A bill aimed at expanding workplace protections for pregnant and postpartum workers was heard in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee Monday.
Senate Bill 5217, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), extends existing requirements for employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy and postpartum needs to all employers regardless of size. The bill also newly requires paid breaks for expressing milk during work hours and allows breastfeeding parents to request a delay or excusal from jury service if serving would create a hardship.
Currently, state law only mandates pregnancy-related accommodations for businesses with 15 or more employees and doesn’t require compensation for lactation breaks.
“Parents should never have to choose between their job and caring for their child,” Nobles said. “This bill is about creating workplaces that support families, reduce unnecessary stress, and reflect the realities of what it means to balance work and parenthood.”
The bill’s provisions to support lactation are modeled on a Georgia bill signed into law in 2020 by a Republican governor. Four states — Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York — have adopted similar lactation protections for all working parents, while some states, like Oklahoma and Indiana, provide these protections only for working parents who are state employees.
Follow the bill’s progress here.
