| 1 | 1 | | I |
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| 2 | 2 | | 119THCONGRESS |
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| 3 | 3 | | 1 |
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| 4 | 4 | | STSESSION H. R. 1646 |
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| 5 | 5 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in |
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| 6 | 6 | | each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs. |
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| 7 | 7 | | IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
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| 8 | 8 | | FEBRUARY27, 2025 |
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| 9 | 9 | | Ms. U |
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| 10 | 10 | | NDERWOODintroduced the following bill; which was referred to the |
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| 11 | 11 | | Committee on Veterans’ Affairs |
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| 12 | 12 | | A BILL |
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| 13 | 13 | | To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation |
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| 14 | 14 | | space in each medical center of the Department of Vet- |
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| 15 | 15 | | erans Affairs. |
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| 16 | 16 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 |
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| 18 | 18 | | SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 |
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| 19 | 19 | | This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lactation Spaces for 4 |
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| 20 | 20 | | Veteran Moms Act’’. 5 |
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| 21 | 21 | | SEC. 2. LACTATION SPACES IN MEDICAL CENTERS OF THE 6 |
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| 22 | 22 | | DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. 7 |
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| 23 | 23 | | (a) I |
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| 24 | 24 | | NGENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 17 of 8 |
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| 25 | 25 | | title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 9 |
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| 26 | 26 | | end the following new section: 10 |
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| 27 | 27 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:33 Mar 14, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1646.IH H1646 |
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| 28 | 28 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 |
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| 29 | 29 | | •HR 1646 IH |
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| 30 | 30 | | ‘‘§ 1720M. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the 1 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Department 2 |
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| 32 | 32 | | ‘‘(a) L |
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| 33 | 33 | | ACTATIONSPACEREQUIRED.—The Secretary 3 |
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| 34 | 34 | | shall ensure that each medical center of the Department 4 |
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| 35 | 35 | | contains a lactation space. 5 |
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| 36 | 36 | | ‘‘(b) N |
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| 37 | 37 | | OUNAUTHORIZED ENTRY.—Nothing in this 6 |
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| 38 | 38 | | section shall be construed to authorize an individual to 7 |
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| 39 | 39 | | enter a medical center of the Department or portion there-8 |
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| 40 | 40 | | of that the individual is not otherwise authorized to enter. 9 |
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| 41 | 41 | | ‘‘(c) L |
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| 42 | 42 | | ACTATIONSPACEDEFINED.—In this section, 10 |
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| 43 | 43 | | the term ‘lactation space’ means a hygienic place, other 11 |
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| 44 | 44 | | than a bathroom, that— 12 |
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| 45 | 45 | | ‘‘(1) is shielded from view; 13 |
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| 46 | 46 | | ‘‘(2) is free from intrusion; 14 |
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| 47 | 47 | | ‘‘(3) is accessible to disabled individuals (in-15 |
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| 48 | 48 | | cluding such individuals who use wheelchairs); 16 |
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| 49 | 49 | | ‘‘(4) contains a chair and a working surface; 17 |
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| 50 | 50 | | ‘‘(5) is easy to locate; 18 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ‘‘(6) is clearly identified with signage; and 19 |
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| 52 | 52 | | ‘‘(7) is available for use by women veterans and 20 |
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| 53 | 53 | | members of the public to express breast milk.’’. 21 |
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| 54 | 54 | | (b) C |
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| 55 | 55 | | LERICALAMENDMENT.—The table of sections 22 |
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| 56 | 56 | | at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 23 |
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| 57 | 57 | | after the item related to section 1720L the following new 24 |
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| 58 | 58 | | item: 25 |
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| 59 | 59 | | ‘‘1720M. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department.’’. |
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| 60 | 60 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:33 Mar 14, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H1646.IH H1646 |
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| 61 | 61 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 |
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| 62 | 62 | | •HR 1646 IH |
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| 63 | 63 | | (c) EFFECTIVEDATE.—The Secretary of Veterans 1 |
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| 64 | 64 | | Affairs shall carry out section 1720M of title 38, United 2 |
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| 65 | 65 | | States Code, as added by this section, not later than two 3 |
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| 66 | 66 | | years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4 |
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| 67 | 67 | | Æ |
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| 68 | 68 | | VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:33 Mar 14, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1646.IH H1646 |
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| 69 | 69 | | ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS |
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