Section 4207 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Health Care Reform), amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), or federal wage and hour law. The amendment requires employers to provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom place for nursing mothers to express breast milk during the workday, for one year after the child’s birth. The new requirements became effective when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010. Download the text of Section 4207 only.

News and Resources:

Resources from Department of Labor

• Department of Labor Info Page: "Break Time for Nursing Mothers"

Resources from USBC

• New: USBC's Public Comments on the Department of Labor's Request for Information
• Updated: Frequently Asked Questions about the Law
• USBC Background Paper: Workplace Accommodations to Support and Protect Breastfeeding

Resources for Federal Workers

• President Obama Memo: Workplace Support for Federal Employees
• Office of Personnel Management Memo: Nursing Mothers in Federal Employment

Resources for Employers and Managers

• The Business Case for Breastfeeding
  • List of states that participated in the Business Case training initiative
• Employer Perspective on Accommodating a Nursing Employee: a video by the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition
• National Business Group on Health
  • Toolkit: Investing in Workplace Breastfeeding Programs and Policies
  • Issue Brief: Workplace Breastfeeding Programs: Employer Case Studies
  • Workplace Breastfeeding Programs: Tips for Employers
• International Lactation Consultant Association Worksite Lactation Support Directory
• Better Health for Mothers and Children: Breastfeeding Accommodations Under the Affordable Care Act: a report by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (click "Free Download" at bottom of page to view PDF)

Resources for Employees

• Updated: Frequently Asked Questions about the Law
• The Business Case for Breastfeeding
  • Employee’s Guide to Breastfeeding and Working
• Breastfeeding and Working: moms share their stories in a video by the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition
• WorkAndPump: Support and information for mothers committed to providing the best nutrition for their babies
• Babies At Work: Carla Moquin has extensively researched how trailblazing companies are allowing mothers to bring their babies to work