The new law focuses on anti-discrimination in the workplace.
Utah businesses will now be required to provide sufficient time during the workday for mothers to breast feed and take care of pregnancy-related matters.
Senate Bill 59, signed by Gov. Gary Herbert on March 28, mandates employers with 15 or more employees provide accommodations for workers who are pregnant, breastfeeding or in "any related condition."
Through this new anti-discriminatory law, employers for at least one year must provide a reasonable amount of time for breaks when employees need to breastfeed or express milk.
The law does not make it a requirement for businesses to permit employees to bring their children to work to accommodate pregnancy or breastfeeding needs.
According to the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods, employers can ask for a doctor’s note to avoid any pregnancy-related guessing.
Weiler said for 25 years the U.S. has already set up similar standards for disabled employees under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
This law puts into place provisions for businesses to allow employees with disabilities to fully participate in their work environment by making needed accommodations, which could include larger computer monitors or wider desks to fit a wheelchair.
House Bill 105 was passed in 2015, which modified the Utah Antidiscrimination Act by addressing breastfeeding and medical conditions related to breastfeeding.
According to a 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40.7 percent of mothers were still breastfeeding when their child was at 12 months.
Women's Leadership Institute CEO Patricia Jones said the bill is a much-needed change for businesses that do not offer a designated space for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Said after she gave birth and went back to work she was forced to sit in restrooms to breastfeed because there was no other place to go.
Weiler said he had previously been approached by both employees and employers to discuss their concerns related to breastfeeding at work.
A women’s legislative coalition and female workers spoke with him about finding a way to create breaks for female employees during the work day.
Employers also told Weiler how they wanted to find a way to allocate the breaks for pregnant or nursing women but were afraid of other employees believing they were not being treated fairly.
Weiler said this new bill will help alleviate that concern among employers while providing the accommodations female employees need.
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