Florida Senate - 2021                              CS for SB 196
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability;
       and Senator Berman
       
       
       
       
       585-03331-21                                           2021196c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to lactation space; creating s. 29.24,
    3         F.S.; requiring each county to provide lactation space
    4         in each county courthouse; authorizing the use of
    5         state or private funds to provide lactation space in
    6         appellate courthouses; providing exceptions; declaring
    7         that this act fulfills an important state interest;
    8         providing an effective date.
    9          
   10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   11  
   12         Section 1. Section 29.24, Florida Statutes, is created to
   13  read:
   14         29.24 Lactation space in courthouses.—
   15         (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, by
   16  January 1, 2022, each county courthouse must provide at least
   17  one dedicated lactation space, outside of the confines of a
   18  restroom, for members of the public to express breast milk or
   19  breastfeed in private. The space must be hygienic, be shielded
   20  from public view, be free from intrusion while occupied, and
   21  contain an electrical outlet.
   22         (2) The person responsible for the operation of the
   23  facility housing each district court of appeal is authorized to
   24  use state-appropriated funds or private funding to provide a
   25  lactation space as set forth in subsection (1).
   26         (3) The requirements of subsection (1) do not apply to a
   27  courthouse if the person who is responsible for the operation of
   28  the courthouse determines that:
   29         (a) The courthouse does not contain a lactation space for
   30  employees which may be used by the members of the public and the
   31  courthouse does not have:
   32         1. A space that could be repurposed as a lactation space
   33  open to the public; or
   34         2. A space that could be made private at a reasonable cost
   35  using portable materials, contingent upon private funding being
   36  made available for those costs.
   37         (b) New construction would be required to create the
   38  lactation space.
   39         Section 2. The Legislature finds that this act fulfills an
   40  important state interest.
   41         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.