New York law now requires paid breaks for breastfeeding employees 

Breastfeeding parents are now required to receive paid breaks in New York, due to a new law that went into effect Wednesday.

It requires Empire State employers to provide half-hour paid breaks to working parents who need to pump breast milk for the first three years of their child’s life.

“As New York’s first mom Governor, I am fighting every day to give working parents the protections they need to keep their families strong and healthy,” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in a news release.

“From our nation-leading prenatal leave program to this legislation requiring employers to give breastfeeding mothers much-needed break time, our state is continuing to stand up for parents in the workplace and protect maternal and child health,” she continued.

The paid break requirement applies to all public and private workers. The time is in addition to other breaks, state rules specify.