2007 Montana Legislature

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SENATE BILL NO. 89

INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS


AN ACT REQUIRING BREAK TIME AND PRIVACY FOR NEEDS OF BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS IN STATE AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPALITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM; AND PROVIDING THAT IT IS DISCRIMINATION TO REFUSE TO HIRE OR EMPLOY, BAR, OR DISCHARGE FROM EMPLOYMENT AN EMPLOYEE WHO EXPRESSES BREAST MILK OR TO DISCRIMINATE IN TERMS, CONDITIONS, OR PRIVILEGES OF EMPLOYMENT.

 

AN ACT REQUIRING BREAK TIME AND PRIVACY FOR NEEDS OF BREASTFEEDING MOTHERS IN STATE AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPALITIES, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM; AND PROVIDING THAT IT IS DISCRIMINATION TO REFUSE TO HIRE OR EMPLOY, BAR, OR DISCHARGE FROM EMPLOYMENT AN EMPLOYEE WHO EXPRESSES BREAST MILK OR TO DISCRIMINATE IN TERMS, CONDITIONS, OR PRIVILEGES OF EMPLOYMENT.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

 

     Section 1.  Public employer policy on support of women and breastfeeding -- unlawful discrimination. (1) All state and county governments, municipalities, and school districts and the university system must have a written policy supporting women who want to continue breastfeeding after returning from maternity leave. The policy must state that employers shall support and encourage the practice of breastfeeding, accommodate the breastfeeding-related needs of employees, and ensure that employees are provided with adequate facilities for breastfeeding or the expression of milk for their children. At a minimum, the policy must identify the means by which an employer will make available a space suitable for breastfeeding and breast pumping for a lactating employee, including the provision of basic necessities of privacy, lighting, and electricity for the pump apparatus. The space does not need to be fully enclosed or permanent, but must be readily available during the term that the employee needs the space.

     (2) It is an unlawful discriminatory practice for any public employer:

     (a) to refuse to hire or employ or to bar or to discharge from employment an employee who expresses milk in the workplace; or

     (b) to discriminate against an employee who expresses milk in the workplace in compensation or in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification.

 

     Section 2.  Private place for nursing mothers. (1) All state and county governments, municipalities, and school districts and the university system shall make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, in close proximity to the work area, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express the employee's breast milk as provided in [section 1].

     (2) All public employers are encouraged to establish policies to allow mothers who wish to continue to breastfeed after returning to work to have privacy in order to express milk and to provide facilities for milk storage.

 

     Section 3.  Break time for working mothers. All state and county governments, municipalities, and school districts and the university system shall provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for the employee's child, as provided in [sections 1 and 2], if breaks are currently allowed. If breaks are not currently allowed, the public employer shall consider each case and make accommodations as possible. The break time must, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee. A public employer is not required to provide break time under this section if to do so would unduly disrupt the public employer's operations.

 

     Section 4.  Codification instruction. [Sections 1 through 3] are intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 39, chapter 2, part 2, and the provisions of Title 39, chapter 2, part 2, apply to [sections 1 through 3].

- END -

 


Latest Version of SB 89 (SB0089.ENR)
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