Issue Position: Women

Issue Position

I draw strength from the pride my daughter feels in me as her State Senator. Working together we will build a Washington where our daughters have more opportunities. In 2018, we passed the Equal Pay Opportunity Act which makes it more difficult for employers to discriminate based on gender for similar work for both compensation and promotion opportunities. We took an important step forward in 2017 when we passed one of the most progressive family and medical leave laws in the country. It's not nearly over. I'm fighting every day for equal pay for equal work. And I will never accept any infringement on a woman's right to choose the medical care she needs. That's why I supported legislation that requires private insurers to give women the right to access a 12 month prescription for contraceptives. In 2018, we also passed the Reproductive Parity Act which requires insurers to provide contraception with no deductible or co-pay.

I'm proud of my work to improve the care that pregnant women and their children receive in our healthcare facilities. I co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that requires hospitals to allow mothers to have their babies on their chest immediately after birth and keep their new baby in the room with them. It also requires the Department of Labor and Industries to provide education to employers on their responsibilities to pregnant women. It requires the Attorney General to investigate any complaints if these responsibilities aren't met. This bill was signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 16, 2017.

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