Arizona

Breastfeeding in Arizona

Breastfeeding in Arizona is protected by state law and supported by various rights and regulations. Here are the key laws around breastfeeding in the state:.

Breastfeeding Programs
Arizona's Department of Health Services encourages breastfeeding through various programs and initiatives, including the Arizona WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program, which provides support, education, and assistance to breastfeeding mothers.

Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann § 36-2803 (2016) encourages the department of health to adopt rules that require medical marijuana dispensaries to display in a conspicuous location a sign that warns pregnant women about the potential dangers to infants while breastfeeding. The law also requires the department to post prominently on its public website a warning about the potential dangers to infants while breastfeeding.

Legal Protections for Breastfeeding

Exemptions from public indecency laws

In Arizona, parents have the legal right to breastfeed in any public or private location. Arizona Rev. Stat. Ann § 13-1402 (2006) specifies that indecent exposure does not include an act of breastfeeding by a mother.

Right to Breastfeed in Public

Arizona law explicitly protects a woman's right to breastfeed in public. A mother is allowed to breastfeed her child anywhere she has a right to be, including in public places, workplaces, and public accommodations. Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann § 41-1443 (2006) entitles a mother to breastfeed in any public place or place of public accommodation where the mother is otherwise lawfully present.

Workplace Protections

Arizona has laws that protect breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. Employers are required to provide a reasonable break time and a private location (not a bathroom) for a mother to express breast milk. This is in accordance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), which mandates that employers provide time and space for breastfeeding employees to pump milk.