Whatever you think of the health care bill passed by Congress yesterday, you may be pleased to hear that the bill extends a right to pump at work to moms in every state. Some states, such as California and New York, already have such a law, but must most don't.
A provision (in my mind the most important one) of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's legislation was incorporated in to the Senate version of the health care bill some time ago, and I'm told that it remained in the bill just approved.
When signed, the bill would require employers of 50 or more employees to:
...provide reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to do so. The employer shall make reasonable efforts to provide a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from co-workers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk. An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee for any work time spent for such purpose.
I'm not thrilled that it extends the right for only up to 1 year (I pumped longer for my son), but what a huge difference this would make for mothers in the many states, mine included, that do not extend this right under state law!
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