97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB4968
 
Introduced 2/3/2012, by Rep. Robyn Gabel
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
New Act

     Creates the Hospital Infant Feeding Act. Provides that every hospital that provides birthing services must adopt an infant feeding policy that promotes breastfeeding. Requires a hospital to routinely communicate the infant feeding policy to staff in the hospital's obstetric and neonatal areas; authorizes posting of the policy on the hospital's Internet or Intranet web site or on the Internet or Intranet web site of the health system of which the hospital is a part. Requires that the policy apply to all mother-infant couplets in the hospital's obstetric and neonatal areas. Effective January 1, 2013.
  


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY
STATE MANDATES ACT MAY REQUIRE REIMBURSEMENT
 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
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1    AN ACT concerning health.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the 
5Hospital Infant Feeding Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative" means the voluntary 
8program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and 
9the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) that recognizes 
10hospitals that meet certain evaluation criteria regarding the 
11promotion of breastfeeding.
12    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
13    "Hospital" has the meaning ascribed to that term in the 
14Hospital Licensing Act.
 
15    Section 10. Infant feeding policy required. 
16    (a) Every hospital that provides birthing services must 
17adopt an infant feeding policy that promotes breastfeeding. In 
18developing the policy, a hospital shall consider guidance 
19provided by the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
20    (b) An infant feeding policy adopted under this Section may 
21include guidance on the use of formula (i) for supplementation, 
22(ii) if preferred by the mother, or (iii) when exclusive 
 
 
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1breastfeeding is contraindicated for the mother or for the 
2infant. 
 
3    Section 15. Communication of policy. A hospital shall 
4routinely communicate the infant feeding policy to staff in the 
5hospital's obstetric and neonatal areas, beginning with 
6hospital staff orientation. The hospital shall also ensure that 
7the policy is posted (i) in a conspicuous place in the 
8hospital's obstetric or neonatal area or (ii) on the hospital's 
9Internet or Intranet web site or on the Internet or Intranet 
10web site of the health system of which the hospital is a part. 
11The hospital shall make copies of the policy available to the 
12Department upon request.
 
13    Section 20. Application of policy. A hospital's infant 
14feeding policy adopted under this Act must apply to all 
15mother-infant couplets in the hospital's obstetric and 
16neonatal areas.
 
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
181, 2013.