Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§2000gg Definitions

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 21G— - PREGNANT WORKER FAIRNESS › § 2000gg

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines key words used in the chapter. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is called the Commission. A covered entity means the kind of party called a “respondent” elsewhere in the law and includes employers (people in business that affect commerce with 15 or more employees), certain government employing offices, entities that employ State workers described in related law, and other entities covered by a related provision. Employee means an employee or job applicant as defined in the cited federal employment rules. Known limitation means a physical or mental condition tied to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical issues that the worker or their representative has told the employer about, even if it is not an ADA disability. Qualified employee means someone who can do the essential job duties with or without reasonable accommodation, including when a temporary inability can be fixed soon and accommodated. Reasonable accommodation and undue hardship mean what the Americans with Disabilities Act says and are applied the same way, including using the usual interactive process to find an accommodation.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §2000gg

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

As used in this chapter—
(1)the term “Commission” means the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;
(2)the term “covered entity”—
(A)has the meaning given the term “respondent” in section 2000e(n) of this title; and
(B)includes—
(i)an employer, which means a person engaged in industry affecting commerce who has 15 or more employees as defined in section 2000e(b) of this title;
(ii)an employing office, as defined in section 1301 of title 2 and section 411(c) of title 3;
(iii)an entity employing a State employee described in section 2000e–16c(a) of this title; and
(iv)an entity to which section 2000e–16(a) of this title applies;
(3)the term “employee” means—
(A)an employee (including an applicant), as defined in section 2000e(f) of this title;
(B)a covered employee (including an applicant), as defined in section 1301 of title 2, and an individual described in section 1311(d) of title 2;
(C)a covered employee (including an applicant), as defined in section 411(c) of title 3;
(D)a State employee (including an applicant) described in section 2000e–16c(a) of this title; or
(E)an employee (including an applicant) to which section 2000e–16(a) of this title applies;
(4)the term “known limitation” means physical or mental condition related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions that the employee or employee’s representative has communicated to the employer whether or not such condition meets the definition of disability specified in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102);
(5)the term “person” has the meaning given such term in section 2000e(a) of this title;
(6)the term “qualified employee” means an employee or applicant who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position, except that an employee or applicant shall be considered qualified if—
(A)any inability to perform an essential function is for a temporary period;
(B)the essential function could be performed in the near future; and
(C)the inability to perform the essential function can be reasonably accommodated; and
(7)the terms “reasonable accommodation” and “undue hardship” have the meanings given such terms in section 101 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12111) and shall be construed as such terms are construed under such Act [42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.] and as set forth in the regulations required by this chapter, including with regard to the interactive process that will typically be used to determine an appropriate reasonable accommodation.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Such Act, referred to in par. (7), means the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. 101–336, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 327, which is classified principally to chapter 126 (§ 12101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 12101 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 117–328, div. II, § 109, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 6089, provided that: “This division [enacting this chapter and provisions set out as a note under this section] shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 29, 2022].”

Short Title

Pub. L. 117–328, div. II, § 101, Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 6084, provided that: “This division [enacting this chapter and provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Pregnant Workers Fairness Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 2000gg

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73