Jerry has led efforts to protect the health of mothers in the workplace through his landmark bill, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, introduced sweeping legislation to lower exorbitant prescription drug costs, battled extremist efforts to weaken birth control protections, and, of course, has worked tirelessly throughout the entirety of his career to protect women’s reproductive rights, including abortion.
Protect the health of mothers in the workplace through the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
Occurrences
Evidence
Congress.gov lists Rep. Jerrold Nadler as sponsor of H.R. 1065 and shows the House passed it 315-101 on May 14, 2021. The bill text prohibits employers from refusing reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.
The enrolled public law includes Division II, titled the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and states it is unlawful to deny reasonable accommodations for pregnancy-related limitations unless that would impose an undue hardship.
EEOC finalized the PWFA rule on April 19, 2024, with an effective date of June 18, 2024. The rule implements the law and confirms the agency is enforcing it.
Assessments
Jerrold Nadler directly sponsored H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and advanced it through House passage in May 2021. The policy outcome was then enacted during the 117th Congress as part of Public Law 117-328 on December 29, 2022, while Nadler was still serving in federal office. Later EEOC rulemaking in 2024 shows implementation, but the core promised outcome was already delivered by enactment in the same term.