HCS HB 31 -- RIGHTS OF MOTHERS TO BREAST FEED

SPONSOR:  Stokan (Dougherty)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass"  by the Committee on Public
Health by a vote of 10 to 1.

This substitute permits mothers to breast feed their children in
either a public or private place.  Mothers who breast feed
children aged 12 months or younger are permitted to postpone
jury duty upon request.  Licensed hospitals and ambulatory
surgical centers that provide obstetrical care will provide
information to new mothers on where to receive breast feeding
information or will make a breast feeding consultant available.
Beginning January 1, 2000, licensed physicians who provide
obstetrical or gynecological series to pregnant women are
required to inform patients about the prenatal preparation and
the postnatal benefits of breast feeding.

The Department of Health is required to produce information on
breast feeding and to distribute the information to physicians
and to hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers upon request.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not available at time of printing.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that this bill will address four
areas which include the use of public spaces by women who breast
feed their children with the potential for receiving warnings or
violating public indecency laws; the postponement of jury duty;
the requirement of hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers to
inform nursing mothers on where to receive breast feeding
information; and the requirement that physicians providing
obstetrical or gynecological consultation are to inform patients
about the preparation and benefits of breast feeding.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Dougherty; Missouri
Hospital Association; Missouri State Medical Association; Erin
O'Reilly; Patricia O'Reilly; Kolbi Barker; Michele Answorth; and
Kim Stewart.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Joseph Deering, Legislative Analyst

HB 31 -- Breast Feeding

Sponsor:  Dougherty

This bill permits mothers to breast feed their children in
either a public or private place.  Mothers who breast feed
children aged 12 months or younger are permitted to postpone
jury duty upon request.  Licensed hospitals that provide
maternity care will provide information to new mothers on where
to receive breast feeding information or make a breast feeding
consultant available.  Beginning January 1, 2000, licensed
physicians who provide obstetrical or gynecological care to
pregnant women will inform such patients about preparation for
and the benefits of breast feeding.