Senate File 308 - Introduced SENATE FILE 308 BY BRASE A BILL FOR An Act requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations 1 to employees based on pregnancy or childbirth and making 2 penalties applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2123XS (2) 85 je/nh

S.F. 308 Section 1. Section 216.6, subsection 2, Code 2013, is 1 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 2 NEW PARAGRAPH . f. (1) An employer shall provide reasonable 3 accommodations to an employee based on medical conditions 4 related to the employee’s pregnancy or childbirth, if the 5 employee so requests with the advice of the employee’s health 6 care provider. 7 (2) For purposes of this lettered paragraph “f” , “reasonable 8 accommodations” means actions which would permit an employee 9 with a medical condition relating to the employee’s pregnancy 10 or childbirth to perform in a reasonable manner the activities 11 involved in the employee’s specific occupation and include but 12 are not limited to the provision of an accessible worksite, 13 acquisition or modification of equipment, job restructuring, 14 and a modified work schedule. “Reasonable accommodations” does 15 not mean any action that would impose an undue hardship on the 16 business of the employer from whom the action is requested. 17 EXPLANATION 18 This bill requires an employer to provide reasonable 19 accommodations to an employee based on medical conditions 20 related to the employee’s pregnancy or childbirth, if the 21 employee requests reasonable accommodations with the advice 22 of the employee’s health care provider. Penalty provisions 23 for discriminatory employment practices are made applicable 24 to a failure to provide such reasonable accommodations to an 25 employee. 26 The bill defines “reasonable accommodations” as actions 27 which would permit an employee with a medical condition 28 relating to the employee’s pregnancy or childbirth to 29 perform in a reasonable manner the activities involved in 30 the employee’s specific occupation and include but are not 31 limited to the provision of an accessible worksite, acquisition 32 or modification of equipment, job restructuring, and a 33 modified work schedule. The bill provides that “reasonable 34 accommodations” does not mean any action that would impose an 35 -1- LSB 2123XS (2) 85 je/nh 1/ 2

S.F. 308 undue hardship on the business of the employer from whom the 1 action is requested. 2 -2- LSB 2123XS (2) 85 je/nh 2/ 2