{"id":162083,"date":"2026-02-20T03:05:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T03:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/162083\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T03:05:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T03:05:09","slug":"new-bill-seeks-to-strengthen-protections-for-pregnant-students-at-famu-the-famuan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/162083\/","title":{"rendered":"New bill seeks to strengthen protections for pregnant students at FAMU\u00a0 \u2013 The FAMUAN"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TheLee Hall on Florida A&M University\u2019s campus. (Khalil-Lullah Ballentine\/FAMUAN)<\/p>\n

Pregnant college students could receive clearer academic protections under the\u00a0Pregnant Students\u2019 Rights Act.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0bill,\u00a0filed by Rep. Ashley Hinson,\u00a0aims to prevent students from feeling forced to choose between their education and carrying a\u00a0pregnancy to\u00a0term.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The\u00a0legislation\u00a0would require colleges and universities to explicitly inform pregnant students of their rights, including access to flexible schedules, excused\u00a0absences,\u00a0and\u00a0accommodations under Title IX. It was introduced in response to growing concerns about how higher education institutions support pregnant students following the Supreme Court\u2019s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a statement published\u00a0on her website<\/a>, Hinson said pregnant students often face mounting medical,\u00a0financial\u00a0and academic pressures while trying to remain enrolled., Hinson said pregnant students often face mounting medical,\u00a0financial\u00a0and academic pressures while trying to remain enrolled.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s unacceptable that so often they have to choose between finishing their education and having their baby\u2014despite the Title IX protections that are already in place,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hinson added that higher education institutions have a responsibility to empower all students to succeed, including those who are pregnant or parenting. The Pregnant Students\u2019 Rights Act would amend the Higher Education Act to require colleges to clearly distribute information about pregnant students\u2019 rights and available resources through student handbooks, emails,\u00a0websites\u00a0and orientations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Florida A&M\u00a0University Title IX Coordinator Darese\u00a0Doskal,\u00a0many of the protections outlined in the bill are already in place.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAny students who are pregnant, experiencing pregnancy-related symptoms or parenting are protected from any discrimination or harassment on campus,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Students who are pregnant or experiencing pregnancy-related conditions are entitled to supportive measures through the Title IX office, which can include academic and physical accommodations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThat can be anything from getting a handicap parking sticker so they can park closer to classes if they are having difficulty walking,\u201d\u00a0Doskal\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other accommodations may include extensions on coursework, excused medical\u00a0absences\u00a0and coordination with instructors to ensure students can continue\u00a0participating\u00a0fully in class. FAMU also offers lactation pods and rooms across campus for nursing parents.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0
Students can request accommodations by contacting the\u00a0Title\u00a0IX office\u00a0directly,\u00a0and faculty must\u00a0refer\u00a0a student once a pregnancy-related condition is\u00a0disclosed.\u00a0The office may request medical documentation, such as a doctor\u2019s note.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If a student\u00a0encounters\u00a0resistance from an instructor,\u00a0Doskal\u00a0said the Title IX office can intervene.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey legally have the right to\u00a0participate\u00a0at the same level as any other\u00a0student,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For\u00a0Shabris\u00a0Howard, a FAMU\u00a0alumna, navigating pregnancy while enrolled was both challenging and transformative. She described the experience as \u201cscary\u201d and isolating, particularly as campus life continued around her.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was still partying and having fun while I was trying to learn how to pivot in a way\u00a0not\u00a0most could understand,\u201d\u00a0Howard\u00a0said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Howard said she was unaware that Title IX protected pregnant and parenting students until she became pregnant and had to research her options on her own. While many faculty members were supportive, she recalled at least one professor who was reluctant to accommodate her despite medical documentation. With support from her dean and advisor, she was able to stay on track to graduate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI will never forget giving birth at 6:47 a.m. on\u00a0a Thursday\u00a0and immediately trying to submit assignments,\u201d Howard said, recalling emailing her professors for grace after more than 10 hours of labor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Doskal\u00a0said the goal of both existing policies and the proposed bill is equal access to education.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cPregnancy can cause women to drop out or step away from their career paths,\u201d she said. \u201cMaking sure they\u2019re able to continue and succeed means they\u2019re able to keep up with their peers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

If enacted, the bill would require universities to review policies and procedures to ensure compliance, a process that would\u00a0likely involve\u00a0legal counsel and campus leadership.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lee Hall on Florida A&M University\u2019s campus. (Khalil-Lullah Ballentine\/FAMUAN) Pregnant college students could receive clearer academic protections under…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":162084,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":{"0":"post-162083","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tallahassee","8":"tag-tallahassee","9":"tag-tallahassee-headlines","10":"tag-tallahassee-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=162083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/162083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/162084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=162083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=162083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=162083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}