Governor Wilson signed legislation in 1995 (Assembly Bill 977) requiring general acute care hospitals and specialized hospitals that provide birthing services to make breastfeeding information available to new mothers. Hospitals will have the option of providing a trained consultant to educate mothers or directing them to outside sources for information.
Governor Wilson also signed legislation in 1997 (AB 157) authorizing a mother to breastfeed her infant in public, citing breastmilk has been rediscovered by modern science as a means of saving lives, reducing illness and protecting the environment. This bill addresses one barrier that prevents women from breastfeeding their infants longer.