The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Jan. 15 voted 22-0 to advance to the full chamber a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) that seeks to help prevent future infant formula shortages.
“Our legislation, which has now been approved by the Senate HELP Committee, strengthens the infant formula market by improving protection against contamination and bolstering the supply chain to prevent future shortages,” said Sen. Hoeven, who cosponsored the Protect Infant Formula from Contamination Act, S. 272, in January 2025 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI).
If enacted, S. 272 would bolster U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight of infant formula manufacturing to improve the security and safety of the nation’s supply.
“American families need to have access to a safe, reliable supply of infant formula,” Sen. Hoeven said. “Shortages in recent years have shown that stronger safeguards and improvements are needed to maintain a stable and secure supply of this crucial product.”
The bill would take a three-pronged approach to reduce the risk of infant formula contamination by strengthening safety reporting and ensuring timely corrective action; requiring the FDA to to monitor and quarterly report on the in-stock rates of infant formula, as well as work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies to ensure markets can meet demand over the long term; and requiring the FDA to issue a progress report to Congress on implementation of the long-term national strategy and recommendations that it developed after a 2022 recall and shortage.
“This common-sense bill would help ensure contaminated formula doesn’t reach the shelves… by allowing the FDA to have a stronger hand in testing for dangerous bacteria,” said Sen. Peters. “Doing so will protect our children and also help prevent another nationwide shortage like we’ve seen in recent years where folks struggled to both find and afford infant formula.”