Senate approves lactation rooms at major airports

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The state Senate has passed legislation requiring large airports to offer a private space for mothers to breastfeed or pump milk.

Lawmakers approved AB1787 by Democratic Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal of Long Beach on a 32-1 vote Wednesday. It now returns to the Assembly.

Senator Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles, who presented the bill in the Senate, said new mothers should not be confined to the restrooms.

Under the bill, terminals at existing airports must offer rooms with a chair and an electrical outlet for the pump, while new terminals must include rooms with sinks.

It applies to airports serving more than 1 million passengers a year. San Francisco International is the only airport in California currently offering such accommodations.

If signed into law, AB1787 would take effect in 2016.