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Example of Proposed Legislative Changes

If you’re looking to try to help pass new legislation in your state, then we applaud you! The laws we already have in place are there because someone put their foot down and said, “Hey, moms deserve these rights!”

If you’ve haven’t already, check out our Guide to Legislative Change and also our Smart Legislation Word Choices to help you get started. Once you’ve looked those over, it’s time to get cracking! If you’re not entirely sure what it is you’re trying to accomplish, here’s the next step, writing out a draft.

This is an example of a proposed bill draft from the state of Georgia.

Current Law

Public Breastfeeding Law ~ Georgia Code – Health – Title 31, Section 31-1-9
The breast-feeding of a baby is an important and basic act of nurture which should be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health. A mother may breast-feed her baby in any location where the mother and baby are otherwise authorized to be.
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Proposed New Law

Public Breastfeeding Law ~ Georgia Code – Health – Title 31, Section 31-1-9
(a) The breast-feeding of a child is an important and basic act of nurture which should be encouraged by the state of Georgia in the interests of maternal and child health. The Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics all advocate extended breastfeeding as a way to ensure the health of both the mother and child and mitigate public health problems. A mother may breast-feed her child in any location where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be.

(b) The act of a mother breastfeeding her child, and any exposure of a breast proceeding therefrom, shall not be considered lewd, indecent, immoral, or unlawful conduct.

(c) No person or entity, including a governmental entity, shall, (i) restrict, harass or penalize a mother who is breastfeeding her child (ii) require a mother to leave the premises (iii) require a mother to move to a different location on the premises if the mother is otherwise authorized to be in her current location. All such actions violate a mother’s right under subsection (a).

(d) A mother who is breastfeeding a child or expressing breast-milk, shall be excused from jury services until such time as the child is no longer taking breast-milk.

(e) The Department of Human Service shall develop and distribute materials that provide information regarding a woman’s legal right to breastfeed her child in a place of public accommodation. Special attention shall be given to notifying public accommodation membership organizations.

(f) Upon the filing of a complaint, the attorney general may bring a civil action for equitable relief to restrain or prevent a violation of subsection (c).

(g) A civil action may be brought under this section by a mother subjected to a violation of subsection (c). In any such action, the court may: (i) award a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1000); (ii) enter an order to restrain such unlawful conduct; and (iii) award reasonable attorney fees. (iv) award compensation for any damages arising from the violation.

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Current Workplace Pumping Law

Georgia Code – Labor and Industrial Relations – Title 34, Section 34-1-6
(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘employer’ means any person or entity that employs one or more employees and shall include the state and its political subdivisions.

(b) An employer may provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child. The employer may make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location (in close proximity to the work area), other than a toilet stall, where the employee can express her milk in privacy. The break time shall, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. An employer is not required to provide break time under this Code section if to do so would unduly disrupt the operations of the employer.
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Proposed New Workplace Pumping Law

Georgia Code – Labor and Industrial Relations – Title 34, Section 34-1-6
(a) As used in this Code section, the term ‘employer’ means any person or entity that employs one or more employees and shall include the state and its political subdivisions.
(b) An employer shall provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her child. The employer shall make necessary efforts to provide a room or other location (in close proximity to the work area), other than a bathroom, where the employee can express her milk in privacy. The break time shall, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. A minimum break of 30 minutes shall be provided per 4 hours worked. Use of a refrigerator shall be made available for storage of expressed breast milk.
(c) An employer who violates any provision of this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount of one thousand dollars ($1000) for each violation, such fine to be imposed by the Georgia Department of Labor? and said monies shall be used to promote breastfeeding in the State of Georgia.

(d) A civil action may be brought under this section by a mother subjected to a violation of subsection (b). In any such action, the court may: (i) award actual damages in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1000); (ii) enter an order to restrain such unlawful conduct; and (iii) award reasonable attorney fees.

(e) The attorney general may bring a civil action to enforce this code section.