>> i think small businesses rightfully have some concerns about providing lactation accommodations forloyees, however we left a lot of leeway in the legislation to account for small businesses that may have small footprints. for example, we don't mandate that you have a lactation room, but rather lactation space. in city hall we have a lactation pod here open to the public. ♪ ♪ >> so the more we can change, especially in government offices, the more we can support women. >> i think for the work place to really offer support and encouragement for pumping and breast feeding mothers is necessary. >> what is most important about the legislation is that number one, we require that an employer have a lactation policy in place and then have a conversation with a new hire as well as an employee who requests parental leave. otherwise a lot of times moms don't feel comfortable asking their boss for lactation accommodations. really it's hard to go back to the office after you have become a mom, you're leaving your heart outside of your body. when you can provide your child food from your body and

those accommodations would be available for pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions including lactation. courts know exactly how to interpret the language. employers similarly have worked within ada's requirements for decades and know exactly what their responsibilities will be. must importantly, women will have the certainty they can safely stay on the job as long as they choose as we know that this framework for pregnancy accommodation works because we've seen it in action. to date, 27 states around the country have passed pregnancy accommodation laws similar to the pregnant workers fairness act. state like new york, nebraska, washington state. south carolina and kentucky have passed legislation to provide reasonable accommodation in a bipartisan manner. the bill has over 100 bipartisan cosponsors and is supported by a broad range of health, labor, business and women's health rights organizations. thank you to the chair and i look forward to continuing to work with you and this committee to move this critical piece of legislation forward. >> thank you chairman nadler. thank you for ta

not impose an undue hardship on employed for those accommodation should be available for pregnancy childbirth or related conditions includingod lactating. courts know how to interpret that language are there three decades of ada guidelines. employers have worked with requirements for decades and notes that cle what their responsibilities will be. most importantly women who have the certainly they can safely stem a job as long as they choose during their pregnancy to keep their paycheck and their health health insurance throughout. we know this framework for pregnancy accommodation works because we have seen it in action. to date 27 states around the country's economies and laws similar to the pregnant workers fairness act. states like new york nebraska washington state and most recently south carolina kentucky the ball pass legislation to provide reasonable accommodation. here in the house the bill has 100 co-sponsors and is supported by aon broad range of health lar business and women's rights organizations. thank you again chair bonamici and ranking member comer and i look forward to working with you in this committee to move this cr

reasonable accommodations to the workers as long as it is not imposing a undue hardship of the employer, and those are available for the childbirth or other related conditions including lactation. the courts know how to interpret that language. three decades of the case law to guide them. the employers have similarly worked with the ada for decades and know exactly what the responsibilities will be, but most importantly, the women will have the certainty they can safely stay on the job as long as they choose during the pregnancy and keep their pay schpa paycheck and health insurance throughout. we have seen it to date where 27 states have passed the pregnancy accommodation laws in relation to the fairness act, and states like new york, and nebraska and kentucky and others have passed legislation to accommodate pregnancy in a bipartisan area. today, it is supported by a broad range of labor, health, business and women's rights organizations. thank you for chairman and rankk member geme comber, and i will forward to working with this committee to move this critical piece of legislation forward. >> thank you, chairman nadler and thank you for testifying before the committee today