Kaine Co-Sponsors Bills To Protect Pregnant Workers & Expand Access To Affordable Contraception

Press Release

This week, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine co-sponsored the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and introduced the Affordability is Access Act, legislation to protect female workers and expand access to affordable health care for women.

After the U.S. Supreme Court case Young v. UPS left the workplace rights of pregnant workers uncertain, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act -- closely modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- would address legal ambiguities and help ensure that pregnant women are treated fairly on the job. The bill would require employers to make reasonable accommodations -- such as a minor job modification -- that would allow pregnant workers to continue working and prevent them from being forced out on leave or out of their jobs. The bill also prohibits employers from denying employment opportunities to women based on their need for reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

The Affordability is Access Act would allow women to have access to convenient, FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control pills without being forced to pay extra out-of-pocket on top of their insurance coverage. Expanded access to affordable contraception builds on the Affordable Care Act by ensuring that when the FDA approves birth control pills for over-the-counter use, they will be covered without cost sharing and without the need for a prescription. The legislation would help expand women's access to affordable birth control while maintaining the FDA's sole authority to determine the safety and quality of drugs.

"When women are treated equally in the workplace and given affordable access to contraception, families across Virginia are stronger," said Kaine.

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