Albany County office buildings are now required to have a designated private space, other than a restroom, for nursing mothers to pump breast milk while at work.

The policy, which was approved by the Albany County Legislature on Monday, requires the lactation room to be outfitted with an electrical outlet, a chair, a surface to place personal items on and nearby access to running water. The room must also be in proximity to the employee’s workplace as well as contain a refrigerator suitable for breast milk storage.

“I am thrilled with the overwhelming support that this local law has seen tonight. Not only is this local law pro-parent, pro-family, pro-worker and pro-child, it sends a strong message that private employers in Albany County and New York State should follow. Let’s make it easy for new parents to continue to nurse their babies by creating safe, private spaces for women to express milk while at work. It’s the right thing to do and supports new moms in the workplace,” said Legislator Joanne Cunningham, sponsor of the resolution.

“The Albany County Legislature is committed to employees of Albany County. I want to thank our women’s caucus for continuously proposing legislation that addresses the barriers our employees, especially women, face in the workplace,” said Chairman Andrew Joyce, who co-sponsored the bill. “Helping new mothers who must work have a more comfortable space to pump milk is a common sense policy that we hope more employers adopt.”