HF 2257: Requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees based on pregnancy or childbirth and making penalties applicable

What it does

This bill requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodations to an employee based on medical conditions related to the employee’s pregnancy or childbirth if the employee requests reasonable accommodations with the advice of the employee’s health care provider. Penalty provisions for discriminatory employment practices are made applicable to a failure to provide such reasonable accommodations to an employee. The bill defines “reasonable accommodations” as actions which would permit an employee with a medical condition relating to the employee’s pregnancy or childbirth to perform in a reasonable manner the activities involved in the employee’s specific occupation and include but are not limited to the provision of an accessible worksite, acquisition or modification of equipment, job restructuring, and a modified work schedule.

House subcommittee · named January 25, 2022

• Rep. Megan Jones (R) · megan.jones@legis.iowa.gov
• Rep. Jon Jacobsen (R)
• Rep. Mary Lynn Wolfe (D)

Lobbying · 24 for, 2 against

For: AFSCME Iowa Council 61; American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa (ACLU-IA); Blank Childrens Hospital; Common Good Iowa; IA Mental Health Planning Council; Iowa Alliance For Retired Americans; Iowa Association for Justice; Iowa Cable and Telecommunications Association; Iowa Catholic Conference; Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence; Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; and 12 more

Against: Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI); National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB /IA)

In plain words

1. January 25, 2022Filed in the House and sent to the State Government committee · as HSB 603
2. January 25, 2022House subcommittee named: Jones, Jacobsen and Wolfe · as HSB 603
3. January 31, 2022Subcommittee recommended passing it · as HSB 603
4. February 1, 2022Approved by the House committee · as HSB 603
5. February 4, 2022Filed in the House
6. February 4, 2022Approved by the House committee, and given a new number: HF 2257 · as HSB 603