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New Missouri Law Loosens Restrictions On Breastfeeding

Benjamin Magana/Wikimedia

A new Missouri law shields breastfeeding mothers from indecency charges for nursing their children or pumping in public. Under the law, which went into effect Thursday, breastfeeding mothers also can be excused from jury duty by presenting a doctor’s note.

Anne Biswell, the communications director of the Mother & Child Health Coalition, says the law makes much more sense than and is less ambiguous than the previous statute that required women to exercise “as much discretion as possible.” 

“The new law changes that. It just the phrase that says, ‘As much discretion as possible.’ And just says, ‘with discretion.’ So it kind of lightens the requirement for being extremely discrete,” Biswell says.    

Kansas also allows breastfeeding mothers to be excused from jury duty. 

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