Get Congress to Support the Breastfeeding Promotion Act
I just received today a virtual petition for the Breastfeeding Promotion Act, H.R.2819 via Care2 and The United States Breast Feeding Committee. You can sign it today too here. As of the moment I am writing this post, the total signature count is 6358. The ongoing goal is to reach 10,000.
Though the act was 1st presented to the Senate June 11, 2009, it still has not been getting the attention it deserves. This is where you come in.
The Breastfeeding Promotion Act (H.R. 2819, S. 1244) includes five provisions:
1. Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding women from being fired or discriminated against in the workplace.
2. Provides tax incentives for businesses that establish private lactation areas in the workplace, or provide breastfeeding equipment or consultation services to their employees.
3. Provides for a performance standard to ensure breast pumps are safe and effective.
4. Allows breastfeeding equipment and consultation services to be tax deductible for families (amends Internal Revenue Code definition of “medical care”).
5. Protects the privacy of breastfeeding mothers by ensuring they have break time and a private place to pump in the workplace (applies to employers with 50 or more employees, see text of legislation for details).
May we thank Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (NY) and Senator Jeff Merkley (OR) for the introduction of this act to the Senate. If you would like to read more technical info about the act or learn further information , please visit here.
