House File 501 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 501 BY BENNETT , WOLFE , WINCKLER , LENSING , MASCHER , MEYER , MILLER , NIELSEN , R. SMITH , OURTH , HANSON , STECKMAN , KEARNS , GASKILL , BEARINGER , RUNNING-MARQUARDT , and BRECKENRIDGE A BILL FOR An Act relating to employment policies regarding expression of 1 breast milk. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2035YH (3) 87 tr/nh

H.F. 501 Section 1. Section 216.6, Code 2017, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 2A. a. An employer shall provide 3 reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk 4 for the employee’s child. An employer shall provide a clean 5 and sanitary private room, other than a toilet facility, which 6 may be locked by an employee while in use and includes access 7 to an electrical outlet for an employee to express breast milk. 8 b. An employer shall not pay wages to an employee that are 9 less than the rate paid to other employees because the employee 10 expresses, or asks the employer about the ability to express, 11 breast milk at work. 12 c. An employer shall not discipline, up to and including 13 termination, or retaliate against an employee whose work 14 product or work volume decreases because the employee uses 15 or asks the employer about the ability to use break time to 16 express breast milk. 17 EXPLANATION 18 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 19 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 20 This bill requires an employer to provide reasonable break 21 time for an employee to express breast milk for the employee’s 22 child. The bill requires an employer to provide a clean and 23 sanitary private room, other than a toilet facility, which may 24 be locked by an employee while in use and includes access to an 25 electrical outlet for an employee to express breast milk. 26 The bill provides that an employer shall not pay wages to an 27 employee that are less than the rate paid to other employees 28 because the employee expresses, or asks the employer about 29 the ability to express, breast milk at work. The bill also 30 prohibits an employer from disciplining, up to and including 31 termination, or retaliating against an employee whose work 32 product or work volume decreases because the employee uses 33 or asks the employer about the ability to use break time to 34 express breast milk. 35 -1- LSB 2035YH (3) 87 tr/nh 1/ 1