Committee advances Baltimore bill requiring pregnancy accommodations for most employers

The Baltimore City Labor and Workforce Committee recommended favorably and sent City Council Bill 25-0051 — a local pregnancy-accommodations measure — to second reader after unanimous committee approval. The bill would require employers in Baltimore with two or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations on request for pregnancy, recovery from childbirth, or related conditions, prohibit adverse actions tied to such requests and establish civil penalties and enforcement procedures.

The bill’s sponsor, Councilman Paris Gray, told the committee the measure aims to prevent workers from having to choose between their health or childcare needs and keeping their jobs. “This bill is about protecting pregnant women, and new mothers in the workplace,” Gray said. He said the ordinance would require written pregnancy-accommodation policies and use civil citations, not criminal penalties, to encourage compliance.

Why it matters: the proposal lowers the employer-size threshold for accommodation obligations below state and federal levels. Department and agency witnesses told the committee the city-level law would extend protections to workers at smaller employers who are not covered by the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act or Maryland law.

Key provisions and amendments: The bill, introduced 04/07/2025 as City Council Bill 25-0051, would: - Require…