[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 203 (Monday, December 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H10280-H10282]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SMALL AIRPORT MOTHERS' ROOMS ACT OF 2019
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3362) to amend title 49, United State Code, to require small
hub airports to construct areas for nursing mothers, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3362
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Small Airport Mothers' Rooms
Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. MOTHERS' ROOMS.
Section 47107(w) of title 49, United States Code, is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (1) by striking ``In fiscal year 2021''
and all that follows through ``the Secretary of
Transportation'' and inserting ``The Secretary of
Transportation'';
(2) in paragraph (1)(B) by striking ``one men's and one
women's'' and inserting ``at least one men's and at least one
women's'';
(3) by striking paragraph (2)(A) and inserting the
following:
``(A) Airport size.--The requirements in paragraph (1)
shall only apply to applications submitted by the airport
sponsor of--
``(i) a medium or large hub airport in fiscal year 2021 and
each fiscal year thereafter; and
``(ii) a small hub airport in fiscal year 2023 and each
fiscal year thereafter, but only if such airport has been
categorized as a small or medium hub airport for the 3
consecutive fiscal years prior to the fiscal year in which
the application is submitted.'';
(4) in paragraph (2)(B) by striking ``the date of enactment
of this Act complies with the requirement in paragraph (1)''
and inserting ``October 5, 2018, complies with the
requirement in paragraph (1)(A)''; and
(5) in paragraph (2)(C) by striking ``paragraph (1)'' and
inserting ``paragraph (1)(A)''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Mrs. Fletcher) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Bost) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 3362, as amended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill introduced by the
gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller).
Few things are more sacred than the ability of parents to care for
their infant children. However, mothers often face challenges, and
potentially public stigma, when attempting to breastfeed, nurse, or
change their children while traveling. In fact, a study of 100 airports
found that, while 62 percent reported being breastfeeding friendly,
only 8 percent met the minimum requirements for a breastfeeding mother:
an electrical outlet, a table, and a chair.
The absence of sufficient designated sanitary spaces during travel
can cause unnecessary stress, wasted time, and even potential health
issues for mothers who are not able to pump.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 included a requirement that
medium and large hub airports maintain nursing rooms and baby changing
tables for the convenience of nursing mothers and parents traveling
with infants. While that was a step in the right direction, there are
still a significant number of commercial service airports--72, to be
exact--that the law did not cover.
This bill enhances that mandate by requiring small hub airports to
also maintain nursing rooms and baby changing tables in their passenger
terminal buildings. Requiring small hub airports to provide private,
clean, accessible, and equipped areas for parents to nurse their
children will help remove some of the barriers parents face while
traveling and provide critical support to families when they need it.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the
same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1600
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3362, the Small Airport
Mothers' Rooms Act of 2019. This bill passed unanimously out of the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in June, and I am
pleased it is finally being brought to the floor.
While a growing number of airports have designated mothers' rooms,
many
[[Page H10281]]
nursing mothers still end up in a restroom or on the airport floor.
When delays happen, passengers often have no control over how long they
will be at the airport. For nursing mothers, these delays can make a
difficult trip even more stressful. Making certain accommodations
within the airport terminal is essential.
The bill extends the requirements of the bipartisan FAA
Reauthorization Act of 2018 by requiring small hub airports to provide
clean facilities for mothers to nurse their children. The law requires
that the area be located outside of a restroom and include a place to
sit, a table, a sink or sanitizing equipment, and an electrical outlet.
Importantly, the room must also be fully accessible to passengers with
disabilities.
When fully enacted, this bill will ensure that 97 percent of airline
passengers will have access to clean, sanitary, and accessible mothers'
rooms.
The bill before us today also contains a provision recommended by the
Federal Aviation Administration that will give airports that grow into
small hubs sufficient time to comply with the law.
The bill has been endorsed by nearly 60 international, national,
regional, State, and Tribal organizations.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support from these
organizations.
