117th CONGRESS 1st Session |
To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace, and for other purposes.
May 17, 2021
Mr. Merkley (for himself, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Booker, Mr. Casey, and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to expand access to breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
This Act may be cited as the “Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act” or the “PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act”.
SEC. 2. Breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace.
(a) Expanding employee access to break time and space.—The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 7, by striking subsection (r);
(A) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (5) and inserting “; and”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(6) to violate any of the provisions of section 18D.”;
(3) in section 16(b), by striking “7(r)” each place the term appears and inserting “18D”; and
(4) by inserting after section 18C the following:
“SEC. 18D. Breastfeeding accommodations in the workplace.
“(a) In general.—An employer shall provide—
“(1) a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for such employee’s nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and
“(2) a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk.
“(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), an employer shall not be required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time under subsection (a)(1) for any time spent during the workday for such purpose unless otherwise required by Federal or State law or municipal ordinance.
“(2) RELIEF FROM DUTIES.—Break time provided under paragraph (1) shall be considered hours worked if the employee is not completely relieved from duty during the entirety of such break.
“(c) Exemption.—An employer that employs less than 50 employees shall not be subject to the requirements of this section, if such requirements would impose an undue hardship by causing the employer significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to the size, financial resources, nature, or structure of the employer’s business.
“(d) Laws providing greater protection.—Nothing in this section shall preempt a State law or municipal ordinance that provides greater protections to employees than the protections provided for under this section.”.
(b) Clarifying remedies.—Section 16(b) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 216(b)) is amended by striking “15(a)(3)” each place the term appears and inserting “7(r) or 15(a)(3)”.