California Assembly Bill 2160 was introduced by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez in February of 2026. The bill would require Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, to allow International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) to enroll directly as Medi-Cal providers and bill for lactation services directly. The bill also seeks to have Medi-Cal clarify their existing coverage policies for all lactation services provided throughout the state, by many different types of lactation support professionals.

Alongside our colleagues at HealthConnect One - a national leading organization in advancing equitable, community-based, peer-to-peer support for pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early parenting, ALPP has persistently advocated for the inclusion of all lactation support professionals in this policy, since its introduction. We have met with the office of the bill's sponsor, as well as members of the California Breastfeeding Coalition and California WIC Association who are co-sponsoring this bill. Despite those meetings, AB 2160 remains focused on encouraging Medi-Cal provider enrollment for IBCLCs only.

We firmly believe that AB 2160 should include all skilled lactation support providers, including Breastfeeding Peer Counselors, CLCs and ALCs, etc. in the field – not just one type of lactation consultant. As evidenced by the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee’s Lactation Support Provider Descriptor Chart (1), lactation consultants, lactation counselors, lactation educators, breastfeeding specialists, peer counselors, military lactation counselors and indigenous lactation counselors all provide necessary and culturally relevant support for families who are hoping to breastfeed. All of these provider types work within their own Scope of Practice and readily refer families to other provider types when needed.

As noted by HealthConnect One's issue brief, "While the California AB 2160 lactation bill aims to strengthen access to lactation services, the current language limits recognized providers... This narrow definition: excludes the community-based workforce that families trust and rely on most; creates barriers to access, particularly for Black, Indigenous, immigrant and low-income families; and reinforces inequities by prioritizing credentialing structures over culturally congruent care. This omission is not simply a gap; it is a structural barrier that risks limiting the effectiveness and reach of Medi-Cal lactation services." (2)

As the research shows, rates of breastfeeding initiation and continued breastfeeding are much lower among families who are insured by Medicaid compared to those who are commercially insured. (3) In order to adequately support all of the families in California that wish to breastfeed, we need to incentive access to as many qualified providers as possible. This will not be achieved if only one type of lactation support provider is supported by Medi-Cal and enrolled as Medi-Cal providers, as is currently written by AB 2160.

AB 2160 is currently slated for a hearing by the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday May 6, 2026. However, it is currently placed on the Consent Calendar, which means that public testimony on the bill is not being heard. This was the same process and procedure that occurred in the bill's initial hearing by the Assembly Committee on Health. ALPP continues to submit written testimony to members of each committee hearing the bill to emphasize the importance of inclusivity in such policies.

References:
1. https://web.usbreastfeeding.org/External/WCPages/WCWebContent/webcontentpage.aspx?ContentID=5199
2. https://healthconnectone.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Position-on-CA-Lactation-Bill-2160-April-10-2026-d-1.pdf
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29634340/