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
Supports working and traveling parents. By mandating private lactation rooms in new or significantly renovated public transit facilities, the bill addresses a practical need for nursing mothers, making travel and commuting more accessible for families.
Sets clear facility standards. The law specifies that lactation spaces must include a chair, sink, and electrical outlet, and cannot be inside public restrooms, ensuring these rooms are genuinely functional, hygienic, and comfortable for users.
Targets high-traffic locations. Requirements apply to major transit sites (e.g., bus and train stations with over 500,000 annual passengers and highway rest stops along the Northway), meaning the change will benefit a large number of people in busy, high-need areas.
Promotes public health and equity. By normalizing and supporting breastfeeding in public spaces, the legislation advances public health goals and signals institutional support for parents, potentially reducing stigma and improving outcomes for mothers and infants.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Add Nursing Rooms to Transit
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
650
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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, a sink 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 eighty-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03585-03-9
S. 650 2
seven 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 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, a sink 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-b to read as follows:
§ 2505-b. Private place for nursing mothers. 1. On or before January first, two thousand nineteen, 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, a sink 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.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law, the highway law and the public health law, in relation to establishing the lactation accommo- dation in public transportation facilities act
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would require airports to provide a nursing space for breast- feeding mothers behind the security screening area equipped with a chair and an electrical outlet away from public view.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 states the title of the legislation.
Section 2 amend Section 361-c of the public authorities law to identify thruway stops as facilities and to require the lactation rooms along the NYS Thruway, as well as to identify the specifics of this area.
Section 3 Amend Section 20 of the Highway Law to include a new subdivi- sion 5 to require the lactation rooms along the NYS Northway, as well as to identify the specifics of this area.
Section 4 amends the public health law by adding a new section 2505-b to require the lactation rooms at railroad stations and bus stations, as well as identifies the specifics of this area.
Section 5 contains the effective date.
Justification
One of the greatest struggles for breastfeeding mothers is the lack of accommodations to safety and privately express milk and feed their chil- dren in public places. This has been an issue for years that women have fought for, to secure lactation rooms in the workplace as well as public facilities. Only recently have states begun to pass laws that help ensure that mothers have a private place to nurse their children and pump breast milk.
More so, large airports have begun to take action on this women's need and install nursing stations for women to express milk while traveling for work or pleasure, who are often times stuck in an airport for hours on end. With this first step, other means of transportation need to provide these sanitary areas for nursing mothers as well. This legis- lation would expand lactation rooms into New York State highway rest stop facilities, particularly on the Thruway and Northway roads, as well as railroad stations and bus stations.
Prior legislative history
2015-16: S.7713: Referred to Transportation 2017-18: S.5052 Referred to Transportation
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Legislative information
This act shall take effect 30 days after enactment.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.