Late yesterday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the split panel opinion from August allowing enforcement of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) against the state of Texas. The issue is whether the U.S. Constitution required House lawmakers’ physical presence to have a quorum when the PWFA was approved as part of the
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
Confirmation of Brittany Panuccio Restores the EEOC Quorum: Changes To The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Regulations Coming Soon
On October 7, 2025, the Senate confirmed President Trump’s nomination of Brittany Panuccio as the third Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioner giving the EEOC the quorum needed to make significant policy changes such as amending or adopting new regulations and guidance.
The EEOC has been patiently waiting until the third EEOC Commissioner was confirmed…
Texas Wants Another Chance to Convince 5th Circuit that the PWFA Was Enacted In A Way That Violates the Constitution
The State of Texas asked the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this week to reconsider its case challenging the validity of the entire Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Texas filed suit against the federal government shortly after President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2022, claiming the PWFA could not be…
EEOC Is Permanently Enjoined From Enforcing Portions of PWFA Final Regulations and EEOC’s Title VII Guidance On Harassment in the Workplace Against Catholic Employer Organization
On April 15, 2025, the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota issued its decision granting partial summary judgment to the Catholic Benefits Association, on behalf of its members and the Bismarck Diocese (collectively the CBA). The court found that the portions of the PWFA Final Regulations that require employers to reasonably…
Scope of Accommodations Required Under PWFA Narrowed in Louisiana and Mississippi
On the eve of the effective date of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC’s) final Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) regulations (Final Rule), a federal court in Louisiana postponed the effective date of what the court describes as the “Final Rule’s requirement that covered entities provide accommodation for the elective abortions of employees that are…
Special Report: PWFA Final Regulations
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released the text of the final regulations and interpretative guidance implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) on April 15, 2024. They were formally published in the April 19, 2024, Federal Register and will be effective 60 days later.
The EEOC received more than 100,000 public comments, including comments…
EEOC Issues Final Regulations to Implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued final regulations and Interpretative Guidance to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA went into effect on June 27, 2023. The PWFA requires that employers with at least 15 employees provide reasonable accommodations, absent undue hardship, to qualified employees and applicants with known limitations related…
Congress Violated U.S. Constitution When It Passed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Texas Court Rules
Congress improperly passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, including the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a federal court in Texas has ruled. State of Texas v. Department of Justice et al., No. 5:23-cv-00034 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 27, 2024). The court permanently enjoined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Justice from…
EEOC’s Proposed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Regulations: Oh Mama!
On August 11, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) formally published proposed regulations to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). In a matter of just under 9 months, since the law was enacted at the end of 2022, the EEOC crafted 275+ pages worth of regulations, preamble and interpretive guidance to…
EEOC Issues Proposed Regulations to Implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued proposed regulations (NPRM) to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to a qualified employee’s or applicant’s known limitation related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause an…