West Virginia legislators are considering several bills that advocates say would encourage new mothers to breast-feed their babies.

The Senate Health and Human Resources Committee will consider a bill next week that would allow new mothers to breast-feed in public.

Stores, restaurants or museums could not ask them to leave. Another bill introduced this week would excuse a nursing mother from jury duty.

Mothers say a child has the right to eat. And they argue such legislation is needed to encourage more mothers to breast-feed.

West Virginia is one of about four states that do not offer such legal protections. Only a quarter of West Virginia mothers breast-feed their 6-month-old babies.

Only three states report lower rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention