(The Lion) — Legislation requiring colleges to inform students of their rights and available resources during pregnancy stalled in the U.S. Senate after Democrats refused to advance it in a late January vote.

The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act cleared the House earlier this year in a 217-211 vote. The measure, introduced by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, would amend the Higher Education Act to require colleges and universities to provide clear information about protections and support for pregnant and parenting students.

“Higher education institutions and universities have a responsibility to empower all their students, all of them, to succeed – including pregnant students,” Hinson said on the House floor. “They deserve to be treated with respect and surrounded with care and love. That’s what this piece of legislation is designed to do.”

Hinson said the measure would ensure schools distribute information through student handbooks, emails, websites and orientations while holding institutions accountable if those rights are violated.

After arriving in the Senate, the measure failed to receive the 60 votes needed to move forward. Lawmakers voted 47-45 along party lines against invoking cloture, effectively blocking the bill.

Democrats argued that the legislation was incomplete because it did not require schools to provide information about abortion.

“This legislation would limit the information students receive about their healthcare and family planning options. No one disagrees that pregnant and parenting students should have access to care and necessary accommodations,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, said. “But this legislation explicitly and intentionally excludes information on the entire range of healthcare available to students, including contraception and abortion care. Students should have access to information regarding all comprehensive healthcare choices, including pregnancy and postpartum care, contraception and abortion care, so they can make their own decisions.”

Republican Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said the vote sends a troubling message to young mothers pursuing higher education.

“The unconscionable decision of Senate Democrats to vote against cloture reflects an unwillingness to offer care to young parents throughout the United States, who continue to pursue college-level or higher degrees during pregnancy or post-birth,” Smith said. “There should be clear, bipartisan support for students who are pursuing an education and working towards a viable career path while caring for children or preparing to give birth. Young parents and their children need Congress to be their fierce advocates, not powerful adversaries.”

Hinson first introduced a version of the bill in 2022. That proposal did not receive a vote before expiring at the end of the session.