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HR 3531 105th Congress House Labor and Employment Administrative procedure Agriculture and Food Breast feeding Business income tax Child nutrition Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues Commerce Consumer education Cost control Costs Department of Health and Human Services Department of Labor Education Employment tax credits Equipment and supplies Families Family leave Federal employees Finance and Financial Sector

New Mothers' Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection Act of 1998

Introduced: March 24, 1998 See on congress.gov
This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 11 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 17, 1998
Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families.
Apr 17, 1998
Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
Mar 31, 1998
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
Mar 30, 1998
Referred to the Subcommittee on Civil Service.
Mar 24, 1998
Referred to House Commerce
Mar 24, 1998
Referred to House Government Reform
Mar 24, 1998
Referred to House Oversight
Mar 24, 1998
Referred to House Ways and Means
Mar 24, 1998
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, House Oversight, Government Reform and Oversight, and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 24, 1998
Referred to House Education and the Workforce
Mar 24, 1998
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

New Mothers' Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection Act of 1998 - Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include breastfeeding or expression of milk from the breast to feed a child among those activities for which a woman may not be discriminated against in employment.

(Sec. 4) Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for 50 percent of employer expenses for providing an appropriate environment on business premises for employed mothers to breastfeed or express milk for their children.

(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to put into effect a performance standard for breast pumps irrespective of the class to which the device has been classified under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, identifying those pumps appropriate for use on a regular basis in a place of employment based on the efficiency and effectiveness of the pump and on sanitation factors related to communal use. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to issue a compliance policy guide which will assure that women who want to breastfeed a child are given full and complete information about breast pumps.

(Sec. 6) Amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), and Federal civil service law, to require family and medical leave for nursing mothers' breaks, if the lactating mothers are entitled to specified leave as private or public employees under such law. Directs the Secretary of Labor to promulgate regulations to implement such FMLA requirement.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretary of HHS, acting through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration and in cooperation with the Secretary of Agriculture and other appropriate Federal agency heads, to undertake a campaign aimed at health professionals and the general public to promote the benefits of breastfeeding for infants, mothers, and families, especially public and private health professionals providing health services under Federal programs (including those for Federal employees).

(Sec. 8) Amends the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to allow State agencies to use funds made available for food benefits (including savings from infant formula cost containment) for breastfeeding promotion and support activities under the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (the WIC program).

What's happening now April 17, 1998

Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 9
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3531: New Mothers' Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection Act of 1998. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-3531/
MLA
"H.R. 3531: New Mothers' Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection Act of 1998." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-3531/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3531, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-3531/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3531: New Mothers' Breastfeeding Promotion and Protection Act of 1998](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-3531/)
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