Democratic lawmakers are backing legislation that would require employers to provide paid leave for reproductive health needs, including severe menstrual pain, abortions, menopause symptoms, miscarriages, biopsies, vasectomies, and other conditions, as reported by Fox News.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced the Reproductive Healthcare Leave Act, H.R. 8158, as part of her “H.E.R.” Agenda, short for Healthy, Equity, Rights. The bill was introduced Saturday with 28 Democratic cosponsors and zero Republican sponsors.

During a May 21 press conference, Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., said workers should not be forced to lose pay while dealing with reproductive health issues.

“Forcing a worker to choose between paying her rent or losing a day's pay to recover from a grueling gynecological procedure is not a choice. It’s economic violence,” Grijalva said.

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Ansari was joined by Grijalva and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who also spoke in support of the bill. The legislation would provide up to 12 days of paid leave each year for covered reproductive health needs.

“No one should have to choose between their paycheck and their health to be able to manage that kind of incredible pain,” Tlaib said during the press conference.

Ansari, the youngest woman in Congress, tied the proposal to her own experiences with menstrual pain. In a TIME article published Sunday, Ansari said she often ends up “on the bathroom floor, in the fetal position, crying, moaning, or vomiting” from menstrual pain.

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She also told TIME she once woke up on the floor of her “local bodega, drenched in sweat, being dragged into an ambulance” and said she has days every month when she feels “barbed wire” inside of her.

The broader H.E.R. Agenda also includes studies related to gynecological pain management and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder awareness.

The proposal quickly drew criticism from Republicans and social media users, with some questioning how Democrats are framing sex-based health issues while also supporting gender policies that allow men to identify as women.

“Ladies, you can’t keep saying men can be women, but then also say that women are a special category. You’ve got to pick a lane. You’re very confusing to the rest of us.” Rhode Island state Rep. Marie Hopkins, R., posted on X.

Ladies, you can’t keep saying men can be women, but then also say that women are a special category. You’ve got to pick a lane. You’re very confusing to the rest of us.

— Representative Marie Hopkins (@MarieForRI) May 31, 2026

Other critics questioned whether the bill could make employers more hesitant to hire women. Some also raised concerns about whether the proposal would require employers to pay workers for time off connected to abortions.

The bill is endorsed by Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Planned Parenthood Votes vice president Angela Vasquez-Giroux told Bloomberg in an article published Friday that the political odds should not stop Democrats from pushing the proposal.

“We’ve seen overwhelming success from candidates who have a plan and have a point of view,” vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood Votes Angela Vasquez-Giroux, told Bloomberg.

“Just because we can’t get something passed over the opposition of the majority at the time doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be putting forward our vision for the world we want to create."

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