Trump administration to narrow pregnancy job protections

The Trump administration is preparing to scale back workplace accommodations for pregnancy and reproductive health, limiting the impact of the 2022 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, according to seven people with knowledge of the plans. The changes could narrow protections for conditions like abortion and fertility treatment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, led by Chair Andrea Lucas, plans to publish proposed changes as soon as this month, potentially eliminating explicit protections for conditions affecting non-pregnant women while keeping core pregnancy safeguards. The move follows conservative criticism that the current rule overreaches beyond pregnancy, and aligns with Lucas’s efforts to roll back Biden-era policies. The 2022 law, which aimed to fill gaps in disability and discrimination protections, has been linked to a nearly 10 percent decline in miscarriages, according to a University of Wisconsin study. Broader religious exemptions are also under consideration, and legal challenges have already struck down parts of the rule requiring accommodations for elective abortions.