WASHINGTON _ Coming soon to many of the nation's smaller airports: mothers' rooms.
The House has passed "The Small Airport Mothers' Rooms Act of 2019" that will require a lactation area for nursing mothers in small hub airports, generally those located in small to medium size cities such as Fresno, Boise, Sarasota and Columbia, South Carolina.
The legislation also mandates a baby changing table in at least one men's and one women's restroom in each passenger terminal building of the affected airports.
While many of the small airports already have such facilities, they all must meet the new standards by fiscal 2023, which begins October 1, 2022. The airports could seek federal funds to help build the rooms.
The bill won voice vote approval in the House last month. A Senate version won the backing of the Senate Commerce Committee last month and is expected to be considered this year.
A lactation area is defined as "a location for members of the public to express breast milk that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from the public, has a door that can be locked, includes a place to sit, a table or other flat surface, a sink or sanitizing equipment, and an electrical outlet, is readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs and is not located in a restroom."
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's report on the bill said it was necessary because "nursing parents continue to face challenges, and potentially public stigma, when attempting to breastfeed, nurse, or change their child while traveling."
The bills have strong support from both Republicans and Democrats.
"When traveling, you'd never be expected to eat your meal in a bathroom stall, yet for many new mothers, that's the reality they face," said Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois. In 2018, she became the first person to give birth while serving in Congress.
Chief House sponsor is Rep. Carol Miller, R-West Virginia. The bill, she said, will help ease anxiety and "allows for mothers to have a quiet, private space to care for their young ones and nurse their children in privacy,"
About 60 organizations sent Congress a letter supporting the effort, including the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Breastfeeding Institute, American College of Nurse-Midwives, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs and the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists.
"A growing number of airports have designated lactation spaces, yet many lactating people still end up in restrooms or on airport floors," they wrote. "Travelers rarely have control over how long they are in transit, making accessible accommodations within airports a critical priority."
About 70 small airports would be subject to the new requirement. An estimated 30 may already be in full compliance.
Fresno Yosemite International Airport has had a mothers' room for four years. It's in a central location after the security screening, along the passageway to the boarding gates.
An airport description says it offers "soothing wall tones, a comfortable seating area, soft lighting, electrical outlets and granite countertop with a sink designed to create a nurturing environment for passengers and working mothers."
In Boise, the airport currently has a Mamava Lactation Pod in the airport's secure area. The airport is in the process of a multi-year airport expansion project that will include a mothers' room.
Larger airports already have to comply with the law by 2021.
