BILL REQ. #:  S-3636.1 

Read first time 01/20/14.   Referred to Committee on Health Care .

     AN ACT Relating to creating the breastfeeding-friendly Washington designation; and adding new sections to chapter 70.54 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 70.54 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Breastfeeding-friendly Washington is a voluntary program to encourage and recognize hospitals that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding.
     (2) The department of health shall create the breastfeeding-friendly Washington designation and may adopt rules to recognize participating hospitals.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 70.54 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning July 1, 2014, a hospital may use the breastfeeding-friendly Washington designation provided in subsection (2) of this section on promotional materials if the hospital achieves criteria defined by the department of health based on the following ten steps:
     (a) Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff;
     (b) Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy;
     (c) Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding;
     (d) Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth;
     (e) Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants;
     (f) Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated;
     (g) Practice rooming in by allowing mothers and infants to remain together twenty-four hours a day;
     (h) Encourage breastfeeding on demand;
     (i) Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants; or
     (j) Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
     (2) A hospital seeking to use the breastfeeding-friendly Washington designation must submit its breastfeeding policy and supporting documentation with its application to the department of health for approval. The department shall review and approve those policies and supporting documentation that meet the requirements of this section and issue a designation based on the number of steps met by the hospital.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "hospital" means the maternity or newborn service of a facility licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW and includes "birthing center" or "childbirth center" as defined in RCW 18.46.010.