State Rep. Laura Budd has put forward a bill in the North Carolina House to bolster protections and workplace accommodations for pregnant employees statewide, the North Carolina State House reports.
Filed as HB 1206 on April 30 during the 2025 regular session, the measure carries the short title: ‘Pregnant Workers Fairness Act/Funds.’
Below is an outline based on the bill text, with explanations added for clarity.
The bill, labeled as the North Carolina Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. It would require employers with 15 or more staff members, as well as state and local government bodies, to provide reasonable accommodations for employees with known limitations due to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical needs—unless such provisions would pose undue hardship. The act prohibits mandating leave when alternative accommodations exist, denying employment opportunities or retaliating for accommodation requests, and protecting against intimidation for exercising rights. It creates a private right of action for employees, which includes injunctive relief, back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, and attorney fees, establishes a three-year limitation period, calls for government branch rulemaking and policy development, and allocates $600,000 from the General Fund for implementation starting July 1, 2026.
Among the three primary sponsors of the bill, Phil Rubin was the most active, introducing 38 bills during the 2025 regular session.
The North Carolina legislative process involves a multi-step journey before a bill becomes law. A legislator files a bill, which is then assigned to a committee. Both chambers must read the bill three times. If amendments are made after initial passage, both chambers must reconcile a shared version. Once identical legislation gains approval in both chambers, it is presented to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 when the assembly is out of session) to sign, veto, or allow the bill to become law without signature.
For further information on pending legislation and other actions, visit here.
Budd earned her BA from Ohio University in 1999, and her JD from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2002.
A Democrat, Budd was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2023 for District 103, succeeding former representative Rachel Hunt.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Budd, Phil Rubin, and Ya Liu | HB 1206 | 04/30/2026 | Pregnant Workers Fairness Act/Funds. |
| Laura Budd, Carolyn G. Logan, James Roberson, and Phil Rubin | HB 1164 | 04/30/2026 | NSF for Taxes Penalty Modification. |
| Laura Budd | HB 1165 | 04/30/2026 | Hygiene Products Protections/Sales Tax. |
| Laura Budd, Carolyn G. Logan, and Maria Cervania | HB 1180 | 04/30/2026 | Data Center Amendments. |
| Laura Budd and Cynthia Ball | HB 1207 | 04/30/2026 | Keeping NC Open for Business. |
| Laura Budd | HB 1208 | 04/30/2026 | Community Safety Risk Protection Act. |
| Laura Budd, Cynthia Ball, Lindsey Prather, and Rodney D. Pierce | HB 1209 | 04/30/2026 | Strengthen Ed by Embedded New Teacher Support. |
| Laura Budd | HB 1210 | 04/30/2026 | Firearm & Conflict De-escalation Training Act. |
| Laura Budd, Julia Greenfield, Marcia Morey, and Phil Rubin | HB 1060 | 04/27/2026 | AG Investigations/Certain ICE & CBP Incidents. |
| Laura Budd, Carla D. Cunningham, Carolyn G. Logan, and Nasif Majeed | HB 903 | 04/10/2025 | Highway and Road Safety Act. |
| Laura Budd, Dean Arp, Dudley Greene, and Mark Brody | HB 924 | 04/10/2025 | Board for Gen. Contractors/Crim. Referrals. |
| Laura Budd, Carson Smith, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 953 | 04/10/2025 | Study Committee on ADA/APD/PAC Pay. |
| Laura Budd and Maria Cervania | HB 982 | 04/10/2025 | NC Highway Safety Act of 2025. |
| Laura Budd, Carolyn G. Logan, Frances Jackson, PhD, and Tracy Clark | HB 989 | 04/10/2025 | Build Safer Communities and Schools Act. |
| Laura Budd, Frank Iler, and Ya Liu | HB 993 | 04/10/2025 | HOA Organization and Reporting Act. |
| Laura Budd, Beth Helfrich, Brandon Lofton, and Mary Belk | HB 840 | 04/09/2025 | Reward Schools for Student Growth. |
| Laura Budd and Sarah Stevens | HB 866 | 04/09/2025 | Automatic Ord/Equitable Distribution Claim. |
| Laura Budd, Donny Lambeth, Ray Pickett, and Zack Hawkins | HB 578 | 03/31/2025 | The Jason Flatt Act of North Carolina. |
| Laura Budd, Bryan Cohn, Charles Smith, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 499 | 03/24/2025 | NC Paid Family Leave Insurance Act. |
| Laura Budd and Tricia Ann Cotham | HB 504 | 03/24/2025 | Pilot Co-Responder Police Program. |
| Laura Budd, Brian Biggs, and Ray Pickett | HB 475 | 03/20/2025 | State ID Cards for High School Students. |
| Laura Budd, Deb Butler, Julia Greenfield, and Pricey Harrison | HB 459 | 03/19/2025 | Income Tax Rate Reduction Trigger Mods. |
| Laura Budd, Brian Biggs, Sarah Stevens, and Ya Liu | HB 431 | 03/18/2025 | Preventing Deed Fraud. |
| Laura Budd | HB 320 | 03/06/2025 | Town of Pineville/Reserve Police. |
| Laura Budd | HB 290 | 03/04/2025 | Funds for Pineville Pedestrian Beacon. |
| Laura Budd, A. Reece Pyrtle, Jr., Carolyn G. Logan, and Carson Smith | HB 199 | 02/25/2025 | Nonconsensual Booting and Towing Reform. |