Washington, DC, July 15, 2019.
Dear Congresswoman Miller: We, the undersigned
organizations, thank you for introducing the Small Airports
Mothers' Rooms Act of 2019. By leading Congress to protect
and support breastfeeding, you demonstrate a commitment to
our nation's families. Breastfeeding is a proven primary
prevention strategy, building a foundation for life-long
health and wellness. Breastfeeding parents who choose or need
to travel should not have to struggle to find lactation
spaces--no matter the size of the airport, risking their milk
supply and thereby their ultimate breastfeeding success.
Building on the success of the Friendly Airports for
Mothers (FAM) Act, already being implemented in airports
across the nation well ahead of the required 2021
implementation date, the Small Airport Mothers' Room Act of
2019 (H.R. 3362) would extend these provisions to small
airports. Small airports would have two additional years to
come into compliance, and would be able to use Airport
Improvement Program funds for the purpose of complying with
the new requirement.
Small hub airports would be required to provide a private,
non-bathroom space in each terminal for breastfeeding people
to express breast milk. The space must be accessible to
persons with disabilities, available in each terminal
building after the security checkpoint, and include a place
to sit, a table or other flat surface, and an electrical
outlet.
Human milk is the preferred and most appropriate ``First
Food,'' adapting over time to meet the changing needs of the
growing child. The United States Breastfeeding Committee
joins the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and
all major medical authorities in recommending that infants
get no food or drink other than human milk for their first
six months and continue to receive human milk for at least
the first 1-2 years of life.
The evidence for the value of breastfeeding to children's
and mother's health is scientific, solid, and continually
being reaffirmed by new research. Compared with formula-fed
children, those who are breastfed have a reduced risk of ear,
skin, stomach, and respiratory infections; diarrhea; sudden
infant death syndrome; and necrotizing enterocolitis. In the
longer term, breastfed children have a reduced risk of
obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, asthma, and childhood
leukemia. Women who breastfed their children have a reduced
long-term risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and
breast and ovarian cancers.
Breastfeeding also provides a range of benefits for
employers and society. A 2016 study of both maternal &
pediatric health outcomes and associated costs based on 2012
breastfeeding rates showed that, if 90% of infants were
breastfed according to medical recommendations, 3,340 deaths,
$3 billion in medical costs, and $14.2 billion in costs of
premature death would be prevented, annually!
For all of these reasons, The Surgeon General's Call to
Action to Support Breastfeeding; the Institute of Medicine
report, Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention; and the
National Prevention Strategy each call for promotion of
breastfeeding-friendly environments. Yet in spite of this
tremendous recognition--and laws in 50 states that
specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or
private location--lactating people continue to face barriers,
even harassment, when breastfeeding in public. And when away
from their babies, airports are just one of many public
places where they face challenges finding a clean, private
space to pump.
We know that 80% of mothers intend to breastfeed, and 82.5%
actually do breastfeed at birth. Yet only 25% of U.S. infants
are still exclusively breastfed at six months of age. Most
families today choose to breastfeed, but a range of obstacles
can make it difficult to fit breastfeeding into parents'
lives.
No matter what they're doing or where they are,
breastfeeding people need to express milk every few hours in
order to keep up their supply. Missing even one needed
pumping session can have several undesirable consequences,
including discomfort, leaking, inflammation and infection,
decreased supply, and ultimately, breastfeeding cessation. As
a result, returning to work often presents a significant
barrier to breastfeeding.
Current federal law requires employers to provide nursing
mothers who are nonexempt employees a private, non-bathroom
location to express breast milk. Airport lactation spaces are
therefore an important step to support employers that need to
accommodate lactating travelers as well as lactating
employees of the airport.
A growing number of airports have designated lactation
spaces, yet many lactating people still end up in restrooms
or on airport floors. Travelers rarely have control over how
long they are in transit, making accessible accommodations
within airports a critical priority. We are heartened to see
the implementation of the FAM Act in large and medium hub
airports and look forward to expanding similar requirements
to small airports. This expansion supports, promotes, and
protects breastfeeding in rural areas, further contributing
to national public health goals.
