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Chamber Approves Bill That Guarantees 120 Days of Maternity Leave and Stability for Pregnant Interns; Proposal Under Review in Congress.
In a historic decision, the Chamber of Deputies’ Women’s Rights Defense Committee approved the Bill 301/2025, which amends the Internship Law (Law 11.788/2008). The proposal ensures 120 days of maternity leave for pregnant interns, with stability from the confirmation of pregnancy until childbirth — a paradigm shift that brings the rights of interns closer to those of formal workers.
What the Bill 301/2025 Provides
The approved text establishes:
- 120-Day Leave, with the right to maintain the internship stipend during the period, unless the intern receives maternity pay;
- Suspension of transportation assistance payments while on leave;
- Possibility to start the leave from the 28th day before childbirth, with an additional allowance of up to two weeks before and after, if there is a medical recommendation;
- Provisional Stability, preventing the intern’s dismissal from the confirmation of pregnancy until the end of the gestation;
- Prioritization of telework for pregnant interns, those who are mothers of children up to 6 years old, or those who have legal custody;
- Guarantee of adapting activities when the intern’s health condition requires it.
Why Protection Was Urgent
The rapporteur of the proposal, Congresswoman Sâmia Bomfim (PSOL-SP), justified that “although an internship does not constitute an employment bond, the principle of equality requires that maternity protection reaches all women in work or learning situations.”
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She further emphasized that pregnant interns face physical and emotional risks, such as long commutes, exhausting hours, and psychological pressures, factors that can harm the gestation and the well-being of the mother and baby.
Internship Without Maternity: An Obvious Inequality
Currently, pregnant interns can be dismissed from the program without notice and without paid leave, even if they are in-person interns.
This gap creates a legal limbo, exposing inequality between those protected by the CLT and those in practical training.
The result is often the abandonment of activity and even the course, harming future entry into the job market.
Next Steps to Become Law
The Bill 301/2025 is being processed in conclusive nature, which means it can be approved directly by thematic committees without going to the plenary, unless there is an appeal.
After approval in the Women’s Committee, the text will proceed for analysis in the Labor Committee and the Committee on Constitution and Justice (CCJ). Only after that will it go to the Senate, where it must be reviewed before becoming law.
The Expected Impact of the Measure
If approved in all stages, the project:
- Will Ensure Dignity for pregnant interns, with adequate time for gestation and initial care for the baby;
- Will Reduce School Dropout among young people who abandon their internship or college due to lack of legal support;
- Will Promote Gender Equality, correcting a distortion that penalized only women in internships;
- Will Strengthen Protection for Childhood, by ensuring maternal presence during the most critical period of development.
A Decisive Step Towards Equality and Protection of Maternity
The approval of the Bill 301/2025 in the Women’s Committee represents a milestone for the protection of maternity in Brazil.
For the first time, pregnant interns will be guaranteed the right to 120 days of leave and stability, breaking with an inequality that placed them in a vulnerable situation.
It remains for Congress to confirm this change, ensuring that maternity is respected as a universal right, regardless of the type of work or internship bond.
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