Which States Require Running Water as Part of Lactation Accommodations?

The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)requires employers to provide a private lactation space that is not a bathroom,but it doesn’t mandate that lactation rooms have running water.

However, some states have their ownspecific requirements, and a few encourage access to running water, whileothers make it mandatory.

Here are some that are notable:

1. California: Requires lactation     rooms to have access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator for     storing breast milk in close proximity.

2. New York: Similar to California,     New York mandates a private lactation space and requires access to a     nearby sink and refrigerator.

3. Colorado: Requires employers to     make "reasonable efforts" to provide access to a clean, safe,     and private space that’s not a bathroom, ideally with access to running     water and a refrigerator for breast milk storage.

4. Washington, D.C.: Requires that     employees have access to a private lactation room, which should ideally     include amenities like access to running water and refrigeration.

Other states encourage providing access toa sink and refrigerator but don’t explicitly require it. The number of stateswith specific requirements continues to grow as workplace lactationaccommodation policies expand.