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 adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act Relative to the Promotion of Breastfeeding in Hospitals.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Linda Dorcena Forry

12th Suffolk

1/20/2011

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

2/1/2011

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

2/3/2011

Ellen Story

3rd Hampshire

2/4/2011

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

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

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.