank and time in service. The target category include:

  • enlisted service members undergoing a PCS with one or more dependents

  • pregnant enlisted service members

  • enlisted service members with pregnant spouses

  • enlisted servicemembers who meet the following service criteria:

    • serving an initial term of enlistment

    • serving in a paygrade of E-4 of below or,

    • have completed less than 10 years of service and is serving in the paygrade of E-5 or E-6.

• Require that state agencies issue a Verification of Certification card to covered members at the time of certification or recertification, ensuring their continued access to program benefits

• Require DoD to ensure that every military installation is staffed at least three days a week by a DoD employee knowledgeable of the WIC program and with resources to direct families to local agencies to complete enrollment and manage benefits. These offices will provide readily available resources to military families who may be challenged to access local agencies located off the installation.