The Small Airports Mothers' Rooms Act would help keep our
nation's families healthy by ensuring that breastfeeding
travelers and airport employees (in airports of all sizes)
have access to appropriate facilities. This is an important
step toward ensuring all families have the opportunity to
reach their personal breastfeeding goals.
Again, we applaud your leadership in introducing the Small
Airports Mothers' Rooms Act and stand ready to help you
achieve its passage.
Sincerely,
CO-SIGNERS
International, National, & Tribal Organizations: 1000 Days;
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine; American Academy of
Nursing; American Academy of Pediatrics; American
Breastfeeding Institute; American College of Nurse-Midwives;
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs; Association
of State Public Health Nutritionists; Association of Women's
Health, Obstetric and Neonatal; Nurses; Baby-Friendly USA,
Inc.; CHEER (Center for Health Equity, Education, and;
Research); Every Mother, Inc.; HealthConnect One; Healthy
Children Project, Inc.
Human Milk Banking Association of North America;
International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners; Lamaze
International; La Leche League Alliance for Breastfeeding
Education; La Leche League USA, MomsRising; National
Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; National WIC
Association; Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Breastfeeding
Coalition; Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc.; United
States Breastfeeding Committee; United States Lactation
Consultant Association; Women-Inspired Systems' Enrichment.
Regional, State, & Local Organizations: Alabama
Breastfeeding Committee; Alaska Breastfeeding Coalition;
Alimentacion Segura Infantil (ASI); Appalachian Breastfeeding
Network; Baobab Birth Collective; The Breastfeeding Center of
Pittsburgh; Breastfeeding Coalition of Delaware;
Breastfeeding Coalition of South Central Wisconsin;
BreastfeedLA; Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates;
Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition; Colorado Lactation
Consultant Association; Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition;
Wright State University, Boonshoft School of Medicine,
Department of Pediatrics; Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition.
The Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and
Lactation Education; Kentuckiana Lactation Improvement
Coalition; Lactation Improvement Network of Kentucky; Maine
State Breastfeeding Coalition; Maryland Breastfeeding
Coalition; Michigan Breastfeeding Network; Minnesota
Breastfeeding Coalition; Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition;
Montana State Breastfeeding Coalition; Mothers' Milk Bank
Northeast; New Hampshire Breastfeeding Task Force; New Mexico
Breastfeeding Task Force; New York City Breastfeeding
Leadership Council, Inc.; New York Statewide Breastfeeding
Coalition, Inc.; Ohio Breastfeeding Alliance; Southern Nevada
Breastfeeding Coalition; Wisconsin Breastfeeding Coalition;
Women's Rights and Empowerment Network.
Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3362 is a good bill and will make it
easier for mothers traveling by air.
I want to thank the sponsor of this legislation, Mrs. Miller, for her
leadership on this issue. I also want to thank Chairman DeFazio and
Chairman Larsen of the Aviation Subcommittee for their bipartisan
effort to bring this legislation to the floor.
I urge all Members to support H.R. 3362.
Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank Representative Miller for
introducing
[[Page H10282]]
this important bill that ensures mothers are accommodated, whether they
are traveling to or from large, medium, or small hub airports.
As a father of two daughters and a grandfather of seven
granddaughters, I believe it is vitally important that, when traveling,
the stress level can be reduced tremendously if these rooms are
available.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, I, too, thank my colleague, Mrs. Miller,
for introducing this bill. And I thank Chairman DeFazio and the
subcommittee chairman, Mr. Larsen, for moving this bill through the
process. It is important to families across America.
And, once again, we are seeing bipartisan, commonsense legislation
that is important to traveling families. For that reason, I urge my
colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Mrs. Fletcher) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3362, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________