This bill mandates that all Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers establish clean, private, and accessible lactation spaces for women veterans and the public.
Jacky Rosen
Senator
NV
The Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act mandates that all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers establish dedicated, private, and accessible lactation spaces for women veterans and the public. These spaces must meet specific criteria, such as being clean, shielded from view, and equipped with a chair and working surface. The VA Secretary is required to ensure full compliance within three years of the Act becoming law and must submit annual progress reports until all centers are compliant.
VA Medical Centers Must Install Dedicated Lactation Spaces, Not Bathrooms, Within Three Years
If you’re a veteran mom, or a family member of one, who has ever had to duck into a cramped, questionable bathroom stall just to pump milk while waiting for an appointment at the VA, this bill is for you. The Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act is straightforward: it mandates that every single Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center must establish a dedicated, functional lactation space. This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a requirement, with a hard deadline.
The End of Bathroom Pumping
This legislation tackles a persistent issue for breastfeeding parents who use VA services. The bill explicitly defines what a compliant lactation space must be, and the first rule is that it cannot be a bathroom. Think about that: a clean, dedicated space for pumping or nursing shouldn’t be a radical concept, but for too long, it’s been the reality in many public facilities. To be compliant, the space must be shielded from view and free from intrusion—meaning no interruptions or walk-ins. It also needs to be accessible to disabled individuals, contain a chair and a working surface (hello, place to put your pump!), and be easy to locate with clear signage.
Putting the VA on a Compliance Clock
What makes this bill effective is the clear, phased timeline it imposes on the VA. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has two years to ensure that at least 80 percent of all VA medical centers are in compliance. That’s a significant lift, but it sets an aggressive pace. The final deadline is three years from the date the Act becomes law, when 100 percent of VA medical centers must have these spaces fully functional. For the busy parent, this means that within the next few years, the standard of care and comfort at your local VA should dramatically improve, removing one more logistical hurdle from your day.
Accountability Through Reporting
To keep the VA’s feet to the fire, the bill includes a mandatory annual reporting requirement. Starting one year after enactment, the VA Secretary must submit a detailed report to Congress listing which centers have the required space and, crucially, which ones don't. For any center still lagging, the VA must provide a detailed plan and timeline for how they will meet the deadline. This level of oversight is key. It means the VA can't just quietly push this initiative to the back burner; they have to account for every facility until they confirm that every single VA medical center has a compliant lactation space. This structure ensures that the administrative burden falls on the VA to execute, rather than on the veteran to advocate for basic accommodations.