Referred to:  The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chairman Uchitelle and Legislators Corcoran, Erner, Lopez, Nolan, Petit, and Stewart)

Legislators Joe Maloney and Laura Petit offer the following:

WHEREAS, New York State Labor Law Section 206-c requires employers to provide a nursing mother with break time to pump breast milk at work; and

WHEREAS, this law applies to all public and private employers in New York State, regardless of the size or nature of their business; and

WHEREAS, all employers are required to inform employees who are returning to work following the birth of a child about their right to take unpaid breaks during the work day for the purpose of pumping breast milk by putting up a public poster in the worksite, putting the information in the employee handbook, or notifying the employee individually in writing; and

WHEREAS, a nursing mother can take breaks at least once every three hours to pump breast milk right before or after regularly scheduled paid break or meal periods; and

WHEREAS, employers should provide employees with a private room or private location containing, at a minimum, a chair and small table or other flat surface, close to their work area (not a restroom) where they can pump breast milk; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Labor encourages employers to provide, in addition to the above, an electrical outlet, clean water supply, and access to a refrigerator where pumped milk can be stored; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Ulster County, as an employer of over 1,300 people with multiple facilities throughout the County, shall provide a designated private room close to any nursing mothers’ work area containing a chair, small table or flat service where breast milk can be pumped, and a refrigerator to store pumped milk,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                       NOES:    

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on ____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE