Advocates for Youth released a statement today in response to the House Committee on Education & the Workforce’s markup of the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. The Act, which purports to extend resources for pregnant and parenting students, fails to expand meaningful accommodations for students and includes anti-abortion framing.

In response, Emma Grasso Levine, Senior Manager of Title IX Policy and Program at Know Your IX (a survivor- and youth-led project of Advocates for Youth), issued the following statement:

“The so-called Pregnant Students’ Rights Act is an anti-abortion law masquerading as support for pregnant and parenting students. Pregnant and parenting students deserve meaningful accommodations and accurate information about their right to an education, not misleading resources that stigmatize abortion. 

School is challenging enough for students navigating pregnancy, and legislation that claims to increase students’ awareness of their rights while excluding any information about abortion access does not help. To truly support pregnant and parenting students, lawmakers should strengthen long-overdue Title IX and nondiscrimination protections, expand access to child care, increase basic needs security, and ensure that every student has access to reproductive health care – including obstetric care, support through miscarriage, and abortion access.

Advocates for Youth, The National Women’s Law Center, and 46 other advocates sent a letter to Congress yesterday laying out their concerns over the bill and the negative impacts it could have on pregnant and parenting students. Organizers and advocates are available for interviews to discuss the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act and the need for an updated Title IX rule to protect pregnant and parenting students’ right to an education.

For Immediate Release: January 11, 2024

Contact: Eleanor Naiman, eleanor.naiman@advocatesforyouth.org