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SB 29 - Health - breast-feeding in public

James, Donzella (35th)	Ginrey, Phil (37th)	Tate, Horacena (38th)
Butler, Gloria (55th)

Status Summary	SC:	I&L	HC:	H&E	FR:	01/15/99	LA:	04/27/99	Signed by Governor

First Reader Summary

A bill to amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to health, so as to provide for the protection of the right of a baby to breast-feed by authorizing a mother to breast-feed in any location, public or private; to amend Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions, relative to labor and industrial relations, so as to provide for accommodations to be provided for certain nursing mothers by employers.

Code Sections - 31-1-9/ 34-1-6

SB 29  99                                             SB29/AP 
 
      SENATE BILL 29 
 
      By:  Senators James of the 35th, Gingrey of the 37th, 
           Tate of the 38th and Butler of the 55th 
 
                        A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 
                               AN ACT 
 
 
  1- 1  To amend Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official 
  1- 2  Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions 
  1- 3  relative to health, so as to provide for the protection of 
  1- 4  the right of a baby to breast-feed by authorizing a mother 
  1- 5  to breast-feed in any location under certain conditions; to 
  1- 6  amend Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1- 7  Annotated, relating to general provisions, relative to labor 
  1- 8  and industrial relations, so as to authorize employers to 
  1- 9  provide accommodations for certain nursing mothers; to 
  1-10  provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and 
  1-11  for other purposes. 
 
  1-12       BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 
 
  1-13                           SECTION 1. 
 
  1-14  Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 31 of the Official Code of 
  1-15  Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions relative 
  1-16  to health, is amended by adding at the end thereof a new 
  1-17  Code Section 31-1-9 to read as follows: 
 
  1-18    "31-1-9. 
 
  1-19    The breast-feeding of a baby is an important and basic act 
  1-20    of nurture to which every baby has a right and which act 
  1-21    must be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child 
  1-22    health and family values, and in furtherance of this 
  1-23    right, a mother may breast-feed her baby in any location, 
  1-24    where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, provided 
  1-25    the mother acts in a discreet and modest way." 
 
  1-26                           SECTION 2. 
 
  1-27  Chapter 1 of Title 34 of the Official Code of Georgia 
  1-28  Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to labor 
  1-29  and industrial relations, is amended by adding at the end 
  1-30  thereof a new Code Section 34-1-6 to read as follows: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 -1- 
 
 
 
  2- 1    "34-1-6. 
 
  2- 2    (a) As used in this Code section, the term 'employer' 
  2- 3    means any person or entity that employs one or more 
  2- 4    employees and shall include the state and its political 
  2- 5    subdivisions. 
 
  2- 6    (b) An employer may provide reasonable unpaid break time 
  2- 7    each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk 
  2- 8    for her infant child.  The employer may make reasonable 
  2- 9    efforts to provide a room or other location (in close 
  2-10    proximity to the work area), other than a toilet stall, 
  2-11    where the employee can express her milk in privacy.  The 
  2-12    break time shall, if possible, run concurrently with any 
  2-13    break time already provided to the employee.  An employer 
  2-14    is not required to provide break time under this Code 
  2-15    section if to do so would unduly disrupt the operations of 
  2-16    the employer." 
 
  2-17                           SECTION 3. 
 
  2-18  All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are 
  2-19  repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                 -2-