State-Level Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
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On the map above, the darkly shaded states and territories represent those which offer laws protecting state-level workplace breastfeeding rights. Click on those states to learn more about these laws.
States may also pass laws that give specific protections and rights to workers, but they may not reduce or limit the protections provided by federal laws. The maps on this site show which U.S. States and Territories have laws, statutes and/or interpretive case law that (1) specifically prohibit pregnancy discrimination, (2) specifically address pregnancy accommodation and pregnancy-related disability, and/or (3) specifically provide workplace breastfeeding rights.
Alabama
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Alaska
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
American Samoa
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the territorial level.
Arizona
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Arkansas
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employer must provide reasonable daily unpaid break time to an employee who needs to express breast milk, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer's business. The employer must make a reasonable effort to provide employees with a private, safe and clean space close to their work area, other than a toilet stall, to express breast milk.
California
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers cannot discriminate against women for breastfeeding or breastfeeding-related medical conditions.
Cal. Gov't Code §§ 12926, 12940.
An employer must provide reasonable unpaid break time to a woman to express breast milk, unless doing so would seriously disrupt the employer's business. If possible, the break time must occur during the employee's ordinary break time. The employer must make a reasonable effort to provide the mother with a private space close to her work area, other than a bathroom, to express breast milk.
Colorado
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employer must provide a nursing employee reasonable daily unpaid break time, or allow her to use paid break or meal time, or both, to express breast milk for up to two years after childbirth. The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with a private space close to her work area, other than a toilet stall, to express milk. This requirement applies to all employers.
Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 8-13.5-101-104.
Connecticut
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46a-60(a)(7)(B)-(G).
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employee has the right to express milk or breastfeed during her meal or break time. It is illegal to discriminate against or discipline an employee for exercising this right. The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide employees with a private space close to their work area, other than a toilet stall or bathroom, to express breast milk, unless doing so would impose significant difficulty or expense on the employer.
Delaware
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
District of Columbia
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
As noted above, employers are prohibited from discriminating against women on the basis of breastfeeding and pregnancy-related medical conditions.
An employer must provide reasonable daily unpaid break periods for an employee to express breast milk. If the employer already provides a paid or unpaid break period to the employee, such time shall run concurrently with the required break period. An employer may be exempted from this requirement if it shows compliance would create an undue hardship. The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide the employee with a sanitary, private space close to her work location where she can express milk.
Florida
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Georgia
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Under Georgia law, employers are allowed, but not required, to provide break time and/or a location for mothers to express breast milk.
Guam
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the territorial level.
Hawaii
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employer may not fire, refuse to hire, withhold pay from, demote, or penalize an employee for breastfeeding or expressing milk at the workplace.
An employer must provide: (1) reasonable break time for a nursing mother to express breast milk for one year after the birth of her child and (2) a private space, other than a bathroom, for an employee to express milk, for one year after the birth of her child. Employers with less than twenty employees are exempt from these requirements if they can show that compliance would impose significant difficulty or expense on their business.
Idaho
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Illinois
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employer must provide reasonable daily unpaid break time for an employee to express breast milk, unless doing so would unduly disrupt the employer's business. If possible, such break time must run concurrently with the employee's ordinary break time.
Employers must make reasonable efforts to provide employees with a private space close to their work area, other than a toilet stall, where they can express milk.
820 Ill. Comp. Stat. 820 § 260/15.
Indiana
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
All employers with twenty-five or more employees must, to the extent reasonably possible, provide a private location, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express milk during any time away from the employee's assigned duties. Such employers must also, to the extent reasonably possible, provide a cold storage space for employees to keep expressed milk, or allow employees to provide their own portable refrigerator for such a purpose.
Public employees receive supplemental protections. Public employers must provide reasonable daily paid break time, to run concurrently with any other break time, for employees to express breast milk, unless doing so would unduly disrupt the employer's operations. Public employers must also make reasonable efforts to provide a private room near an employee's work area, other than a toilet stall, where she can express milk.
Iowa
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Kansas
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Kentucky
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Louisiana
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
The only state-specific law applies to employees of public schools. Louisiana school boards are required to provide nursing employees with a private room to express breast milk, and a reasonable amount of break time to do so, for up to one year after the birth of the child. If possible, the break time must occur during the employee's ordinary break time; any additional leave will be unpaid.
