Pregnant Students' Rights Act

Floor Speech

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Mrs. HINSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time and for his excellent work in shepherding this bill through the Education and Workforce Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support my bill, the Pregnant Students' Rights Act. This is a commonsense piece of legislation because when Roe v. Wade was rightfully overturned in 2022, the next chapter of the pro- life movement began. We were all given the opportunity to help strengthen our support for unborn babies and for new moms.

As a mom of two, this issue is personal for me. I know that when you are pregnant, there are about a million questions that are going through your head at any given time. You have the doctors' appointments. You have new financial responsibilities. Pregnant students have so much on their plate as they are working to balance school and have a healthy pregnancy at the same time.

I think it is just unacceptable that so often they would choose between finishing their education and having their baby, despite the Title IX protections that are already in place.

Under Title IX, pregnant students have the right to stay in school and finish their education and achieve their career goals. However, the academic disparity does exist because of limited resources and support for pregnant students.

These women may fear institutional reprisal, loss of athletic scholarships, or even negative impacts on their academic opportunities and their standing. Those fears and anxieties are not just unjust to women but they are a poor reflection of how our higher education institutions treat pregnant students.

Higher education institutions and universities have a responsibility to empower all their students, all of them, to succeed, including pregnant students. They deserve to be treated with respect and surrounded with care and love. That is what this piece of legislation is designed to do.

I have visited pregnancy resource centers in Iowa and met with so many of those who have dedicated their cause to life, many of whom have traveled right here to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life this weekend. It may be a snowy March for Life this weekend.

It has been inspiring to me to see all of the pro-life community spring into action to really help our expecting mothers and their babies to thrive because that is what this movement is all about. It is about recognizing the sanctity of every life and valuing life at every stage.

It is crucial pregnant women know they have people standing behind them, resources available to them, and that they are entitled to these accommodations on campus. Completing an education as a mother is not only empowering for the student but vital to ensuring a strong future for her child, for our next generation.

The Pregnant Students' Rights Act amends the Higher Education Act to require our colleges and universities to clearly distribute information about pregnant students' rights and available resources through student handbooks, emails, websites, and orientations, while promoting accountability when those students' rights are violated.

It is troubling that some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are so dug in on their pro-abortion stances and agenda that they would oppose providing pregnant students with information on their rights and resources available to them to continue their education and have a healthy pregnancy.

Supporting women who choose life should not be a partisan issue. Every woman who completes her studies while pregnant strengthens our families, our communities, and our workforce. I hope my colleagues across the aisle will help to vote to empower pregnant students and support this vital life-affirming legislation.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a step in the right direction to creating a culture of life in our society and a step that we must take as we continue to pursue policies that help our families to grow and thrive from Iowa and beyond across the country.

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