Got (Donor) Milk? PA’s Most Vulnerable Infants Soon Will.

Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank executive director & co-founder Denise O’Connor speaks at the PA Capitol.

Pennsylvania’s NICUs and sick outpatient babies will soon have all the pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) they need: we’re absolutely thrilled to share that Senate Bill 500, also known as “Owen’s Law,” this week unanimously passed both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature, and is on the cusp of enactment! 

This life-saving legislation will ensure PDHM gets to all PA’s vulnerable babies and provide unparalleled protection against lifelong health complications, lengthy hospital stays, medical and surgical procedures, hospital readmissions, and a myriad of other health issues these tiny infants can face. And since the bill secures coverage of PDHM under Medical Assistance, it’s a major win towards addressing equity issues that currently limit some of the most medically fragile infants from receiving donor milk.

We’re honored to have worked alongside our friends and clients at the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank on this effort, who have fought tirelessly to ensure the mother of all nutrition makes it to the babies that need it most. 

We also want to share a special thank you to our partners Donna Malpezzi and Stephanie Watkins for their unyielding dedication to shepherding this bill through both chambers. 

Next stop: Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk for signing!