Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Bill: 115-hr-2417
Sponsor: Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-10]
Introduced: 2017-05-11 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Child care and development
Civil actions and liability
Employee hiring
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government liability
Sex and reproductive health
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
State and local government operations
Women's employment
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: 

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

 
This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for job applicants or employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. Specifically, the bill declares that it is an unlawful employment practice to: (1) fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations of such job applicants or employees, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an entity's business operation; (2) deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they choose not to accept, if such accommodation is unnecessary to perform the job; (4) require such employees to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided to their known limitations; or (5) take adverse action in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against an employee requesting or using such reasonable accommodations.
 
The bill sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and the rights and protections extended to presidential offices.
 
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must provide examples of reasonable accommodations that shall be provided to affected job applicants or employees unless the employer can demonstrate that doing so would impose an undue hardship.
 
The bill prohibits state immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution from an action for a violation of this bill. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-06-07
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-05-11
text: Introduced in House