Breastfeeding Promotion Act Reintroduced in Congress

Last week, legislation which would protect the rights of breastfeeding moms who return to the workplace was reintroduced in Congress.

Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) co-sponsored the Breastfeeding Promotion Act. The intention is to provide a national policy to keep mothers, their children, and their communities healthy. It includes five provisions: to amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding women from being fired or discriminated against in the workplace; to provide tax incentives for businesses that establish private lactation areas in the workplace; to provide for a performance standard to ensure breast pumps are safe and effective; to allow breastfeeding equipment and lactation services to be tax deductible for families; and to protect the privacy of breastfeeding mothers by ensuring they have break time and a private place to pump. For more information, visit the US Breastfeeding Committee Web site