Bill Text: NJ AR244 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges President and Congress of US to enact law prohibiting airline from counting breast milk or breast pumps against airline's carry-on limit or restricting passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-12-16 - Filed with Secretary of State [AR244 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-AR244-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ELIANA PINTOR MARIN
District 29 (Essex)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and Congress of US to enact law prohibiting airline from counting breast milk or breast pumps against airline's carry-on limit or restricting passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the President and the Congress of the United States to enact a law prohibiting an airline from counting breast milk or breast pumps against the airline's carry-on limit or restricting passengers from carrying breast milk onto the aircraft.
Whereas, More than 80 percent of mothers breastfeed their infants during the first six months of the child's life; and
Whereas, No matter what they are doing or where they are, breastfeeding mothers need to express milk every few hours in order to keep up their milk supply and to prevent infection known as mastitis; and
Whereas, On October 5, 2018, the President of the United States signed into law a five-year reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, which included language that requires airports to provide lactation rooms that are accessible to the public; and
Whereas, In spite of this federal law and laws in all 50 states that specifically allow breastfeeding in any public or private location, breastfeeding mothers have continued to face barriers, even harassment, when breastfeeding or attempting to breastfeed in public places; and
Whereas, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) permits breast pumps and breast milk for infants or toddlers in reasonable quantities to pass through the security checkpoint in airports; and
Whereas, TSA also permits ice packs, freezer packs, frozen gel packs, and other accessories required to cool breast milk to pass through the security checkpoint in airports; and
Whereas, In spite of these TSA policies, some airlines still prevent passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft or prevent breastfeeding mothers from carrying breast pumps onto aircraft by counting breast pumps against the airline's carry-on limits; and
Whereas, There is no federal law that prohibits an airline from counting breast milk or breast pumps against the airline's carry-on limit or restricting passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft; and
Whereas, These airline policies create barriers for parents to feed infants and toddlers while traveling and create health risks for breastfeeding mothers who are prevented from expressing milk for extended periods of time while traveling; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges the President and the Congress of the United States to enact a law prohibiting an airline from counting breast milk or breast pumps against the airline's carry-on limit or restricting passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives, and each member of the United States Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the President and the Congress of the United States to enact a law prohibiting an airline from counting breast milk or breast pumps against the airline's carry-on limit or restricting passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft. More than 80 percent of mothers breastfeed their infants during the first six months of the child's life. Breastfeeding mothers need to express their milk every few hours in order to keep up their milk supply and in order to prevent infection known as mastitis.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) permits breast pumps and breast milk for infants or toddlers in reasonable quantities to pass through the security checkpoint in airports. In spite of these TSA policies, some airlines still prevent passengers from carrying breast milk onto aircraft or prevent breastfeeding mothers from carrying breast pumps onto aircraft by counting breast pumps against the airline's carry-on limits. These airline policies create barriers for parents to feed infants and toddlers while traveling and create health risks for breastfeeding mothers who are prevented from expressing milk for extended periods of time while traveling.
