Earlier today, members of the Illinois House State Government Administration Committee unanimously voted Senate Bill 3503 out of committee. The bill requires county courthouses across the State of Illinois to have clean, separate space available for parents to pump breast milk. The bill, which now goes to the Illinois House floor for consideration, fills a gap in state law which provided a space for employees in courthouses to pump, but not lawyers, jurors, witnesses and others who spend long hours at a courthouse as part of their work or civic duty.
The following statement can be ascribed to Khadine Bennett, Advocacy and Intergovernmental Affairs Director at the ACLU of Illinois:
No one wants their food prepared in a dirty, cramped bathroom stall. By filling this gap in our state’s law, we can assure that no one is forced to pump breastmilk in such a location. We applaud State Representative Kelly Cassidy for her leadership on this matter and we urge the full House to take up this measure as quickly as possible and get this proposal to the Governor for his signature.