One of the stated objectives of the U.S. Public Health Service, as outlined in its report Healthy People 2010 , is to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their children. The national objective set forth in the report is to strive for a 75% participation rate of nursing mothers in the early postpartum period, a 50% participation rate of nursing mothers in the period after the infant reaches six months of age, and a 25% participation rate of nursing mothers at the age of one year. Many health care professionals encourage breastfeeding as the optimal form of nutrition for infants for at least the first six months of life. Reports show that in 2005, more than 74 % of infants were being breastfed immediately after delivery—a number that continues to increase. Breastfeeding is generally considered to be beneficial to both mother and child. Research has indicated that the special composition of human milk enhances cognitive and visual development and lowers the risk and severity of a variety of acute childhood illnesses and chronic diseases, including diarrhea, lower respiratory infection, otitis media, bacteremia, bacterial meningitis, urinary tract infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, lymphoma, and digestive diseases. Research has also demonstrated health benefits to mothers who breastfeed, such as reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer and osteoporosis. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Dietetic Association have reported that breastfeeding may reduce health care costs and employee absenteeism for care which is attributable to child illness. It has been reported that breastfeeding may be economically beneficial. Because of the growing incidence of women in the workforce, certain issues have arisen concerning working mothers and breastfeeding. It may be necessary for a working mother to express milk during working hours, and/or to breastfeed her child during working hours. Other issues concern nursing and/or the expression of milk in public or semi-public places such as restaurants, public transportation facilities, and other locations where the public is present. Various states have enacted legislation and/or adopted court rules relating to nursing mothers and jury duty. Over the years Congress has also considered legislation concerning the rights of breastfeeding mothers. In the 111 th Congress, H.R. 2819 and S. 1244 , the proposed Breastfeeding Promotion Acts of 2009, were introduced on June 11, 2009. As breastfeeding has become more common, legal concerns have arisen on applying state decency laws and other laws concerning public nudity and exposure to nursing mothers. Because of these concerns, a wide range of state laws have been enacted to deal with issues involving various aspects of breastfeeding. The first state to enact comprehensive breastfeeding legislation was Florida in 1993. This legislation removed breastfeeding from the criminal statutes and created a new law that stated that breastfeeding was an important and basic act of nature that needed to be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health. The law provided that a woman had a right to breastfeed in any place where she had a right to be. This legislation served as a model for legislation subsequently enacted by other states. In 1994, Florida enacted the first state legislation on breastfeeding mothers having the support and cooperation of their employers. While this law did not require all employers to accommodate nursing mothers (such as providing for a location to lactate), it set out the reasons why breastfeeding was very important. The law also established a study to look at the feasibility of breastfeeding guidelines for employers. Most of the state breastfeeding laws permit mothers to breastfeed in any public or private location and/or provide that breastfeeding does not constitute indecent exposure or other criminal behavior. Some states have vested nursing mothers with certain rights, including rights in the workplace. For example, Hawaii prohibits employers from discriminating against a mother who breastfeeds or expresses milk at the workplace. Other states exempt nursing mothers from jury service. The current body of state breastfeeding laws varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. At the current time, West Virginia is the only state without some type of legislation dealing with the protection of nursing mothers and/or the promotion of breastfeeding. In recent years, eleven state legislatures have adopted some version of breastfeeding legislation for the first time. Two of these states have taken larger rather than incremental steps by enacting many provisions at once to provide protection to nursing mothers that is comparable to most other states. In 2007, Arkansas enacted laws that permitted mothers to breastfeed in public without being subject to any public indecency laws. The legislature also established laws relating to breastfeeding in the workplace. Likewise, Mississippi enacted similar provisions in addition to exempting breastfeeding mothers from jury duty in 2006. Below is a summary of state laws