HB 526 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, permitting a mother the freedom to nurse her child in public; and providing that breastfeeding may not be considered a nuisance, indecent exposure, sexual conduct or obscenity.

HB 526 protects mothers' right to breastfeed their children in any public or private location where they are otherwise permitted to be, without being considered indecent exposure, a nuisance, or obscenity. It defines "breastfeeding" to include both direct feeding and expressing milk for bottle-feeding, and creates a private right to sue for violations, allowing recovery of $1,000 per incident plus attorney fees. The law applies broadly across Pennsylvania, ensuring mothers can feed their children without legal interference while maintaining existing protections from the repealed 2007 Freedom to Breastfeed Act.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 10, 2025 Last action May 14, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN0519 Printer's No. PN1718 · 8 edits
MODERATE
This bill update adds new sponsors and committee reporting information, reorganizes the bill text into a proper chapter format within the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, and clarifies the repeal and continuation of the original 2007 breastfeeding freedom act. The substantive policy content regarding breastfeeding rights remains largely the same, but the structure is now more formal and includes specific statutory definitions and a private right of action with statutory damages.
Scope change
The bill now formally adds Chapter 58A to Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, replacing the previous standalone act with a more structured chapter format.
TECHNICAL

Added new sponsors (Curry, Rabb, and Brennan) to the list of bill sponsors.

Changed bill version from Printer's No. 519 to Printer's No. 1718, indicating a later version of the bill text.

Added committee reporting information showing the bill was reported from the Judiciary Committee on May 14, 2025.

Restructured the bill text to add Chapter 58A to Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes instead of referencing the original 2007 act directly.

DEFINITION

Added formal statutory definitions section (58A02.1) defining 'Breastfeeding' with the same meaning as before.

ENFORCEMENT

Added detailed private right of action section (58A05) specifying remedies including $1,000 statutory damages per violation, attorney fees, and equitable relief.

REQUIREMENT

Added repeal section formally repealing the 2007 Freedom to Breastfeed Act while maintaining continuity of existing rights and obligations.

Added continuation section ensuring all activities initiated under the original act continue under the new chapter format.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Amendments
1
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Feb 10, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 26 co-sponsors

Sponsors