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Media advisory

Times Square Event: Maternal and Child Health Advocates to Celebrate Landmark Passage of PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

August 22, 2023

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

CONTACT: Whitney Carlson
wcarlson@nwica.org, 517-492-7070

***Register to attend the briefing here***

WHAT: Press conference to promote recently-enacted congressional legislation that expands workplace protections for pregnant people and working mothers, and the debut of a new billboard in Times Square that celebrates these achievements. 

WHO: 

  • The Honorable Carolyn Maloney

  • Jessica Lee (The Center for Worklife Law)

  • Nikia Sankofa (United States Breastfeeding Committee)

  • Dina Bakst (A Better Balance)

  • Tina Sherman (MomsRising)

  • Stacy Davis (National WIC Association)

  • Megan Simmons (Midwives College of Utah)

  • Louise Melling, (ACLU)

  • Others TBD

WHEN: Wednesday, August 23, 11:00 am ET 

WHERE: 43/44 Broadway Pedestrian Plaza - Broadway between West 43rd Street and West 44th Street

WHY: As the United States marks National Breastfeeding Month and women return to the workforce in record numbers, two bills recently passed by Congress have dramatically expanded protections for workers who are pregnant, nursing, and/or in postpartum recovery. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act ensures that an additional nine million women will have the right to take breaks as often as needed– as well as access to private areas in the workplace — to express breast milk, and that all women covered under the law now have new legal recourse if employers fail to comply. Under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, all employers with at least 15 employees are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” to employees who have healthcare needs stemming from pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including light duty work, leave to recover childbirth, and lactation. Together, these landmark laws — which are being celebrated with a Times Square billboard all week — will provide significant health and economic protections for millions of women and families.

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.