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 to an applicant or employee; (3) require such job applicants or employees to accept an accommodation that they do not want, 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 various statutes that cover different types of employees in relation to such unlawful employment practices.
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.
| Action Date | Type | Text | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-09-17 | IntroReferral | Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. | Senate |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Vote | On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 329 - 73 (Roll no. 195). | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Vote | On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 177 - 226 (Roll no. 194). | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | UNFINISHED BUSINESS - The Chair announced that the unfinished business was on the Foxx (NC) motion to recommit H.R. 2694 with instructions, which was debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4528-4529) | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate, the Chair put the question on the Foxx motion to recommit and by voice vote, announced that the noes had prevailed. Ms. Fox demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | The previous question was ordered without objection. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Foxx motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert new text entitled the "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act". The new text includes an exemption for religious organizations. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | Ms. Foxx (NC) moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Education and Labor. (text: CR H4524-4526) | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 2694. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2574, H.R. 2639, H.R. 2694 and H. Res. 908. Provides for one hour of debate on each measure. The previous question will be considered as ordered on each measure without intervening motions except for one motion to recommit with or without instructions on H.R. 2574, H.R. 2639, and H.R. 2694. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-17 | Floor | Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1107. (consideration: CR H4508-4527) | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-14 | Floor | Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1107 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2574, H.R. 2639, H.R. 2694 and H. Res. 908. Provides for one hour of debate on each measure. The previous question will be considered as ordered on each measure without intervening motions except for one motion to recommit with or without instructions on H.R. 2574, H.R. 2639, and H.R. 2694. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-08 | Calendars | Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 396. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-08 | Discharge | Committee on the Judiciary discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-08 | Discharge | Committee on Oversight and Reform discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-08 | Discharge | Committee on House Administration discharged. | House floor actions |
| 2020-09-08 | Committee | Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Labor. H. Rept. 116-494, Part I. | House floor actions |
| 2020-01-14 | Committee | Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 29 - 17. | House committee actions |
| 2020-01-14 | Committee | Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. | House committee actions |
| 2019-06-26 | Committee | Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. | House committee actions |
| 2019-05-14 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and 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. | House floor actions |
| 2019-05-14 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and 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. | House floor actions |
| 2019-05-14 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and 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. | House floor actions |
| 2019-05-14 | IntroReferral | Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and 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. | House floor actions |
| 2019-05-14 | IntroReferral | Introduced in House | Library of Congress |