[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 778 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 778

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in 
       each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms 
Act''.

SEC. 2. LACTATION SPACES IN MEDICAL CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              VETERANS AFFAIRS.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 1720M. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department
    ``(a) Lactation Space Required.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
each medical center of the Department contains a lactation space.
    ``(b) No Unauthorized Entry.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to authorize an individual to enter a medical center of the 
Department or portion thereof that the individual is not otherwise 
authorized to enter.
    ``(c) Lactation Space Defined.--In this section, the term 
`lactation space' means a hygienic place, other than a bathroom, that--
            ``(1) is shielded from view;
            ``(2) is free from intrusion;
            ``(3) is accessible to disabled individuals (including such 
        individuals who use wheelchairs);
            ``(4) contains a chair and a working surface;
            ``(5) is easy to locate;
            ``(6) is clearly identified with signage; and
            ``(7) is available for use by women veterans and members of 
        the public to express breast milk.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item related to section 
1720L the following new item:

``1720M. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department.''.
    (c) Implementation.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure 
that--
            (1) not later than two years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, not fewer than 80 percent of medical 
        centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs are in compliance 
        with section 1720M of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
        subsection (a); and
            (2) not later than three years after such date of 
        enactment, all medical centers of the Department are in 
        compliance with such section.
    (d) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on 
        Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' 
        Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the 
        progress of the Secretary in meeting the requirements under 
        section 1720M of title 38, United States Code, as added by 
        subsection (a), including--
                    (A) a list of which medical centers of the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs currently have a 
                lactation space;
                    (B) a list of which medical centers of the 
                Department do not have a lactation space; and
                    (C) for each medical center listed under 
                subparagraph (B), a description of actions the 
                Department has taken to design and plan a lactation 
                space and a timeline for such lactation space to be 
                fully functional and open for use within the time 
                periods specified under subsection (c).
            (2) Termination.--The Secretary is not required to submit a 
        report under paragraph (1) on or after the date on which the 
        Secretary confirms in a 


              

        report submitted under such paragraph that each medical center 
        of the Department contains a lactation space.

            Passed the Senate November 9, 2025.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 778

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in 
       each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.