A bipartisan provision from U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) requiring airports to provide clean, private accommodations for nursing mothers, this week passed the Senate as part of major legislation to increase aviation safety and security.
"Moms deserve a more convenient, accessible place to nurse than the last stall of the bathroom," said McCaskill, former Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection. "This provision is a simple, commonsense way to accommodate new mothers' needs and ensure their privacy during the stress of trying to get through an airport, and I'm glad it's one step closer to becoming law."
"I was proud to join Senator McCaskill to introduce this common-sense amendment," Senator Fischer said. "By working closely with airport stakeholders in Nebraska, including Omaha's Eppley Airfield, we were able to gain important guidance on how to improve these facilities without adding unnecessary burdens. Through this amendment, we can bring much needed flexibility to traveling mothers and American families."
"Even though we would never expect travelers to eat their meals in bathrooms stalls, new mothers are often directed to airport toilets to feed their children," said Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who originally introduced and championed the legislation in the U.S. House. "If airports still have space for smoking lounges even in 2016, surely we can find the space to allow new mothers to express breastmilk--a biological imperative that can help protect babies from illness--as well. I'm pleased my bill has passed the Senate, and I will continue working in a bipartisan fashion to provide clean and accessible lactation rooms for traveling mothers around the nation."
According to a 2014 survey, only 8 of 100 airports in the U.S. offered suitable nursing accommodations.
The provision, which was unanimously approved by the Senate Commerce Committee last month, requires all large and medium hub airports in the United States to provide a private space in each terminal for mothers to express breast milk. Airports would have two years to comply and would be able to use federal funds they receive through the Airport Improvement Program funds to comply with the new requirement. The spaces would need to meet the following criteria: not be located in a bathroom; have a door and lock; have a place to sit and a table or other flat surface; have an electrical outlet; and be readily accessible to and useable by individuals with disabilities.
U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth of Illinois introduced an identical provision, which was included in the U.S. House-passed version of the FAA legislation. The measure has received notable endorsements from the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Association of Women's Health.