17 States Challenge Federal Rules Entitle Workers to Abortion Accommodations

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Republican attorneys general from 17 states filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging new federal rules that entitle workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions, calling the rules an illegal interpretation of a 2022 federal law.

The process led by Tennessee and Arkansas has been ongoing since finalized federal regulations were published on April 15 to provide guidance to employers and workers on how to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The language means workers can request time off to have an abortion and recover from the procedure.

The rules, which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission adopted on a 3-2 vote along party lines, will take effect June 18. support.

“This is yet another attempt by the Biden administration to force an administrative order that cannot pass Congress,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said in a statement. “Under this radical interpretation of the PWFA, business owners will face federal lawsuits if they do not accept employee abortions, even though those abortions are illegal under state law.”

An EEOC spokesperson referred questions to the Justice Department, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Better Balance, one of the most vocal advocates of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, called the lawsuit a baseless attack on the law’s protections.

“This lawsuit represents a bad faith effort to politicize what is a vital protection for the health and economic security of millions of families, and a continuation of the alarming attacks on women’s health and reproductive choices,” said Dina Bakst, co-president of the group. she said in a statement. “We are committed to fighting to defend workers’ rights under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.”

The EEOC said the new law does not require employers or employer-sponsored health plans to cover abortion-related costs, and that the type of accommodation likely to be sought under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act regarding abortion is time off to attend. medical or recovery appointment, which does not need to be paid for.

The other states that have joined the process are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.

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This story has been updated to correct that the rules were published on Monday, April 15, not last Monday. Photo of the links.