HB1240 creates a new grant program to encourage the installation of lactation rooms in public buildings. The bill directs the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) to administer the program, adopt grant-award guidelines, publicize the program, and manage applications from public agencies. A “lactation room” is defined as a clean, private space for nursing or expressing milk in a public building.
The bill also establishes a dedicated lactation room grant fund. The fund would receive appropriations, federal or state grant money, donations, gifts, and transfers from other sources, and any remaining balance would not revert to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. Money in the fund would be continuously appropriated for the program’s purposes. HB1240 appropriates $5 million from the state general fund to IHCDA for deposit into the fund for the 2025-2026 period.
Impact
HB1240 would add a new chapter to Indiana Code Title 5, creating a state grant mechanism for public agencies that build or renovate public buildings and want to include lactation rooms. It would not mandate that all public buildings contain lactation rooms, but it would provide state funding support for agencies that choose to install them and require funded rooms to meet specified privacy, functionality, and utility standards. The bill also creates a new special fund and gives IHCDA ongoing administrative authority over the program and its expenditures.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be presented as a supportive, public-health- and family-friendly measure aimed at improving accommodations for nursing mothers in public facilities. There is no documented opposition or amendment activity in the supplied context, so no clear split in sentiment can be identified from the record provided.
Contention
No specific points of contention are shown in the provided transcripts or voting history because none were included. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill itself, could include the $5 million appropriation, whether state funds should be used for facility upgrades in public buildings, and whether the grant program should be limited to public agencies rather than broader categories of employers or building owners.