HB21 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Juandalynn GivanRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Employment; requiring employers to provide reasonable break time and location for employees to express breast milk.

Summary

HB21 would require Alabama employers to give nursing mothers a private place and reasonable break time during work to express breast milk, starting October 1, 2025.

What This Bill Does

If passed, the bill would require employers to provide reasonable unpaid break time or allow the use of paid or meal time each day for expressing breast milk, and to provide a private room or location near the work area (not a bathroom). Breaks should run concurrently with existing breaks when possible, and employers can’t require breaks if it would cause undue hardship; employees should try to minimize disruption. The act also protects employees from discrimination for expressing milk and clarifies who counts as an employer. It does not require building a room for this purpose and takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Nursing mothers employed in Alabama
• Employers in Alabama (including private companies and state agencies/subdivisions)

Key Provisions

• Employers must provide reasonable unpaid break time or permit the use of paid/meal time each day for expressing breast milk, and provide a private room/location near the work area (not a bathroom). Breaks should, if possible, run concurrently with other breaks; no break if it would cause undue hardship; employee should minimize disruption.
• Employees cannot be discriminated against for expressing milk; definitions include all employers (including state departments/subdivisions); no requirement to build a room dedicated to milk expression; effective date is October 1, 2025; employers are harmless if they make reasonable efforts to comply.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Labor & Employment