Labor & Employment

in committee · United States · House May 19, 2026

HR 8901: Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act

HR 8901, the Securing Innovation and Research from Adversaries Act, prohibits federally funded researchers and institutions from collaborating with entities on specific U.S. government restricted lists, such as those related to national security risks or forced labor. The bill defines research collaboration broadly to include joint projects, data sharing, co-authorship, and personnel exchanges, and it requires agencies to issue guidance for standardized compliance. While the law generally bans these partnerships, it allows federal agency heads to grant case-by-case waivers if the collaboration is essential for national security or critical scientific purposes, provided they report the decision and justification to Congress within 30 days.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts research collaboration with entities linked to forced labor, potentially limiting employment opportunities and worker protections for those groups.75% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 3, 2025

HR 200: Federal Freeze Act

This bill freezes federal hiring and salary increases for one year, requiring agencies to maintain current staffing levels (based on employment as of enactment). After the initial freeze period, agencies must reduce staff by 2% within two years and by 5% within three years. The law applies to all federal agencies and their employees, with limited exceptions for appointments deemed critical to law enforcement, public safety, or national security. It directly changes personnel management by mandating specific workforce reductions and prohibiting pay raises.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill freezes federal hiring/salaries and mandates staff reductions, directly restricting employment conditions and wages for federal workers, opposing labor & employment protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 7, 2025

HR 236: Federal Employee Return to Work Act

This bill requires federal employees who telework at least one day weekly (or 20% of their time under alternative schedules) to be paid at the "Rest of U.S." locality pay rate without future adjustments. It excludes employees who telework daily, those with disabilities receiving accommodations, Foreign Service members, law enforcement officers, and military personnel on active duty. Covered employees will no longer receive annual pay adjustments under standard federal pay schedules. The policy takes effect at the start of the first full fiscal year after the bill becomes law. It directly affects federal workers meeting the telework threshold, altering their pay structure based on location.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill reduces federal payroll costs by eliminating annual pay adjustments for teleworking employees, promoting fiscal responsibility in government spending.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill eliminates annual pay adjustments for teleworking federal employees, reducing compensation growth and weakening pay benefits per the summary.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 16, 2025

HR 473: SHOW UP Act of 2025

HR 473, the SHOW UP Act of 2025, requires federal executive agencies to return to pre-pandemic telework policies within 30 days of enactment, limiting work-from-home options to those in place on December 31, 2019. Agencies must then conduct a 6-month study analyzing pandemic-era telework impacts - including effects on mission performance, costs from underused office space, and employee productivity tools - and submit a plan to Congress if they seek to expand telework beyond these baseline levels. The plan requires certification from the Office of Personnel Management confirming it will improve mission performance, reduce real estate costs, lower locality pay expenses, and ensure secure remote work capabilities without increasing agency costs. This bill directly affects all federal executive agencies (excluding the Government Accountability Office) and their employees by restricting telework flexibility and imposing strict requirements for any future expansion.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRestricts telework flexibility beyond 2019 levels, limiting remote work options for federal employees, directly limiting workplace arrangement benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Professional Licensing

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 23, 2025

HR 687: MERIT Act of 2025

The MERIT Act of 2025 makes significant changes to federal personnel management by repealing Chapter 43 performance-based actions and modifying procedures for disciplinary actions, furloughs, and bonus recoupment. It extends probationary periods for senior executives (to 2 years) and competitive service employees (to 2 years), establishes new rules for reducing retirement benefits of employees convicted of felonies related to their federal service, and creates standardized procedures for adverse actions including written notice requirements and response periods. The bill also allows agencies to recoup bonuses for misconduct and modifies procedures for handling furloughs of more than 14 days. These changes apply to all federal employees across government agencies and aim to clarify and streamline personnel management processes.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExtends probation periods for federal employees, delaying job security and strengthening management control over personnel actions, weakening employment stability protections.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

Track

in committee · United States · House Mar 5, 2025

HR 1882: Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act

This bill modifies tax reporting rules for gig economy platforms (like Uber or DoorDash) by reinstating a pre-American Rescue Plan threshold. It requires third-party payment platforms to report income to the IRS only if a gig worker earns over $20,000 in a year or completes more than 200 transactions. This directly affects low-earning gig workers who would no longer receive tax forms for smaller earnings. The change simplifies reporting for platforms and reduces administrative burden on workers with minimal income from these platforms.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesReduces tax reporting burden for low-earning gig workers, simplifying compliance without altering tax rates or liability.85% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill raises income threshold for tax reporting, excluding low-earning gig workers from receiving tax forms, limiting their ability to document income for benefits.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy

Track

in committee · United States · House Jan 28, 2026

HR 7248: MARINA Act

HR 7248 (MARINA Act) standardizes fees and lease terms for marinas operating on Corps of Engineers waterways. It caps rent at 1% of marina sales (including food, fuel, and boat services), creates fixed administrative fee tiers ($50,000 for major projects, $5,000 for moderate reviews, $1,000 for routine matters), and sets minimum lease terms at 50 years for initial agreements. The bill also prohibits requiring wages above federal minimum wage and mandates a public fee schedule. It directly affects all marina operators under Corps leases, ensuring consistent pricing and reducing arbitrary fees across all districts.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentProhibits requiring wages above federal minimum wage, restricting worker compensation beyond baseline standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Minimum Wage

Track

in committee · United States · House Sep 26, 2025

HR 5596: FARMS Act

HR 5596, the FARMS Act, freezes the current wage rate for H-2B visa workers for two years after enactment. It directly affects H-2B nonimmigrant workers and their employers by preventing increases to the required wage rate during this period. The bill allows the Secretary of Labor to retain the existing wage rate if they determine a valid calculation method for the new rate is unavailable. This provides temporary stability to employers hiring H-2B workers without requiring immediate changes to wage payments.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentFreezes H-2B wage rates, preventing increases for workers and restricting wage growth, weakening worker compensation protections.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House Dec 12, 2025

HR 6685: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish an exception for multiemployer plan participants to the requirements for automatic enrollment.

This bill exempts multiemployer pension plans from automatic enrollment requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. Specifically, it amends Section 414A(c)(3) to explicitly exclude multiemployer plans (defined under Section 414(f)) from rules requiring automatic enrollment in retirement plans. This change directly affects workers enrolled in union-sponsored multiemployer pension plans, allowing these plans to avoid automatic enrollment obligations. The amendment applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExempts union-sponsored multiemployer pension plans from automatic enrollment requirements, reducing retirement savings benefits for workers by removing a mandatory participation safeguard.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Retirement Benefits

Track

in committee · United States · House Jul 16, 2025

HR 4448: Restoring Equal Opportunity Act

HR 4448, the Restoring Equal Opportunity Act, prohibits lawsuits alleging discrimination based on "disparate impact" in employment and housing. It amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Fair Housing Act to ban claims where a neutral policy (like a test or screening rule) unintentionally disadvantages protected groups (such as race or gender), even if there was no discriminatory intent. The bill also nullifies specific federal regulations implementing civil rights laws, removing legal grounds for such claims under current enforcement rules. This directly affects employers, housing providers, and federal agencies that enforce civil rights laws, changing how discrimination claims can be brought in court.

Topics ✗ HousingOpposes HousingBans disparate impact claims under Fair Housing Act, weakening legal protections against indirect housing discrimination and tenant protections.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBans disparate impact lawsuits, weakening workers' ability to challenge discriminatory employment practices under civil rights laws.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination

Track