'Slap in the face for pregnant workers': Weakened accommodation bill goes to Ind. governor

INDIANAPOLIS – Legislation allowing women to ask for pregnancy accommodations – but not requiring business to provide them – is on its way to Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk. 

It's far from what advocates of a more expansive pregnancy accommodation bill had hoped for, including the governor. Holcomb had called for a much stronger bill during his State of the State.

However, he's indicated he will sign the act.

“While I have pushed for different language to become law in each of the last two sessions, I agree with members from both sides of the aisle that voted in favor of the bill as a step forward in assisting pregnant women in the workforce," Holcomb said in a statement. "I’ll always be looking for ways to continue making progress on this and every other front when it comes to removing barriers to work in the workplace.”

The measure passed the Senate,  31-19, on Tuesday. 

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House Bill 1309 would require businesses to respond in writing in a timely fashion to pregnancy-accommodation requests made by women, but it does not require them to grant those requests.

It also prevents employers from retaliating against women and specifies that businesses still have to follow federal laws that require them, in certain circumstances, to provide the same accommodations for pregnant people as they do for injuries.

Unlike a more comprehensive pregnancy accommodation bill that failed to move last year, House Bill 1309 was supported by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, because the chamber saw it as a "good compromise" that did not put an undue burden on businesses. 

For subscribers:Gov. Holcomb asked for business accommodations for pregnant women. Lawmakers balked.

Some lawmakers who voted for the legislation admitted they had hoped for more. The sponsor, Republican Sen. Ron Alting, compared the bill to a jump ball in basketball, meaning it's just the start. 

He was the author of a more expansive measure last year that, as he put it, was "defeated badly."

"You may grow old trying to get the bill that I did last year, very old," Alting said. "Or we can pass this and continue to work on making it better."

Some senators, however, worried passing House Bill 1309 would stop any future discussion on pregnancy accommodations. Republican Rep. Shelli Yoder called for lawmakers to "do better." She voted against the bill. 

"It gives legislators the opportunity to pat ourselves on the back to say we did something," Yoder said, "when really it’s more of a slap in the face for pregnant workers."

The bill had previously passed the House by a 95-2 vote.  

Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.