S. 528 – Fairness For Breastfeeding Mothers Act of 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 2:12 AM UTC

The Fairness For Breastfeeding Mothers Act of 2019 would require certain public buildings to provide a private, hygienic lactation room for members of the public to express breast milk. It applies to any publicly accessible federal building that has a restroom, including those listed in sections 5101 or 6301. The law takes effect one year after enactment.

Key Provisions

Defines “appropriate authority” as the head of a federal agency, the Architect of the Capitol, or another official responsible for operating a public building.
Mandates that each covered public building must have a lactation room that is shielded from view, free from intrusion, and equipped with a chair, a work surface, and an electrical outlet if electricity is available.
Allows exceptions if the building lacks an existing employee lactation room and cannot reasonably repurpose space, or if creating a new room would require infeasible construction costs.
Specifies that the requirement does not grant anyone the right to enter areas of the building they are not otherwise authorized to access.

Legislative Activity

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7 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

Held at the desk.

June 27, 2019 • 5:48 PM

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 14, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Environment and Public Works Committee

February 14, 2019

SenateCommittee

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4584-4585)

Environment and Public Works Committee

June 26, 2019

SenateDischarge

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4584-4585)

Environment and Public Works Committee

June 26, 2019

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

June 26, 2019

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

June 27, 2019

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

June 27, 2019 • 11:38 AM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

June 27, 2019 • 5:48 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 528 on the floor

1 Republican

Sen. James M. InhofeR-OK · Jun 26, 2019

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be discharged from further consideration of S. 528 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate…

Bill Text

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Engrossed in SenateIssued June 26, 2019

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 528

AN ACT

To amend title 40, United States Code, to provide a lactation room in public buildings, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Fairness For Breastfeeding Mothers Act of 2019.

2.

Lactation rooms in public buildings

(a)

In general

Chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by redesignating sections 3315, 3316, and 3317 as sections 3316, 3317, and 3318, respectively; and

(2)

by inserting after section 3314 the following:

3315.

Lactation rooms in public buildings

(a)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Appropriate authority

The term appropriate authority means—

(A)

the head of a Federal agency;

(B)

the Architect of the Capitol; and

(C)

another official authority responsible for the operation of a public building.

(2)

Covered public building

(A)

In general

The term covered public building means a public building that—

(i)

is open to the public; and

(ii)

contains a public restroom.

(B)

Inclusion

The term covered public building includes a building listed in section 5101 or 6301.

(3)

Lactation room

The term lactation room means a hygienic place, other than a bathroom, that—

(A)

is shielded from view;

(B)

is free from intrusion; and

(C)

contains—

(i)

a chair;

(ii)

a working surface; and

(iii)

if the public building is supplied with electricity, an electrical outlet.

(b)

Lactation rooms required

Except as provided in subsection (c), the appropriate authority of a covered public building shall ensure that the building contains a lactation room that is made available for use by members of the public to express breast milk.

(c)

Exceptions

A covered public building may be excluded from the requirement in subsection (b) at the discretion of the appropriate authority if—

(1)

the public building—

(A)

does not contain a lactation room for employees who work in the building; and

(B)

does not have a room that could be repurposed as a lactation room or a space that could be made private using portable materials, at a reasonable cost; or

(2)

new construction would be required to create a lactation room in the public building and the cost of the construction is not feasible.

(d)

No unauthorized entry

Nothing in this section authorizes an individual to enter a public building or portion of a public building that the individual is not otherwise authorized to enter.

.

(b)

Technical amendment

The table of sections for chapter 33 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by striking the items relating to sections 3315 through 3317 and inserting the following:

3315. Lactation rooms in public buildings.

3316. Delegation.

3317. Report to Congress.

3318. Certain authority not affected.

.

(c)

Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.

Passed the Senate June 26, 2019.

Secretary