[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E888]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INTRODUCTION OF THE BREASTFEEDING PROMOTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2005

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Breastfeeding 
Promotion Act with my colleagues Chris Shays of Connecticut, Robert 
Wexler of Florida, Adam Schiff, Lynn Woolsey and Lucille Roybal-Allard 
of California, Bernard Sanders of Vermont, Brad Miller of North 
Carolina, Donald Payne of New Jersey, Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, John 
Conyers and Dale Kildee from Michigan and Major Owens and Joseph 
Crowley from New York.
  Mr. Speaker, statistical surveys of families show that over 50 
percent of mothers with children less than one year of age are in the 
labor force. Whereas women with infants and toddlers are a rapidly 
growing segment of the labor force today, arrangements must be made to 
allow a mother's expressing of milk if mother and child must separate.
  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that mothers breastfeed 
exclusively for six months but continuing for at least the first year 
of a child's life. Research studies show that children who are not 
breastfed have higher rates of mortality, meningitis, some types of 
cancers, asthma and other respiratory illnesses, bacterial and viral 
infections, diarrhoeal diseases, ear infections, allergies, and 
obesity. To encourage and promote breastfeeding we are introducing the 
Breastfeeding Promotion Act.
  Specifically, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act includes four 
provisions:

       Protects Breastfeeding Under Civil Rights Law: The bill 
     clarifies the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 to protect 
     breastfeeding under civil rights law. This will ensure that 
     women cannot be fired or discriminated against in the 
     workplace for expressing milk or breastfeeding during lunch 
     or breaks.
       Provides Tax Incentives for Employers: With more than half 
     of mothers with infants (less than one year of age) in the 
     work force, it is important to promote a mother-friendly work 
     environment. The bill 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 work environment. Many companies 
     would be able to receive a tax credit of up to fifty percent 
     of their related expenses.
       Seeks Minimum Safety Standards for Breast Pumps: The bill 
     requires the Food and Drug Administration to develop minimum 
     quality standards for breast pumps to ensure that products on 
     the market are safe and effective based on efficiency, 
     effectiveness, and sanitation factors (in addition to 
     providing full and complete information concerning breast 
     pump equipment).
       Allows Breastfeeding Equipment to Be Tax Deductible: The 
     bill amends the tax laws to include breastfeeding equipment 
     and services as deductible medical care expenses.

  I ask all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

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