HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1888 FILED ON: 1/20/2011
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Linda Dorcena Forry
_______________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying:
An Act Relative to the Promotion of Breastfeeding in Hospitals.
_______________
PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
Linda Dorcena Forry | 12th Suffolk |
Jennifer E. Benson | 37th Middlesex |
Cory Atkins | 14th Middlesex |
Ellen Story | 3rd Hampshire |
Thomas M. Menino | Mayor of Boston |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1888 FILED ON: 1/20/2011
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
By Ms. Forry of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1478) of Linda Dorcena Forry and others for legislation to develop a comprehensive breastfeeding promotion policy. Public Health. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
An Act Relative to the Promotion of Breastfeeding in Hospitals.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 53D, the following section:-
Any hospital licensed under section 51 and designated by the department as providing a maternal and newborn service shall take the following steps to promote breastfeeding:
(a) Develop and submit to the department a comprehensive breastfeeding promotion policy, including but not limited to the hospital’s clinical practice guidelines, educational efforts in support of breastfeeding, and discharge planning for breastfeeding mothers;
(b) Post and provide to all mothers the hospital’s breastfeeding mother’s bill of rights; and
(c) Require training for maternal and newborn service hospital staff in breastfeeding education and support.
SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts department of public health, in consultation with the Massachusetts perinatal advisory committee, shall publish a model hospital breastfeeding policy and a “breastfeeding mother’s bill of rights” for use in hospitals with a maternal and newborn service.
