BILL REQ. #:  S-2050.1 

Read first time 03/01/2005.   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.

     AN ACT Relating to studying breastfeeding women in the workplace in Washington state; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that breastfeeding provides a range of benefits for the infant's growth, immunity, and development. Breastfeeding improves maternal health and contributes economic benefits to the family, health care system, and workplace. Employers benefit when their employees breastfeed. Breastfed infants are sick less often; therefore maternal absenteeism from work is lower in companies with established lactation programs. Additionally, employee medical costs are lower and employee productivity is higher. Nine other states, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas, have laws relating to breastfeeding in the workplace. Whether employers should be required to accommodate breastfeeding mothers is a matter of debate.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A study shall be conducted by a joint task force comprised of the following: Two senators to be appointed by the majority leader of the senate; two senators to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; two representatives to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and two representatives to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives. The task force shall be governed by cochairs, one to be selected by the majority leader of the senate, and the other to be selected by the speaker of the house of representatives. The joint task force shall consult with an advisory committee consisting of specialists from: The department of health; the department of labor and industries; the employment security department; and such private sector and labor representatives as the task force shall select.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The joint task force shall study the prevalence of breastfeeding women in the workplace. The study should address:
     (1) The number of breastfeeding women currently in the workplace;
     (2) How the employers accommodate these women's needs to breastfeed or express breastmilk;
     (3) The number of employers that have lactation policies and what the policies consist of;
     (4) The types of facilities provided by employers who accommodate lactating women;
     (5) The cost of accommodating lactating women in the workplace; and
     (6) The employer benefits, if any, that the accommodation of lactating women yielded.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The joint task force is to report its findings to the legislature by December 1, 2005.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Sections 1 through 4 of this act expire January 1, 2006.