Maine
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers may not discriminate against employees who choose to express breast milk in the workplace. Employers must provide adequate unpaid break time, or allow an employee to use her paid break time, to express breast milk for up to three years following childbirth. The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a clean, private place, other than a bathroom, for an employee to express breast milk. This applies to all employers.
Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 26, § 604.
Maryland
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Massachusetts
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Michigan
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Minnesota
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employer must provide a reasonable amount of daily unpaid break time to employees to express breast milk, unless doing so would unduly disrupt the employer's business. The break time must, if possible, run concurrent to break time already provided to employees. The employer must make reasonable efforts to provide a private space, other than a bathroom, close to the employee's work area and with access to an electrical outlet, to express breast milk. This applies to all employers.
Mississippi
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
An employer may not forbid an employee from breastfeeding or pumping during her break.
Missouri
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Montana
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
It is illegal for any public employer in Montana to discriminate against an employee who expresses breast milk in the workplace. Every public employer must have written policies that encourage and accommodate breastfeeding and ensure employees are provided with adequate facilities for breastfeeding or expressing milk. Public employers must make reasonable efforts to provide a space close to the employee's work area, other than a toilet stall, to express breast milk. Additionally, public employers must provide reasonable unpaid break time to employees who need to express breast milk, unless doing so would unduly disrupt the employer's operations.
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 39-2-215 through 217.
Nebraska
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Nevada
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
New Hampshire
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
New Jersey
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
New Mexico
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers are required to provide nursing mothers with a clean and private space near the employee's workspace, other than a bathroom, to use a breast pump. They are also required to provide such employees with flexible break times.
New York
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees who express breast milk in the workplace. They must also provide reasonable unpaid break time, or allow employees to use paid break or meal time, for employees to express breast milk for their nursing children, for up to three years following the child's birth. Employers must make reasonable efforts to provide employees with a private space near their work area where they can express milk. This applies to all employers.
North Carolina
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
North Dakota
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Ohio
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Oklahoma
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Oregon
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Upon receiving reasonable notice, employers are required to provide reasonable unpaid rest periods for female employees to express milk. Unless otherwise agreed upon, these breaks must be thirty minutes long during each four-hour shift, and taken somewhere in the middle of the shift. If feasible, the employee is to use her otherwise provided meal or rest breaks for these purposes. Employers are not required to do so if it would impose an undue hardship on their business operations. Employers must also make reasonable efforts to provide a private location near the employee's work area, other than a restroom, for her to express milk. These requirements only apply to employers with twenty-five or more employees in Oregon, and for employees breastfeeding their children eighteen months old or younger.
Pennsylvania
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Puerto Rico
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Upon returning from maternity leave, women must be given the opportunity either to breastfeed their children at an on-site child care center or to express milk for an hour each full-time working day, which can be divided into two thirty-minute sessions or three twenty-minute sessions. This applies to all employers except small businesses, as defined by the Small Business Administration, who only need to provide one half-hour break per day, which can be divided into two fifteen-minute sessions. This applies to employees with nursing children up to one year of age.
P.R. Laws Ann. tit. 29, §§ 478 et seq.
Rhode Island
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers are required to make reasonable efforts to provide a private, secure and sanitary place close to an employee's work area, other than a toilet stall, where an employee can express milk or breastfeed. This applies to all employers.
South Carolina
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
South Dakota
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Tennessee
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers are required to provide reasonable daily unpaid break time to employees who need to express breast milk for their infant children unless doing so would unduly disrupt the employer's business. If possible, this break shall run concurrently with any other break time already provided. Employers must make reasonable efforts to provide employees with a private space close to their work area, other than a toilet stall, to express breast milk. This law applies to all employers.
Texas
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Utah
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Vermont
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Virgin Islands
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the territorial level.
Virginia
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
Employers with more than five but fewer than fifteen employees may not terminate a female employee on the basis of lactation.
Washington
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law exists at the state level.
West Virginia
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Wisconsin
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.
Wyoming
Workplace Breastfeeding Rights
No specific law at the state level.