(SAVANNAH, GA) Representatives of Healthy Savannah, YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Chatham County Health Department, and the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University are applauding new legislation that expands rights for lactating parents to pump at work.
The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658/H.R. 3110), was recently signed into law on December 29, 2022. The new legislation makes several important changes to the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law passed in 2010.
“The original law required employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for breastfeeding employees to pump during the work day,” said Nandi A. Marshall, DrPH, MPH, CHES, CLC. “While this was an important step, one out of every four birthing parents of childbearing age was not covered by the Break Time law.”
Marshall is an Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health at Georgia Southern University.
She is leading local efforts to encourage Savannah businesses to adopt breastfeeding-friendly policies and environments through an initiative supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant, administered by the YMCA of Coastal Georgia and Healthy Savannah.
The new law extends the right to break time and space to pump at work to millions more workers, including teachers and nurses. It also makes it possible for workers to file a lawsuit to seek monetary remedies if their employer fails to comply and clarifies that pumping time must be paid if an employee is not completely relieved from duty. The law also increases this accommodation from one year to two years.
“I am beyond excited to hear about the passing of the PUMP Act,” Marshall said. “The increased support for lactating parents in the workplace is crucial as we work to support folks on their breastfeeding journey. The PUMP Act is an important step toward health and breast/chestfeeding equity as it removes barriers to access to break time for pumping employees.”
The legislation went into effect immediately when it was signed in December. However, the enforcement provision includes a 120-day delay, making the effective date for that provision April 28, 2023. In addition, there is a 3-year delay in the implementation of the protections for railway workers. Due to significant industry opposition, the law does not apply to flight attendants and pilots.
There are currently a few public breast/chestfeeding spaces in the Savannah area including at the Oglethorpe Mall and a room at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Marshall and her team, through the REACH grant funded program, are seeking to increase those spaces by assisting local businesses to adopt or strengthen company-wide breastfeeding and lactation space policies.
“While we want all local organizations to be aware of and heed this new legislation, we also want them to know we’re here to assist them in their efforts to provide breast/chestfeeding-friendly spaces, especially for their employees,” said Marshall. “Supporting parents in their nursing journey is not only the right thing to do, but also increases morale, a sense of belonging, and workplace productivity. Science overwhelmingly shows that parents who feed their babies human milk are significantly less likely to miss work in their infant’s first year of life and tend to have higher retention rates, improved morale, and lower healthcare and insurance costs as their children are sick less.”
For more information about the Pump Act, visit https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/pump-act.html or https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3110. Visit https://healthysavannah.org/healthy-savannah-and-ymca-announce-funding-and-support-for-breastfeeding-friendly-workplaces/?preview_id=12620 for more information about adopting a workplace policy to support lactating employees. For additional information on lactation resources and breastfeeding support in Chatham County, visit herohelpme.com.
ABOUT THE YMCA OF COASTAL GEORGIA/HEALTHY SAVANNAH GRANT FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH: In September 2018, Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia were awarded a five-year, $3.4 million grant called Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health. Awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the funding is being deployed in an “upstream” approach by the Savannah/Chatham County project team to foster sustainable health equity among Black residents in low-wealth neighborhoods. The aim of the local project, called Healthy Opportunities Powering Equity, or HOPE, is to increase the availability of high-quality nutrition; promote physical activity through creating greater access to safe places to walk, run, bike and play; and foster stronger connections between people and the healthcare providers who serve them. Working with more than 200 community partners and organizations, the team is committed to elevating the health and wellness of the community through policy, systems, and environmental change. In July 2022, Healthy Savannah received the CDC’s 2022 REACH Lark Galloway-Gilliam Award for Advancing Health Equity Challenge. The award recognizes extraordinary individuals and entities whose work has contributed to advancing health equity.
healthysavannah.org ymcaofcoastalga.org.
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