Excellent news on the breastfeeding legislation front as today Governor Chris Gregoire signed into law a breastfeeding civil rights bill. House Bill 1596 (PDF) amends the state anti-discrimination statutes RCW 49.60.030 and 2007 c 187 s 3 to add the following civil right:
(g) the right of a mother to breastfeed her child in any place of public resort, accommodation, assemblage, or amusement.
The law goes into effect in late July, 90 days after today. It adds on to the existing Washington laws that exempt breastfeeding and expressing breast milk from indecent exposure, and allow employers to call themselves “infant-friendly” if they …read more

There are several breastfeeding bills making their way through the state legislatures at the moment. Here I discuss three such bills that illustrate how the text of each bill makes a huge difference in the quality and enforceability of the breastfeeding protection. Breastfeeding advocates in Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Washington state need to follow the legislation closely to ensure appropriate measures are passed.
Wisconsin
On February 24, 2009, the Wisconsin Senate passed the Right to Breastfeed Act (SB 16). If it becomes law, it would affirm a woman’s right to breastfeed in any public or private location where the mother is otherwise …read more

Starting July 1, 2008, a new Indiana law protects breastfeeding in the workplace. The law applies to businesses with 25 or more employees, as well as the state and political subdivisions of the state. Governor Mitch Daniels signed into law the legislation introduced by State Senator Vi Simpson. The enrolled act reads in part:
Chapter 14. Employee Breaks
Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, “employer” means a person or entity that employs twenty-five (25) or more employees.
Sec. 2. (a) To the extent reasonably possible, an employer shall provide a private location, other than …read more

Update: The Judiciary Committee unanimously recommended that the bill pass and that it be given immediate effect! As a Michigan mother I thank all those who testified before the committee. Now I just hope the Senate takes that recommendation.
Michigan Senator Gretchen Whitmer has introduced Senate Bill 275 which would provide an exemption for nursing mothers from jury duty. If enacted as written the law would state:
A nursing mother may claim exemption from jury service for the period during which she is nursing her child and shall be exempt upon making the request if she provides a letter from a …read more

The Detroit News ran an article “Is Your Workplace New-Mom Friendly?” by Jennifer Youssef on March 5, 2007. Youssef describes how many employers strive to accommodate new mothers by providing amenities such as lactation rooms where women can breastfeed or pump breast milk in private.
They say providing such benefits are as much bottom-line decisions as altruistic ones: They help retain good employees and maintain a happier, less-stressed workforce that’s more productive and creative.
When the Southfield branch of Meadowbrook Insurance Group constructed its new building two years ago, the company put in two lactation rooms equipped with couches and comfortable chairs …read more

Second update: Read the center’s response before you contact Rainbow Child Development Center. It has asked that all concerns be addressed to Karen Krygier at the Home Office at (248) 569-2500.
Update: Please spread the word! The daycare in question is Rainbow Child Development Center in Plymouth, Michigan. You can contact the director Mary Buchin by email at: Plymouth@RainbowChildDevelopment.com or by phone at
(734) 455-2761. Rainbow Child Development Centers has locations throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and New Jersey. To contact the national management, call (800) 90-LEARN or use the on-line contact form. Those of you in Michigan can contact your state …read more

Good news on the breastfeeding front in Pennsylvania. State senator Connie Williams has introduced legislation that would establish the Right to Breast-feed Act. If enacted as written, Senate Bill 34 would protect the right of a mother to nurse her child in public, prohibit a unit of local government from adopting an ordinance prohibiting breastfeeding in public, and provide that breastfeeding may not be considered a nuisance, indecent exposure, sexual conduct or obscenity.
That legislation is sure to receive a boost from yesterday’s nurse-in at the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. Nearly 200 people turned out to support nursing mother Leigh …read more

While breastfeeding protections already exist in Texas, I’m happy to report that revised legislation is in the works. At the end of last year Texas was the site of two controversies over breastfeeding in public. In the first, a mother was asked to leave a Texas movie theater after she refused to cover up. I examined the law in Texas and noted a loophole in the civil Health and Safety Code. If HB 1154 is enacted as introduced, the revised law would read as follows (the new text is shown in italics):
Sec. 165.002. RIGHT TO BREAST-FEED.
…read more

The Jackson Hole Star Tribune originally reported on February 5, 2007, that the proposed Wyoming breastfeeding legislation stalled in committee, but on February 16 the Billings Gazette reported that a substantially revised version of House Bill 105 has passed in the House of Representatives and received unanimous approval by a Senate committee. Among other things, the revision eliminated a requirement for employers to accommodate nursing mothers with work breaks and a private place to pump. The news article quotes Mike Moser of the Wyoming Retail Association:
I know the intent was honorable, but the practical application would have cost every business …read more

New Mexico
The New Mexico legislation to support working mothers received unanimous approval by the House Labor and Human Resources committee hearing last Tuesday and now faces review by the Consumer and Public Affairs Committee.
South Carolina
After controversial child custody disputes in the state, the South Carolina Breastfeeding Action Committee is pushing to introduce legislation that would allow a breastfeeding mother custody of her child unless the child is in danger. Three states currently allow breastfeeding to be taken into consideration in custody decisions: Maine, Michigan and Utah.
Wisconsin
The “Right to Breastfeed Act” has been introduced in the Wisconsin state legislature by Senator …read more