United States 119th Congress Status: Passed Senate Bipartisan · 1 D · 1 R cosponsors

S 778 — Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act

Last action — Held at the desk.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced February 27, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 46% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (1 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that each of its medical centers contains a hygienic lactation space that is not a bathroom and meets other specifications (e.g., must be easy to locate).

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

9 added · 58 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment adds a requirement for the Secretary to confirm in a report that each medical center of the Department contains a lactation space. This change shifts the focus from simply mandating the presence of lactation spaces to ensuring accountability through reporting. As a result, there will be a formal process to verify compliance with the requirement for lactation spaces in medical centers.

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Latest
778 Reported in Senate (RS)] <DOC> Calendar No.
778 Engrossed in Senate (ES)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
200 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
778 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
778 To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1.
_______________________________________________________________________ IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES February 27, 2025 Ms.
Rosen (for herself and Ms.
Murkowski) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs October 22 (legislative day, October 21), 2025 Reported by Mr.
Moran, with an amendment [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, <DELETED>SECTION 1.
SHORT TITLE.</DELETED> <DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act''.</DELETED> <DELETED>SEC.
2.
LACTATION SPACES IN MEDICAL CENTERS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.</DELETED> <DELETED> (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:</DELETED> <DELETED>``Sec.
1720M.
Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(a) Lactation Space Required.--The Secretary shall ensure that each medical center of the Department contains a lactation space.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(b) No Unauthorized Entry.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize an individual to enter a medical center of the Department or portion thereof that the individual is not otherwise authorized to enter.</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(c) Lactation Space Defined.--In this section, the term `lactation space' means a hygienic place, other than a bathroom, that-- </DELETED> <DELETED> ``(1) is shielded from view;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(2) is free from intrusion;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(3) is accessible to disabled individuals (including such individuals who use wheelchairs);</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(4) contains a chair and a working surface;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(5) is easy to locate;</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(6) is clearly identified with signage;
and</DELETED> <DELETED> ``(7) is available for use by women veterans and members of the public to express breast milk.''.</DELETED> <DELETED> (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item related to section 1720L the following new item:</DELETED> <DELETED>``1720M.
Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department.''.
<DELETED> (c) Effective Date.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out section 1720M of title 38, United States Code, as added by this section, not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act.</DELETED> SECTION 1.
Calendar No.
Passed the Senate November 9, 2025.
200 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
Attest:
778 _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Secretary.
_______________________________________________________________________ October 22 (legislative day, October 21), 2025 Reported with an amendment
119th CONGRESS 1st Session S.
778 _______________________________________________________________________ AN ACT To amend title 38, United States Code, to require a lactation space in each medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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How this bill changes current law

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AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

This bill adds a requirement for lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

  • 38 U.S.C. 1720M

    Sec. 1720M. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department (a) Lactation Space Required.--The Secretary shall ensure that each medical center of the Department contains a lactation space. (b) No Unauthorized Entry.--Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize an individual to enter a medical center of the Department or portion thereof that the individual is not otherwise authorized to enter. (c) Lactation Space Defined.--In this section, the term lactation space means a hygienic place, other than a bathroom, that-- (1) is shielded from view; (2) is free from intrusion; (3) is accessible to disabled individuals (including such individuals who use wheelchairs); (4) contains a chair and a working surface; (5) is easy to locate; (6) is clearly identified with signage; and (7) is available for use by women veterans and members of the public to express breast milk.

    This establishes a new legal requirement for a lactation space in each VA medical center.

  • 38 U.S.C.

    The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item related to section 1720L the following new item: "1720M. Lactation spaces in medical centers of the Department."

    This adds a new entry for lactation spaces in the statute's table of sections.

  • 38 U.S.C. 1720M

    (c) Implementation.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that-- (1) not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, not fewer than 80 percent of medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs are in compliance with section 1720M of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a); and (2) not later than three years after such date of enactment, all medical centers of the Department are in compliance with such section.

    This sets deadlines for compliance with the new lactation space requirement.

  • 38 U.S.C. 1720M

    (d) Report.-- (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the progress of the Secretary in meeting the requirements under section 1720M of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), including-- (A) a list of which medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs currently have a lactation space; (B) a list of which medical centers of the Department do not have a lactation space; and (C) for each medical center listed under subparagraph (B), a description of actions the Department has taken to design and plan a lactation space and a timeline for such lactation space to be fully functional and open for use within the time periods specified under subsection (c).

    This mandates annual reporting on the progress of implementing the lactation spaces.

Action History

  1. Received in the House.

  2. Held at the desk.

  3. Message on Senate action sent to the House.

  4. Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

  5. Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8036; text: CR S8036)

  6. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  7. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Reported by Senator Moran with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

  8. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 200.

  9. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  10. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 119-86.

  11. Introduced in Senate

  12. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 545 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (545)

545 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 545 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

veterans healthcare
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does S 778 do?
Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that each of its medical centers contains a hygienic lactation space that is not a bathroom and meets other specifications (e.g., must be easy to locate).
Who sponsors S 778?
S 778 is sponsored by Rosen, Jacky (Democratic) and Murkowski, Lisa (Republican).
What is the current status of S 778?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced February 27, 2025. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track S 778?
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