McEachin Votes to Pass the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act

Washington D.C. - Today, Congressman A. Donald McEachin (VA-04) voted to pass H.R. 3110, the bipartisan, bicameral Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act to expand workplace protections for breastfeeding mothers. This bill updates and improves the 2010 break time for nursing mothers' provision under the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide reasonable break time to pump for one year after a child's birth and ensure proper accommodations for mothers to pump.

The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act would protect millions of employees inadvertently left out of existing legislation by extendingprotections to cover salaried employees, such as teachers, nurses, and farmworkers. It also clarifies paid versus unpaid pumping time to protect salaried workers from having their pay docked. Finally, it ensures that nursing mothers have avenues of legal recourse under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

"I was proud to help pass this crucial legislation to provide additional workplace protections for mothers," said Rep. McEachin (VA-04)."All working mothers who want to breast feed should have reasonable accommodations to do so. Too often mothers feel forced to choose between nursing and returning to work successfully. No mother should have to make the untenable choice between earning a living or feeding their child. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act is an important step in protecting the rights of working mothers, and I urge the Senate to take up this bipartisan legislation without delay."

The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act is supported by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE), National Retail Federation, National Education Association, NARAL Pro-Choice America, HR Policy Association, and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, U.S. Breastfeeding Committee, American Civil Liberties Union, A Better Balance, and UC Hastings Center for Work Life Law.

Read H.R. 3110, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act bill text here.

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