Occupational Discrimination Based on Pregnancy Statement on Signing S. 995 Into Law.

I am pleased to sign into law today legislation that protects American women from occupational discrimination on the basis of pregnancy.

I am convinced that discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions constitutes discrimination based on sex. As its passage of this bill shows, the Congress shares that conviction—and shares as well my unalterable opposition to such discrimination.

This bill, an amendment to title VII of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964, stands for the principle of equal justice under law. It does not bestow favored treatment on America's 42 million working women. Nor does it diminish in any way the rights and benefits of their male coworkers. It simply requires employers who have medical disability plans to provide for disability due to pregnancy and related conditions on an equal basis with other medical conditions.

This legislation does not introduce any novel employment practices. Some States already prohibit sex discrimination based on pregnancy. Under this new law, this kind of protection now applies to all workers throughout the country covered by title VII.