concerning breastfeeding. Each law is cited and is followed by a brief summary of its provisions. The report does not cover certain commemorative state legislation relating to breastfeeding. A chart has been prepared summarizing the existing state breastfeeding laws and grouping the laws into six categories. It should be considered that if a state does not have specific legislation authorizing or affirming breastfeeding in public, it does not mean that breastfeeding in public is necessarily prohibited. Local ordinances, which are not considered in this report, may deal with the issue. Likewise, an exemption from jury duty by a nursing mother which in some states may be covered by state statute, may also be covered in other states by court rules, local practices, or regulations. Code of Ala. § 22-1-13  (Lexis 2009) permits a mother to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be present. Alaska Stat. § 01.10.060  (Lexis 2009) provides that in the laws of the State, "lewd conduct," "lewd touching," "immoral conduct," "indecent conduct," and similar terms do not include the act of a woman breastfeeding a child in a public or private location where the woman and child are otherwise authorized to be. Alaska Stat. § 29.25.080 (Lexis 200 9 ) provides that breastfeeding does not constitute indecent exposure or other similar offenses. A municipality, borough, or other local government unit cannot implement ordinances banning breastfeeding, or making it a violation of a municipal ordinance. A.R.S. § 41-1443 (Lexis 2008) provides that a mother is entitled to breastfeed in any area of a public place or a place of public accommodation where the mother is otherwise lawfully present. A.C.A. § 5-14-11 2 (Lexis 2008) provides that a woman is not in violation of indecent exposure for breastfeeding a child in a public place or any place where other individuals are present. A.C.A. § 20-27-2001  ( Lexis 2008) provides that a woman may breastfeed a child in a public place or any place where other individuals are present. 2009 Ark. ALS 621 requires employers to provide unpaid break time and reasonable locations for expressing breast milk. Cal. Labor Code § 1030 (Lexis 200 8 ) requires that employers provide break time for an employee to express milk for the employee's infant child. The break time, if possible, is to run concurrently with any break time already provided to an employee. Cal. Labor Code § 1031 (Lexis 2008) requires that an employer make reasonable efforts to provide a room or other location, other than a toilet stall, for employees to express milk in private. Cal. Labor Code § 1032 (Lexis 2008) states that an employer is not required to provide break time if "to do so would seriously disrupt the operations of the employer." Cal. Labor Code § 1033 (Lexis 2008) provides a civil penalty and for the issuance of a citation by the Labor Commissioner. Violations of provisions relating to breastfeeding are not considered misdemeanors. Cal. Civil Proc. Code § 210.5 (Lexis 2008) permits the mother of a nursing child to postpone jury duty for one year and explicitly eliminates the requirement for the mother to have to appear in person to request the postponement. The one year period may be extended upon the written request of the mother. Cal. Health and Safety Code § 1647 (Lexis 2008) provides that the procurement, processing, distribution, or use of human milk for human consumption constitutes the rendition of a service. Cal. Civil Code § 43.3 (Lexis 2008) provides authority for a mother to breastfeed her child in any location. Cal. Health and Safety Code §§ 123360, 123365 , 1257.9 (Lexis 2008) mandates the State Department of Health and Human Services to promote breastfeeding in public health campaigns and requires hospitals to provide lactation support and consultation to patients. Cal. Assembly Con. Res. 155 (1998) encourages the State and private employers to support and encourage the practice of breastfeeding by striving to accommodate the need of employees, and by ensuring that employees are provided with adequate facilities for breastfeeding and expressing milk for their children. The governor is authorized to declare by executive order that all State employees be provided with adequate facilities for breastfeeding and expressing milk. Cal. Rules of Court R. 859 (2004) provides that a mother breastfeeding a child may request that jury service be deferred for up to one year, and may renew that request as long as she is breastfeeding. If the request in made in writing, under penalty of perjury, the jury commissioner must grant the request without requiring the prospective juror to appear in court. Colo. Rev . Stat. 25-6-301; 25-6-302 (Lexis 2008 ) acknowledges the beneficial effects of breastfeeding and encourages mother to breastfeed. The law permits a mother to breastfeed in any location she has a right to be. Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann. § 31-40w ( Lexis 200 8 ) concerns breastfeeding in the workplace. Employers are required to provide reasonable time and private accommodations each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child. Conn. Gen. Stat. Ann.