Florida courthouses are generally required to provide lactation spaces under new law

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Legislation & Lobbying Florida courthouses are generally required to provide lactation spaces under new law

By Debra Cassens Weiss

May 26, 2023, 8:39 am CDT

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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill last week that requires county courthouses in the state to have private, clean lactation rooms with at least one electrical outlet.

The bill takes effect at the beginning of 2024, report Florida Politics and Law.com.

Exceptions may be made if providing lactation rooms requires new construction or the cost is not reasonable.

The sponsors of the measure are Florida Democrats who are lawyers. They are State Sen. Lori Berman and State Rep. Ashley Gantt.

Dedicated lactation spaces have been a priority for the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, according to the Florida Bar News.

Deborah Baker of Greenspoon Marder had pushed for a lactation room, which opened in 2016, in the Miami-Dade County Courthouse.

“I am thrilled to hear that Florida is requiring lactation rooms in our courthouses,” Baker told Law.com. “It is one thing to say that we believe in equality, and that women should have equal opportunities in the workforce. But without measures such as this, those are only words.”

See also:

ABAJournal.com: “Lactation stations and breastfeeding accommodations are needed for bar exam attendees”

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