II 

Calendar No. 310 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6914 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 22, 2024 

Received; read the first time 

JANUARY 23, 2024 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 

AN ACT 

To require institutions of higher education to disseminate 

information on the rights of, and accommodations and 

resources for, pregnant students, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pregnant Students’ 

5 Rights Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Female students enrolled at institutions of 

9 higher education and experiencing an unplanned 


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HR 6914 PCS

1 pregnancy may face pressure that their only option 

2 is to receive an abortion or risk academic failure. 

3 (2) Almost 30 percent of all abortions in the 

4 United States are performed on women of college 

5 age, between the ages of 20 and 24, according to a 

6 2021 report by the Centers for Disease Control and 

7 Prevention. 

8 (3) Scientific evidence and personal testimonies 

9 document that women who have abortions can be at 

10 risk of mental health issues. Studies show that after 

11 an abortion, women are 34 percent more likely to 

12 develop anxiety disorders, 37 percent more likely to 

13 develop depression, 110 percent more likely to rely 

14 on alcohol use or abuse, 115 percent more likely to 

15 develop suicidal behavior, and 220 percent more like16 ly to take on marijuana use or abuse. As many as 

17 60 percent of women having an abortion experience 

18 some level of emotional distress afterwards, with 30 

19 percent being classified as severe distress. Potential 

20 complications of abortions include heavy or per21 sistent bleeding, damage to cervix, abdominal pain 

22 or cramping, scarring of uterine lining, breast can23 cer, future premature births or miscarriages, infec24 tion or sepsis, placenta previa, perforation of uterus, 

25 damage to other organs, and even death. 


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1 (4) A significant proportion of abortions in the 

2 United States are performed on women of college 

3 age who may be unaware of their rights to accom4 modation and prohibitions against discrimination 

5 due to pregnancy under title IX of the Education 

6 Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) or 

7 deprived of information about abortion alternatives. 

8 (5) Additionally, women on college campuses 

9 may fear institutional reprisal, loss of athletic schol10 arship, and possible negative impact on academic op11 portunities during the pregnancy and after child12 birth. 

13 (6) An academic disparity exists because of the 

14 lack of resources, support, and notifications available 

15 for female college students who do not wish to re16 ceive an abortion or who carry their unborn babies 

17 to term. 

18 SEC. 3. NOTICE OF PREGNANT STUDENT RIGHTS, ACCOM19 MODATIONS, AND RESOURCES. 

20 Section 485 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

21 U.S.C. 1092) is amended by adding at the end the fol22 lowing: 

23 ‘‘(n) PREGNANT STUDENTS’ RIGHTS, ACCOMMODA24 TIONS, AND RESOURCES.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each institution of higher 

2 education participating in any program under this 

3 title shall carry out the information dissemination 

4 activities described in paragraph (3) for prospective 

5 and enrolled students (including those attending or 

6 planning to attend less than full time) regarding the 

7 information described in paragraph (2) on the rights 

8 to, and resources (including protections and accom9 modations) for, pregnant students to carry a baby to 

10 term and students who may become pregnant while 

11 enrolled at such institution of higher education to 

12 carry a baby to term. 

13 ‘‘(2) INFORMATION CONTENT.—The informa14 tion described in this paragraph is the following: 

15 ‘‘(A) A list of resources on campus and in 

16 the community that exist to help a pregnant 

17 student in carrying the baby to term and caring 

18 for the baby after birth. 

19 ‘‘(B) Information about the accommoda20 tions available to help a pregnant student carry 

21 the baby to term and parent the baby after 

22 birth. 

23 ‘‘(C) Information on how to file a com24 plaint with— 


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1 ‘‘(i) the Department of Education, if 

2 a student believes there was a violation by 

3 the institution of title IX of the Education 

4 Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et 

5 seq.) on account of such student’s deter6 mination to carry a baby to term; and 

7 ‘‘(ii) the institution, if a student be8 lieves the student has been discriminated 

9 against in violation of such title IX on ac10 count of the student’s determination to 

11 carry a baby to term. 

12 ‘‘(3) INFORMATION DISSEMINATION ACTIVI13 TIES.—The information dissemination activities de14 scribed in this paragraph shall include— 

15 ‘‘(A) an email to each enrolled student at 

16 the start of each period of study during an aca17 demic year; and 

18 ‘‘(B) the provision of information— 

19 ‘‘(i) in student handbooks, if any; 

20 ‘‘(ii) at each orientation for enrolled 

21 students; 

22 ‘‘(iii) at student health or counseling 

23 centers, if any; and 

24 ‘‘(iv) on the publicly available website 

25 of the institution of higher education. 


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1 ‘‘(4) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

2 this subsection shall be construed to authorize the 

3 Secretary to require the dissemination of additional 

4 information, or establish additional rights, beyond 

5 the information and rights included in this sub6 section.’’. 

Passed the House of Representatives January 18, 

2024. 

Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 

Clerk. 


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Calendar No. 310 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6914 

AN ACT 

To require institutions of higher education to disdents, and for other purposes. commodations and resources for, pregnant stu- seminate information on the rights of, and acJANUARY 23, 2024 

Read the second time and placed on the calendar 


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