Bill Proposed to Protect Breastfeeding Moms

I was lucky when I went back to work - I had an office with a door that I could close when I needed to pump. I have many friends, though, that tell stories of having to sit in bathroom stalls or try to hang a makeshift ‘door’ in front of their cube because adequate space wasn’t provided. Others have told me how their managers would give them a hard time for taking the time out of the day to pump.

With statistical surveys of families showing that over 50 percent of mothers with children less than one year of age are in the labor force, I was very happy to hear that there is a Bill currently in Congress to address this issue. (This was reintroduced in 2007, so I apologize to anyone thinking that this is old news. But as it has not yet been enacted, I felt it was worth getting the word out.)

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act is a bipartisan bill at the national level that will protect breastfeeding mothers from discrimination. HR 2236, introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Christopher Shays (R-CT), will amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect all women from being fired or facing discrimination in the workplace because they make the decision to breastfeed their children. In addition, the bill provides tax incentives for businesses that establish private lactation areas in the workplace; it establishes a performance standard that is currently non-existent for all breast pumps on the market; and permits families to take breastfeeding supplies as tax deductible items.

Read the full Bill Here. If you’re interested in supporting this Bill, please contact your local Representative…pressure from constituents is a powerful way to get things done!