Cassidy pushes bill protecting pregnant workers from discrimination

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee advanced a measure by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others to protect pregnant workers from workplace discrimination.
The bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which is closely modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act, would require employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow pregnant workers to continue working safely. It will ensure that employers with 15 or more employees provide reasonable accommodations that are often low-cost or no cost, unless it would pose an undue hardship to the employer. The bill includes protections not already codified in the ADA or the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.
“The Senate is one step closer to ensuring expectant mothers have the workplace accommodations they need,” said Cassidy.
“For more than 9 years, my colleagues and I have been working to make these protections a reality for the workers who need them. This markup brings the bill one step closer to becoming law. Worker health and safety is non-negotiable and we need to make it a priority for everyone.”
“No expectant mother should ever face barriers that prevent her from fully participating in the workplace and providing for herself and her family,” said Senator Shaheen.”I’m very pleased this bipartisan bill, which would help prevent pregnancy discrimination and ensure expectant mothers can access reasonable workplace accommodations, cleared a key committee hurdle today. I’ve championed this bill for years, and I urge lawmakers across the aisle to support this important legislation to protect pregnant women.”