The Coalition and the Action Committee are always looking for new members. If you would like to join or would like more information, please visit their websites. Thank you again for making a difference in the lives of South Carolinians!

In 1997, Lin Cook joined forces with SC State Representative Chip Limehouse to introduce legislation protecting a mother's right to breastfeed in public. The bill made it to the House Judiciary Committee where it was vetoed. In 2005, when a mother was denied access to a dressing room in a popular retail store, the movement was born again. Lin called Rep. Limehouse and organized the first town meeting in Charleston regarding the introduction of another such bill. Thus began the South Carolina Breastfeeding Action Committee (SCBAC). The group consisted of 6 women from all different backgrounds including a lawyer and public relations consultant.

The SCBAC spent the fall of 2005 traveling around the state to Columbia, Beaufort, Spartanburg, and Rock Hill holding similar town meetings. Each town meeting consisted of a professional panel compromised of lactation consultants, La Leche League leaders, pediatricians, obstetricians, registered dieticians, and more. All the while, the SCBAC was building a database of supporters and sending alerts as needed.

In January of 2006, the bill, H 4347, was read in front of the House Judiciary Committee of Special Law. The bill had several supporters speak and there was much press circulated including interviews on Geraldo at Large. The bill proceeded to the full Judiciary Committee where it passed unanimously on February 9th. The bill then moved to the full House of Representatives where it passed unanimously. During all of this, the SCBAC traveled to Columbia at least once a week to talk to the legislators. H 4347 then followed a similar process in the Senate. It passed unanimously through the Senate subcommittee, full Judiciary Committee, and Senate. The bill was amended slightly in the Senate sub-committee and because of this was sent back to the House of Representatives for unanimous consent. The House consented on April 25th and the bill was signed into law by Gov. Mark Sanford on May 2nd, 2006.

As a result of the legislation being signed into law, the SCBAC has joined forces with the Department of Health and Environmental Control, The SC Coalition for Obesity Prevention Efforts, and the SC Breastfeeding Coalition to produce wallet sized cards with the law printed on them. These cards will be available to all families giving birth in South Carolina. If you are interested in receiving a card, please contact Lin. The SCBAC and Lin have been honored with the awards as well. The members of the SCBAC were recognized by the Loving Support training (Loving Support Makes Breastfeeding Work is the result of a 1996 cooperative agreement between the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and Best Start Social Marketing, Inc. The purpose of the campaign was to develop and implement a breastfeeding and promotion campaign that is national in scope and implemented at the State level. ) in South Carolina and Lin was recognized for her work to promote breastfeeding at the La Leche League of South Carolina.

The SCBAC looks forward to the future with plans to work on legislation that promotes breastfeeding curriculum in grades K-12. Please visit the SCBAC's website at www.scbac.org.