If you came here to send an email to the Public Health Committee to urge them to set a hearing for HB-1154 and HB-703, we have good news: The hearing is April 4 at 8 a.m. If you can attend the hearing to testify on behalf of either bill, GREAT! If not, no worries: just scroll down to send a letter to your local lawmaker, encouraging him or her to support better breastfeeding laws,

To send the following letter in an email to your state representative and state senator, please follow these directions:

1) Copy the body of the letter by highlighting it and selecting "copy" from your browser's pull-down menu

2) Find out who your state rep and senator are by clicking on: www.capitol.state.tx.us/fyi/fyi.htm (you will be asked to enter your home address and ZIP code)

3) Click on your rep/senator's name (it will be blue and underlined). This will take you to their official web page. Each web page has a section that will allow you to email your rep/senator. (Each person's web page is slightly different, but look for "Send Email" and click on it!)

4) Paste the body of the letter into the "message" box on your rep/senator's site (you will also be asked to type your name and address: this is very important and must be completed)

5) Press "send" and the letter will be emailed to your rep/senator (although you will not see an email address displayed).

**NOTE: To be absolutely sure your state representative and state senator receive this letter, we urge you to print it out, sign it, and send it through the mail. This is the best way to ensure that your voice is heard and that your state legislators know you are serious about this issue.

REMEMBER: This is not just an Austin issue, so be sure to have friends and family throughout Texas send this letter to their legislators also!

ALSO: Join in the discussion about this issue on the Motherhood Advocacy bulletin board.

Dear (insert name here):

As a constituent of yours, I am writing to urge your support of HB-1154, which has been introduced by Rep. Jessica Farrar.

The bill will ensure that babies can nurse anywhere in public--including restaurants and shopping centers--without their mothers being asked to leave.

Despite an impressive breastfeeding initiation rate of nearly 70% here in Texas, fewer than 15% of mothers are still exclusively breastfeeding their babies at six months (this, despite admonitions by the FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dietetic Association, and The Texas Department of State Health Services to exclusively breastfeed for six months and continue, with supplemental foods, for a full year).

In many cases, mothers stop breastfeeding because they are embarrassed to do it in public. If they overcome this embarrassment, they often are publicly humiliated: just this summer, a breastfeeding mother was asked to leave the City of Kyle's public pool; last year the same thing happened at the City of Arlington's public pool; in 2004, a restaurant in Round Rock forced a mother to leave because she was breastfeeding.

These are not isolated cases: the Department of State Public Health Services receives complaints like this each month.

The low breastfeeding rates in this country are cause for alarm in public health circles. Breastfeeding is important because it decreases the rate of infant illness, the number of hours parents miss work to care for sick infants, and the amount of money states spend to cover those costs. Indeed, a 2005 article in the American Academy of Pediatrics' medical journal Pediatrics stated: "Strenuous public health efforts are needed to improve breastfeeding behaviors."

The Texas Legislature launched an effort in 1995 by stating in section 165.002 of the Texas Health and Human Safety Code: "A mother is entitled to breast-feed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be."

But that law has since been circumvented by businesses that are not friendly toward breastfeeding. Restaurants and other places of public accommodation need only â"unauthorize" a mother's presence if she begins nursing her baby.

That is exactly what happened at the Round Rock restaurant in 2004--police were even called to the scene to remove the breastfeeding women. When queried about the breastfeeding law, J. Eric Poteet, the Public Affairs Officer of the Round Rock Police Department, said in a written statement that a private business, such as a restaurant, "reserves the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason", including breastfeeding, because "many feel that baring a breast in public (or breastfeeding itself) is inappropriate and indecorus [sic] in a restaurant setting."

Breastfeeding is neither "inappropriate" nor "indecorous": it is a basic right of a child to receive nourishment.

The Legislature acknowledged this back in 1995, stating:

"...breast-feeding a baby is an important and basic act of nurture that must be encouraged in the interests of maternal and child health and family values... the Legislature recognizes breast-feeding as the best method of infant nutrition."

Given that, I am urging you to support Rep. Farrar's bill to allow babies to receive this nutrition wherever they may happen to become hungry.

As a proponent of strong family values, I know you share my concern on this matter. As such, I look forward to counting you among the supporters of Rep. Farrar's bill this session.

Sincerely,

(Your name here)
(Your Address)