Pregnant workers bill headed for floor vote

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By State House News Service

The so-called Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, legislation Speaker Robert DeLeo has identified as a priority, got the unanimous approval of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development last week, clearing its path to floor votes.

In a poll that closed Thursday, the committee unanimously recommended the bill (H 1038 / S 1023) ought to pass. The bill received some "minor edits" from the committee, according to an aide.

The legislation offers pregnant women "reasonable" accommodations including "more frequent or longer paid or unpaid breaks, time off to recover from childbirth with or without pay, acquisition or modification of equipment, seating, temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position, job restructuring, light duty, break time and private non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk, assistance with manual labor, or modified work schedules" as long as the accommodation "would not impose undue hardship on the employer."

DeLeo has said he favors the legislation and in early March said the House would take up the bill "as soon as possible."

A similar bill also won a favorable report from the committee last session. Though business groups had opposed that bill last session, the Associated Industries of Massachusetts announced in March it reached an agreement with the advocacy group MotherWoman on consensus legislation. Nearly 120 lawmakers, including a majority of the Senate, have signed onto the bill as co-sponsors.