Fact
Sheet - SB 1785 (Figueroa): Human Milk
Babies deserve the best nutrition possible.
Breast milk is the ideal form of infant nutrition and is
especially important for premature infants. Babies who need
extra care are often separated from their mothers due to long
stays in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). When this
happens, breastfeeding moms must rely on hospital staff to store
and distribute their milk.
Current California laws inadvertently discourage the feeding
of breast milk to the neediest of infants.
Consistent access to breast milk may be limited by current
laws that require hospitals to maintain a tissue bank license in
order to allow a mother to store her own breast milk in the
hospital.
SB 1785 will remove these limitations
and help guarantee that healthcare providers can continue to
support new mothers in their breastfeeding choices.
Healthcare providers are in a key position to impact
breastfeeding success.
Nurses need to be able to focus their attention on providing
quality care, education, and support to their patients without
worrying about the restrictions posed by special licensing laws.
California hospitals and families will benefit from SB 1785.
SB 1785 ensures that hospitals comply with specified standards
and policies for collecting, processing, storing, and
distributing milk without having to undergo a lengthy
application process or pay costly annual fees to maintain this
license.
Urge your legislators to support the health of moms and
babies by voting
YES on SB 1785!
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This bill will be heard in the Senate Health Committee on May 3.
Urge the Health Committee members to support SB 1785.
Senate Health Committee contacts
