What's happening
This bill requires new or renovated public transportation facilities in New York to provide private lactation rooms for nursing mothers.
Why it matters
Improves privacy and comfort for nursing mothers. By requiring new or substantially renovated public transportation facilities to provide private lactation spaces (with a chair and electrical outlet, and not inside a restroom), the bill addresses the need for dignified, hygienic, and comfortable environments for breastfeeding or pumping.
Sets clear, enforceable standards. The legislation defines what qualifies as a "private room" or lactation area, ensuring that these spaces are truly functional and not perfunctory. This helps prevent minimal compliance (e.g., designating a restroom stall) and ensures the facilities meet mothers' needs.
Targets high-traffic and newly constructed areas. The bill focuses on locations with large passenger volumes (over 500,000 annually) and applies to new builds or substantial renovations, making it likely to impact the most-used and modernized transportation sites, where the need and opportunity for meaningful accommodations are highest.
Promotes public health and workplace equity. By supporting breastfeeding in public spaces, the bill aligns with public health recommendations and helps normalize breastfeeding, which benefits both infants and mothers. It also reduces obstacles for nursing mothers who travel or commute, supporting broader gender equity and workforce participation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Nursing Rooms in Transit Hubs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3996
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the public authorities law, the highway law and the public health law, in relation to establishing the lactation accommodation in public transportation facilities act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "lactation accommodation in public transportation facilities act".
§ 2. Section 361-c of the public authorities law, as added by chapter 876 of the laws of 1976, is amended to read as follows:
§ 361-c. [Tourist information] Service facilities. 1. The authority shall provide tourist information services at all service areas where food is offered for sale, provided that: the department of commerce and or local and regional tourist promotion agencies shall provide the authority with ample supplies of such literature and brochures necessary for distribution to the traveling public.
2. When there is construction of a new service area, or the replacement, expansion, or substantial renovation of an existing service area, the authority shall provide a private room for nursing mothers at all service areas where food is offered for sale. A private room for nursing mothers must meet the following conditions:
(a) includes, at a minimum, a chair and an electrical outlet; and
(b) is located outside the confinement of a public restroom.
§ 3. Section 20 of the highway law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. When there is construction of a new roadside rest area, or the replacement, expansion, or substantial renovation of an existing roadside rest area which has a restroom along New York interstate eightyseven between exit one in the town of Guilderland and exit forty-three in the town of Champlain, commonly known as state route eighty-seven or
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04716-01-7
A. 3996 2
the northway, the commissioner shall provide for a private room or area for nursing mothers. For purposes of this section, a private room for nursing mothers shall: (a) include, at a minimum, a chair and an electrical outlet; and (b) be located outside the confinement of a public restroom.
§ 4. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 2505-d to read as follows:
§ 2505-d. Private place for nursing mothers. 1. On or before January first, two thousand eighteen, the manager of a railroad station or bus station, consisting of an indoor waiting area with public restrooms, operated by a city, county, city and county, state, or public benefit corporation, that conducts commercial operations and that has more than five hundred thousand passengers a year, shall provide a room or other location for members of the public to express breast milk in private that meets both of the following conditions:
(a) includes, at a minimum, a chair and an electrical outlet; and
(b) is located outside of the confines of a public restroom.
2. Upon construction of a new station that has indoor waiting areas with public restrooms or the replacement, expansion, or renovation of an existing station, a railroad or bus station shall provide a sink in any room or other location designated to comply with the provisions of this section.
3. As used in this section, "renovation of an existing station" means the repurposing of more than twenty-five percent of the space in the station.
4. Nothing in this section shall apply to railroad stations operated for the sole purpose of a subway station or rapid transit railroad station.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.