Virginia House Passes Public Breastfeeding Bill

PHOTO: Del. Dave Albo (R-Springfield) stops for a photo with supporters of HB 1499, which passed unanimously Friday by the House of Delegates. Photo courtesy of Albo

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It might surprise many to hear that Virginia is one of only three states in the country that doesn’t protect the right of women to breastfeed in public (South Dakota and Idaho are the other two).

That could change soon; the House of Delegates on Friday unanimously passed a breastfeeding bill that gives women that right. The proposed law was introduced by Del. Dave Albo (R-Springfield) at the prompting of Fairfax mom and lawyer Rebecca Geller.

Geller created an online petition to support passage of the bill, saying she was horrified by the number of stories she’s heard from other moms about being harassed while breastfeeding. The Virginia Alliance for Breastfeeding Laws also are keeping tabs on the bill’s progress in Richmond.

HB 1499 provides that a mother may breast-feed in any place where the mother is lawfully present. Current law only allows breast-feeding on any property owned, leased, or controlled by the Commonwealth.

Next stop for the proposed legislation is the Virginia Senate.

Some may think a new law is unnecessary and that nursing moms being asked to leave a coffee shop or gym and other such spots is a thing of the past.

But just last week, a mom was told to either leave or stop breastfeeding her six-month old daughter in the playroom at the City of Alexandria’s Chinquapin Rec Center by a volunteer there, the Washington Post reported.

“I had to either stop nursing or I needed to leave,” Olivia Blackmon told the Post. “I asked her why that was a policy, since this was a child-friendly area, and she said it was considered ‘unsanitary’ if the milk got on any equipment or if the baby spit up.” Blackmon is the mother of five.

The City told the newspaper that the employee was wrong to ask the mom to stop nursing or leave and planned to train employees and volunteers.

In addition to setting the record straight with The Post, City spokesman also discussed the issue with WJLA, saying: “The City of Alexandria has no policy whatsoever prohibiting breastfeeding in any city facilities, especially in a rec center where we want families to feel safe.”

Four years ago, the Alexandria City Council, led by then-City Council Members Rob Krupicka and Kerry Donley, unanimously voted to exempt breastfeeding from an indecent exposure ordinance.