Subcommittee advances bill that would require employers to offer reasonable menopause accommodations
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Summary
HB 1173 would require employers with five or more employees to provide reasonable workplace accommodations for menopausal employees and direct a study by the departments of Labor and Health by July 1, 2028. Committee reported the substitute after debate about small-business impacts and enforcement.
Delegate Tran told the subcommittee HB 11 73 seeks to normalize and destigmatize menopause by requiring employers with five or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations — for example, access to temperature controls, schedule flexibility, additional water, or opportunities to change clothing when necessary. Tran also said the bill directs the commissioner of labor and the commissioner of health to conduct a study on workplace menopause accommodations, to be released by July 1, 2028.
Committee members asked about the bill’s potential effect on small businesses. Delegate Ballard asked whether the accommodation requirement creates a private cause of action; Tran said the measure is designed to create protections similar to pregnancy or childbirth accommodations and that enforcement would be akin to existing employment protections. Delegate Runyon and others urged attention to small-business burdens and urged working with stakeholders as regulations are developed.
A motion to report the bill carried; the committee recorded the motion and reported the bill by a 4–1 vote.
Next steps: HB 11 73 was reported by the subcommittee and will proceed to later committee or floor consideration.
