First Regular Session
Sixty-second General Assembly
LLS NO. 99-0065.01 Beth Braby SENATE BILL 99-104
STATE OF COLORADO
BY SENATOR Reeves
HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, WELFARE & INSTITUTIONS
A BILL FOR AN ACT
101 CONCERNING ENCOURAGEMENT OF BREASTFEEDING, AND, IN CONNECTION
102 THEREWITH, RECOGNIZING THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING AND
103 PROVIDING FOR BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not necessarily reflect any amendments that may be subsequently
adopted.)
Establishes that breastfeeding is a significant health choice for
both mother and infant. Provides that a mother may breastfeed in any
area that the mother is permitted to occupy.
1 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
2 SECTION 1. Article 6 of title 25, Colorado Revised Statutes, is
3 amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW PART to read:
4 PART 3
5 BREASTFEEDING
6 25-6-301. Legislative declaration. (1) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
7 HEREBY FINDS AND DECLARES THAT:
8 (a) THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDS
9 BREASTFEEDING FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST TWELVE MONTHS OF AN INFANT'S
10 LIFE AND AS LONG THEREAFTER AS IS MUTUALLY DESIRED.
[ ] denotes HOUSE amendment. { } denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters indicate new material to be added to existing statute.
Dashes through the words indicate material to be deleted from existing statute.
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1 (b) THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS HAS CONTINUOUSLY
2 ENDORSED BREASTFEEDING AS THE OPTIMAL FORM OF NUTRITION FOR
3 INFANTS AND AS A FOUNDATION FOR GOOD FEEDING PRACTICES.
4 EXTENSIVE RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THERE ARE DIVERSE AND
5 COMPELLING ADVANTAGES TO INFANTS, MOTHERS, FAMILIES, AND SOCIETY
6 FROM BREASTFEEDING.
7 (c) EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH SHOWS THAT BREASTFEEDING OF
8 INFANTS PROVIDES BENEFITS TO THEIR GENERAL HEALTH, GROWTH, AND
9 DEVELOPMENT AND RESULTS IN SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN RISK FOR
10 NUMEROUS ACUTE AND CHRONIC DISEASES.
11 (d) RESEARCH IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES PROVIDES STRONG
12 EVIDENCE THAT BREASTFEEDING DECREASES THE INCIDENCE AND
13 SEVERITY OF DIARRHEA, LOWER RESPIRATORY INFECTION, OTITIS MEDIA,
14 BACTEREMIA, BACTERIAL MENINGITIS, BOTULISM, URINARY TRACT
15 INFECTION, AND NECROTIZING ENTEROCOLITIS.
16 (e) RESEARCH STUDIES HAVE ALSO SHOWN THAT HUMAN MILK AND
17 BREASTFEEDING HAVE PROTECTIVE EFFECTS AGAINST THE DEVELOPMENT
18 OF A NUMBER OF CHRONIC DISEASES, INCLUDING JUVENILE
19 INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES MELLITUS, LYMPHOMAS, CROHN'S DISEASE,
20 CELIAC DISEASE, ALLERGIC DISEASES, SOME CHRONIC DIGESTIVE DISEASES,
21 SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME, AND ULCERATIVE COLITIS.
22 (f) BREASTFEEDING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO HAVE NUMEROUS HEALTH
23 BENEFITS FOR MOTHERS, INCLUDING AN EARLIER RETURN TO PREPREGNANT
24 WEIGHT, DELAYED RESUMPTION OF OVULATION WITH INCREASED CHILD
25 SPACING, IMPROVED BONE REMINERALIZATION POSTPARTUM WITH
26 REDUCTION IN HIP FRACTURES IN THE POSTMENOPAUSAL PERIOD, AND
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1 REDUCED RISK OF OVARIAN CANCER AND PREMENOPAUSAL BREAST
2 CANCER, AS WELL AS INCREASED LEVELS OF OXYTOCIN, RESULTING IN LESS
3 POSTPARTUM BLEEDING AND MORE RAPID UTERINE INVOLUTION.
4 (g) IN ADDITION TO INDIVIDUAL HEALTH BENEFITS, BREASTFEEDING
5 RESULTS IN SUBSTANTIAL BENEFITS TO SOCIETY, INCLUDING REDUCED
6 HEALTH CARE COSTS, REDUCED ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, REDUCED
7 GOVERNMENTAL SPENDING ON THE WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN
8 SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING PROGRAM, AND REDUCED EMPLOYEE
9 ABSENTEEISM FOR CARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO INFANT ILLNESS.
10 (h) BREASTFEEDING IS A BASIC AND IMPORTANT ACT OF
11 NURTURING THAT MUST BE ENCOURAGED IN THE INTERESTS OF MATERNAL
12 AND INFANT HEALTH.
13 (2) THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FURTHER DECLARES THAT THE
14 PURPOSE OF THIS PART 3 IS TO RECOGNIZE THE MEDICAL IMPORTANCE OF
15 BREASTFEEDING, WITHIN THE SCOPE OF COMPLETE PEDIATRIC CARE, AND
16 TO ENCOURAGE REMOVAL OF SOCIETAL BOUNDARIES PLACED ON
17 BREASTFEEDING IN PUBLIC.
18 25-6-302. Breastfeeding. A MOTHER MAY BREASTFEED IN ANY
19 AREA THAT THE MOTHER IS PERMITTED TO OCCUPY.
20 SECTION 2. Safety clause. The general assembly hereby finds,
21 determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the|~ immediate
|~ 22 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety.