Cindy Curtis,RN,IBCLC
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.erols.com/cindyrn
----- Original Message -----
From: Ravnitzky, Gail <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 1999 7:37 PM
Subject: update of lactation legislation -- A VICTORY!!!


> To: Interested Parties
> From: Gail Ravnitzky
> Legislative Director for Rep. Carolyn Maloney
> Date: July 1, 1999
> RE: GOOD NEWS -- a big victory on lactation legislation
>
>
> Rep. Maloney recently introduced legislation (the Right to Breastfeed Act,
> H.R. 1848) to protect a woman's right to breastfeed on federal property
> where she and her child have a right to be.  This bill was referred to the
> Government Reform Committee.
>
>
> WHAT HAPPENED
> Today, Thursday, July 1, 1999, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
the
> Interior (which funds the National Park Service, Smithsonian Museums, and
> several other federal museums) accepted an amendment similar to the
Maloney
> bill.  The amendment, offered by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), (a
> member of the subcommittee) said:
>
> "A woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a
> building or on property that is part of the National Park System, the
> Smithsonian Institution, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts,
> the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, or the National Gallery of
Art,
> if the woman and her child are otherwise permitted to be present at the
> location."
>
>
> WHAT HAPPENS NOW
> Although the amendment was accepted by voice vote (unanimously), there are
> still many ways in which the language can be killed, so it is critical to
> make a very strong statement to Members of Congress about why this
provision
> is so important.
>
> The remaining process on the Interior bill is as follows:  The Rules
> Committee will meet to decide whether the Roybal-Allard amendment will be
> "protected" and allowed to continue on to the House Floor as an amendment
to
> the Interior bill. (Reps. Maloney and Roybal-Allard will speak to the
Rules
> Committee and ask them to protect it, but your Representatives need to
hear
> from you!)  Then, the bill will move to the House floor (hopefully with
the
> new provision), and there will be a final vote on the Interior bill.
Then,
> the bill moves to the Senate.
>
>
> WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
> NOW IS THE TIME to write to your Representative in Congress and ask
him/her
> to:
> 1.  Cosponsor H.R. 1848
> 2.  Support the Roybal-Allard language in the Interior
> Appropriations bill when it comes to the floor.
> [You can reach your Congressperson by writing to The Honorable
> _________________, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.
Or
> call 202-225-3121 to find out who it is.]
>
> Also, feel free to send a letter of thank you to Rep. Lucille
Roybal-Allard
> for her work on this issue.  Her address:   The Honorable Lucille
> Roybal-Allard, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515.
>
>
> OTHER NEWS
> *Sorry to say that so many bad stories keep coming in about people being
> fired and/or harassed at work.  However, we are also hearing from lots of
> companies who are investing in lactation programs, and the moms who have
> benefited.
> *The most updated state law information is available on our website.
> *Also, many of you (now over 1300!)  have suggested new issues for us to
> tackle, and although many are worthwhile, it is overwhelming, so please
> understand that we'd like to focus on the legislation at hand before
taking
> on more issues.
> *Why does this legislation only apply to federal property?  Because we
don't
> have jurisdiction over states, unless we tie the bill to a federal funding
> stream.  So, it is much much harder to do.
> *Today's news is a tremendous start, and we look forward to more victories
> during the next few months.  Thanks to everyone who has helped to put this
> together and sent stories about breastfeeding on federal property.  You
made
> the difference!
>
>
> OTHER LEGISLATION
> Pregnancy Discrimination Act Amendment of 1999, (H.R. 1478)  -  Clarifies
> the Pregnancy Discrimination Act to protect breastfeeding under civil
rights
> law, requiring that women cannot be fired or discriminated against in the
> workplace for expressing breast milk (or directly breastfeeding) during
her
> own lunch time or break time. Until now, courts have not interpreted the
PDA
> definition of "pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions" to
> include breastfeeding.
>
> Breastfeeding Promotion and Employers' Tax Incentive Act of 1999, (H.R.
> 1163)  -  Encourages employers to set up a safe, private, and sanitary
> environment for women to express (or pump) breast milk by providing a tax
> credit for employers who set up a lactation location, purchase or rent
> lactation-related equipment, hire a lactation consultant, or otherwise
> promote a lactation-friendly environment. For example, some larger
companies
> will set up a nursing mothers' room and buy equipment for the room.
Smaller
> companies may just purchase or rent breast pumps, and pay for lactation
> support. The tax credit is for 50% of what a company spends on these
> "qualified expenses." Many companies are already doing this and many want
to
> expand their programs.
>
> Safe and Effective Breastpumps Act, (H.R. _____ -- not yet introduced)  -
> Requires the FDA to develop minimum quality standards for breast pumps to
> ensure that products on the market are safe and effective.
>
>
> If you would like to be added to or deleted from our e-mail update list,
> please contact:   [log in to unmask]     Please be sure to
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you
> are receiving this message from someone other than Gail, she cannot delete
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>

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