Topeka ? Mothers can breast-feed in public, under a bill advanced Wednesday by the Kansas House. But they have to breast-feed “discreetly.”

That change made to House Bill 2284 on the House floor angered Lawrence breast-feeding advocates, who were instrumental in getting the issue before the Legislature.

“It’s very vague,” said Tammy Gulotta, who breast-fed her two children and now promotes the practice to other mothers.

“It could open problems where people say, ‘She wasn’t discreet enough, so we asked her to leave.’ It goes against the point of the bill.”

She added: “It’s irritating, because (breast-feeding) is not always a discreet thing.”

The advocates said they would try to get the word removed from the bill when it goes to the Senate.

Amy Swan, who worked on the bill with Rep. Paul Davis, D-Lawrence, said she was “disappointed” with the amendment.

“We’re happy that it passed as well as it did,” Swan said of the bill. But, she added, “What is discreet to one person may not be discreet to other people. We’re hoping the Senate will hear us and consider changing back to the original bill.”

Under the bill in the House, mothers can breast-feed in public.

Rep. Deena Horst, R-Salina, added an amendment that said a woman could breast-feed “discreetly” in any place she has a right to be.

Horst’s amendment was accepted by the sponsors of the bill. Another amendment exempted nursing mothers from jury duty.

But sponsors of the bill fought back further restrictions.

“Breast-feeding is a natural act,” Davis said. “It is something a lot of women have encountered difficulty with in public places.”

He said 32 states had laws that give women the right to breast-feed in public.

One amendment would have allowed businesses to prohibit breast-feeding on their premises.

Restaurants can reject serving people without shoes or shirts on, Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, noted. She added that while she supported breast-feeding, “If you think all women are breast-feeding discreetly — they are not.”

The amendment failed 41-64.

Rep. Bonnie Huy, R-Wichita, tried to add language that would have said a mother would be allowed to breast-feed if she “discreetly covers her breasts.” That failed 40-65.

The House advanced the breast-feeding bill on a voice vote. A final vote is expected today before it can be considered by the Senate.