Bill > HB860

This bill mandates that the State Board of Local and Regional Jails, by December 1, 2028, establish minimum standards and regulations for lactation policies within local and regional correctional facilities, which are places where individuals are held before trial or after conviction for less serious offenses. When creating these rules, the Board must consider best practices for lactation, which include deferring to medical professionals for care after childbirth, providing access to lactation support services, screening incarcerated women for recent births and current lactation, offering accommodations for pumping breast milk such as a private space and equipment, facilitating visits between incarcerated mothers and their infants, providing appropriate nutrition for nursing mothers, and collecting data to improve services. The Board is also directed to research effective lactation practices and consult with various stakeholders, including formerly incarcerated individuals, law enforcement associations, medical professionals, and advocates, to inform their decisions. The term "lactation" will be defined as it is in Section 2.2-3905 of the Code of Virginia, which generally refers to the production of milk by a female mammal.

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB860