Local Advocates Applaud New Legislation Expanding Rights For Lactating Parents To Pump At Work

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Feb. 4, 2023 - PRLog -- (SAVANNAH, GA) Representatives of Healthy Savannah, YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Chatham County Health Department, and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University are applauding new legislation that expands rights for lactating parents to pump at work.

The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658/H.R. 3110), was recently signed into law on December 29, 2022. The new legislation makes several important changes to the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law passed in 2010.

Marshall is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University.

She is leading local efforts to encourage Savannah businesses to adopt breastfeeding-friendly policies and environments through an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, administered by the YMCA of Coastal Georgia and Healthy Savannah.

The new law extends the right to break time and space to pump at work to millions more workers, including teachers and nurses. It also makes it possible for workers to file a lawsuit to seek monetary remedies if their employer fails to comply and clarifies that pumping time must be paid if an employee is not completely relieved from duty. The law also increases this accommodation from one year to two years.

The legislation went into effect immediately when it was signed in December. However, the enforcement provision includes a 120-day delay, making the effective date for that provision April 28, 2023. In addition, there is a 3-year delay in the implementation of the protections for railway workers. Due to significant industry opposition, the law does not apply to flight attendants and pilots.

There are currently a few public breast/chestfeeding spaces in the Savannah area including at the Oglethorpe Mall and a room at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Marshall and her team, through the REACH grant funded program, are seeking to increase those spaces by assisting local businesses to adopt or strengthen company-wide breastfeeding and lactation space policies.

For more information about the Pump Act, visit https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/pump-act.html or https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3110. Visit https://healthysavannah.org/healthy-savannah-and-ymca-announce-funding-and-support-for-breastfeeding-friendly-workplaces/?preview_id=12620 for more information about adopting a workplace policy to support lactating employees. For additional information on lactation resources and breastfeeding support in Chatham County, visit herohelpme.com.