Labor & Employment

in committee · United States · House May 19, 2025

HR 3499: Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to exempt certain employees in the outdoor recreation industry from overtime pay requirements. It specifically applies to employees primarily engaged in outdoor recreational outfitting (like equipment rentals) or guiding services, but only if their business meets one of two seasonal criteria: operating for fewer than seven months annually, or having average receipts for six months that don't exceed 33 1/3% of receipts during the other six months. The exemption applies to wages and overtime compensation for workweeks starting after the bill's enactment date. This change directly affects small seasonal outdoor recreation businesses and their employees who meet the specified operational thresholds.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExempts outdoor recreation workers from FLSA overtime pay requirements, weakening a core labor protection under the Fair Labor Standards Act.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards

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in committee · United States · House Feb 26, 2026

HR 7739: Rural Emergency Response Support Act

HR 7739, the Rural Emergency Response Support Act, amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to exempt rural employers of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics from standard overtime requirements. It specifically applies to public agencies (like counties or towns) with fewer than 100,000 residents and private entities contracted by them. The key provision removes these employers from FLSA overtime violations when employing EMTs or paramedics, easing compliance for small rural emergency response teams. This directly affects rural EMS providers in smaller communities by allowing flexibility in scheduling without triggering overtime pay obligations under current law.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill exempts rural EMT/paramedic employers from overtime, easing compliance and supporting continuity of rural emergency medical services.80% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExempts rural EMT/paramedic employers from FLSA overtime requirements, weakening a core worker protection for overtime pay in labor law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Tags Public Safety

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 28, 2025

S 268: Saving American Workers’ Benefits Act of 2025

The Saving American Workers’ Benefits Act of 2025 requires taxpayers claiming the Child Tax Credit or Earned Income Credit to provide Social Security Numbers (SSNs) that confirm the individual is authorized to work in the United States. Specifically, the SSN must be issued to a U.S. citizen or under specific Social Security Act provisions indicating work eligibility, and must be issued before the tax return deadline. The bill updates tax code references to replace "TIN" (Taxpayer Identification Number) with "SSN" in certain procedures and removes an exception for SSNs that do not indicate work authorization. These changes apply to tax returns for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, directly affecting individuals seeking these federal tax credits.

Topics ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRequires work-authorized SSN for tax credits, restricting access for non-authorized immigrants. Aligns with 'oppose' indicator: restricts immigrant access to services.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRestricts access to EIC and Child Tax Credit by requiring work-authorized SSNs, limiting benefits for non-citizens and undocumented workers.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Work Authorization

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 2, 2026

S 3760: CLOSE Act

The CLOSE Act terminates temporary pandemic unemployment benefit programs established under the CARES Act, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, after a 30-day grace period following enactment. It also cancels (rescinds) unused federal funds that were allocated for these programs but not yet spent. This directly affects states administering these benefits and individuals who received pandemic-era unemployment support. The bill stops future payments and returns unobligated funds to the Treasury without altering benefits already paid.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesTerminates pandemic unemployment benefits and rescinds unused federal funds, defunding essential programs under government spending.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill terminates pandemic unemployment benefits and cancels unused funds, directly reducing worker benefits. This aligns with 'oppose' indicators of reducing benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment

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in committee · United States · House Feb 2, 2026

HR 7306: CLOSE Act

The CLOSE Act terminates three federal unemployment assistance programs established under the CARES Act, ending all future payments 30 days after the bill's enactment. It cancels unspent funds that were allocated for these programs, requiring states to return unused money to the federal government. This directly affects states administering the CARES Act unemployment programs but does not change current benefits for individuals already receiving assistance. The bill focuses on ending future funding and reclaiming unused resources, with no impact on existing recipients.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentTerminates federal unemployment assistance programs, ending future funding and requiring states to return unspent funds, directly defunding unemployment benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment

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in committee · United States · House Feb 20, 2026

HR 2958: Balance the Scales Act

HR 2958, the Balance the Scales Act, requires the U.S. Department of Labor to obtain written agreements with individuals before sharing information that could be used in lawsuits against employers or pension plan sponsors. The bill mandates annual reports to Congress detailing these agreements, including redacted copies, dates, types of information shared, and communications logs, while protecting privacy. It also adds a policy finding that private pension plans are vital for employee security. The law applies to any "adverse assistance" provided on or after its enactment date.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRestricts sharing of information used in lawsuits against employers, potentially weakening worker legal recourse and protections per bill's requirements for written agreements before disclosure.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Retirement Benefits

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in committee · United States · House Jul 16, 2025

HR 4424: SHIELD Act

The SHIELD Act would change unemployment benefit eligibility by barring workers from receiving regular unemployment compensation if they are unemployed due to a strike or labor dispute they are participating in, financially supporting, or have a direct interest in (excluding lockouts). This rule would require states to adjust their unemployment programs to deny benefits in such cases. The changes would take effect two years after the bill becomes law, though states could choose to implement them sooner. The bill also repeals a federal tax provision related to unemployment tax rates, but this is a secondary provision.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentDenies unemployment benefits during strikes, restricting workers' ability to engage in collective action and weakening labor organizing rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Unemployment

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in committee · United States · House May 21, 2025

HR 3545: TEENS Act

The TEENS Act amends child labor rules to allow teenagers working during school sessions to work up to 24 hours per week, with specific time restrictions. It directly affects teen workers in part-time jobs, setting a maximum weekly hour limit and requiring work to start no earlier than 7:00 a.m. and end no later than 9:00 p.m. in their local time zone. These provisions prevent employers from being deemed in violation of "oppressive child labor" rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act when following these limits. The bill creates a clear, time-bound framework for teen work hours during school terms.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentIncreases maximum weekly work hours for teens under child labor rules (24 hrs/week), weakening existing protections against oppressive child labor as defined by FLSA.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · United States · House Mar 25, 2025

HR 2249: Preserving Presidential Management Authority Act

HR 2249, the "Preserving Presidential Management Authority Act," gives a newly elected president the authority to terminate specific provisions of existing federal employee union contracts upon taking office. It allows the president (via agency heads) to end parts of these contracts that conflict with presidential orders, executive actions, or agency rules, making such conflicting contract terms unenforceable. The bill requires agencies to notify unions in writing when such terminations or conflicts are applied. This applies only to new presidents, not sitting ones, and directly affects federal agencies and their unionized employees by altering the enforceability of their existing collective bargaining agreements.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill allows president to unilaterally terminate union contract terms conflicting with executive orders, weakening collective bargaining rights and federal worker protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · United States · House Feb 11, 2025

HR 1193: Future in Logging Careers Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to create child labor exemptions for specific logging work. It allows 16- and 17-year-olds to work in mechanized timber harvesting operations (like felling, processing, and transporting timber using machinery) that the Secretary of Labor deems particularly hazardous, provided the employer is not owned or operated by a parent or guardian. The exemption applies to jobs involving equipment such as feller-bunchers, forwarders, and whole tree processors, but excludes children working for non-family-owned logging businesses. It does not create new career programs but modifies existing child labor restrictions for certain logging occupations.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill creates child labor exemption for hazardous logging work, weakening existing protections under Fair Labor Standards Act for minors.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards Workplace Safety

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