The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler’s Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act, which expands nursing rights protections from the 2010 Break Time law to nearly 9 million employees previously excluded from the bill.
“As a mom of three young kids, I understand the challenges faced by nursing moms who also hold jobs,” the Southwest Washington representative said in a news release. “Making sure moms can pump at work promotes healthier families, and it’s also important to help businesses recruit and retain the workforces they need. That’s why I’m pleased the House approved this business-friendly, bipartisan legislation — endorsed by leading business associations like the U.S. Chamber of Congress and the National Retail Federation — that simply provides moms with reasonable opportunities to pump in their workplace.
“I’m proud to have worked with businesses, health care stakeholders, and parents in successfully leading this legislation that supports moms in Southwest Washington who are providing for their family’s health and financial security,” she continued.
The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act also provides employers clarity on when pumping time can be unpaid, as is allowed under current law, and ensures nursing mothers have access to remedies that are “available for other violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act,” according to the news release.
Herrera Beutler introduced the bill earlier this year alongside Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood.
