Substitute Senate Bill No. 260
          Substitute Senate Bill No. 260

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-210


AN ACT CONCERNING BREAST-FEEDING.


    Be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    Section  1.  Section  46a-64  of  the  general
statutes  is  repealed   and   the   following  is
substituted in lieu thereof:
    (a) It shall  be  a discriminatory practice in
violation of this  section: (1) To deny any person
within the jurisdiction  of  this  state  full and
equal  accommodations  in   any  place  of  public
accommodation,  resort  or  amusement  because  of
race,  creed, color,  national  origin,  ancestry,
sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income,
mental retardation, mental  disability or physical
disability,  including,  but   not   limited   to,
blindness or deafness  of  the  applicant, subject
only to the conditions and limitations established
by law and applicable alike to all persons; (2) to
discriminate, segregate or  separate on account of
race,  creed, color,  national  origin,  ancestry,
sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income,
mental  retardation, mental  disability,  learning
disability or physical  disability, including, but
not limited to,  blindness  or deafness; (3) FOR A
PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION, RESORT OR AMUSEMENT
TO RESTRICT OR  LIMIT  THE  RIGHT  OF  A MOTHER TO
BREAST-FEED HER CHILD;  [(3)]  (4)  for a place of
public accommodation, resort  or amusement to fail
or refuse to  post  a  notice,  in  a  conspicuous
place, that any  blind,  deaf or mobility impaired
person, accompanied by  his  guide  dog  wearing a
harness or an orange-colored leash and collar, may
enter such premises or facilities; or [(4)] (5) to
deny any blind,  deaf or mobility impaired person,
accompanied  by his  guide  dog,  full  and  equal
access  to  any  place  of  public  accommodation,
resort or amusement.  Any  blind, deaf or mobility
impaired person may keep his guide dog with him at
all times in  such  place of public accommodation,
resort or amusement  at  no extra charge, provided
the dog wears a harness or an orange-colored leash
and collar and  is  in  the  direct custody of the
blind,  deaf  or  mobility  impaired  person.  The
blind, deaf or  mobility  impaired person shall be
liable for any  damage  done  to  the  premises or
facilities by his dog.
    (b) (1) The  provisions  of  this section with
respect to the  prohibition  of sex discrimination
shall not apply  to  (A)  the  rental  of sleeping
accommodations   provided  by   associations   and
organizations  which  rent   all   such   sleeping
accommodations on a  temporary  or permanent basis
for the exclusive  use  of persons of the same sex
or (B) separate bathrooms or locker rooms based on
sex.  (2) The  provisions  of  this  section  with
respect to the  prohibition  of  discrimination on
the basis of  age  shall not apply to minors or to
special  discount  or   other  public  or  private
programs to assist  persons sixty years of age and
older. (3) The  provisions  of  this  section with
respect to the  prohibition  of  discrimination on
the basis of physical disability shall not require
any person to  modify  his  property in any way or
provide a higher  degree  of care for a physically
disabled person, including,  but  not  limited  to
blind or deaf  persons,  than  for  a  person  not
physically disabled. (4)  The  provisions  of this
section  with  respect   to   the  prohibition  of
discrimination on the  basis  of  creed  shall not
apply to the  practice  of  granting preference in
admission of residents  into  a  nursing  home  as
defined in section  19a-490,  if  (A)  the nursing
home is owned,  operated  by  or affiliated with a
religious organization, exempt  from  taxation for
federal income tax  purposes  and (B) the class of
persons  granted  preference   in   admission   is
consistent  with  the  religious  mission  of  the
nursing home. (5)  The  provisions of this section
with respect to  the prohibition of discrimination
on the basis  of lawful source of income shall not
prohibit   the   denial    of   full   and   equal
accommodations solely on the basis of insufficient
income.
    (c) Any person  who  violates any provision of
this  section  shall   be   fined  not  less  than
twenty-five nor more  than  one hundred dollars or
imprisoned not more than thirty days or both.
    Sec. 2. (NEW)  No person may restrict or limit
the right of a mother to breast-feed her child.

Approved June 24, 1997