Labor & Employment (Gig Economy) in United States

in committee · United States · House Sep 4, 2025

HR 5159: Nationwide Right to Unionize Act

The Nationwide Right to Unionize Act (HR 5159) would repeal a federal provision allowing states to pass "right-to-work" laws, which currently prevent workers from being required to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. By removing this allowance, the bill would permit unions and employers to negotiate agreements requiring membership or dues in all states, including those with existing right-to-work laws. This change would directly affect workers and employers in the 27 states that currently have such laws. The bill focuses on eliminating state-level barriers to union security agreements without mandating union formation or membership.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Gig Economy

in committee · United States · House Feb 13, 2025

HR 1314: TIPS Act

This bill (HR 1314, TIPS Act) requires employers to pay tipped workers the standard federal minimum wage instead of the current lower rate (currently $2.13/hour), directly affecting workers in hospitality, food service, and similar roles. It also creates a new tax deduction for cash tips received in qualifying jobs (e.g., restaurants, hotels), allowing workers to deduct these tips from taxable income up to $112,500 in adjusted gross income. The deduction applies only to tips from unrelated customers without business ownership stakes, excluding credit card tips. The tax provisions take effect for 2026 tax years.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Minimum Wage

in committee · United States · Senate Dec 17, 2025

S 3547: Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act

The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act would expand benefits for part-time workers by reducing the eligibility requirement for family and medical leave from 12 months of employment to just 90 days. It prohibits discrimination against part-time employees based on their work hours and requires employers to offer preferred work schedules to existing part-time employees before hiring new staff or using contractors. The bill mandates that employers compensate part-time workers for hours they could not schedule due to new hires, and establishes enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Labor. This legislation directly affects part-time workers and employers with more than 15 employees across various sectors, including government agencies.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Paid Leave

in committee · United States · Senate Sep 11, 2025

S 2779: Tax Cut for Striking Workers Act of 2025

This bill would exclude certain union-provided payments to workers during strikes from taxable income. Specifically, it adds a new tax code section (139M) to exempt "qualified strike benefits" - payments from tax-exempt labor organizations (like unions) that replace lost wages during strikes, lockouts, or work stoppages arising from labor disputes - from gross income calculations. The change applies to compensation received after December 31, 2025, and also updates the Earned Income Tax Credit rules to include these excluded benefits. It directly affects union members who lose wages due to labor disputes and rely on union financial support during work stoppages.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Collective Bargaining Gig Economy

in committee · United States · Senate Mar 6, 2025

S 893: Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act

The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act (S 893) repeals a provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act that currently exempts certain truck drivers from overtime pay requirements. This bill would require commercial truck drivers to receive overtime pay for hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek, aligning their pay rules with standard federal labor protections. The change directly affects truck drivers in the commercial transportation industry who are currently excluded from overtime protections under the exemption. The bill does not alter other provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, focusing solely on removing this specific exemption.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

in committee · United States · House Feb 20, 2026

HR 1319: Modern Worker Empowerment Act

This bill specifies a legal standard for determining whether an individual is considered an independent contractor rather than an employee for the purposes of federal labor laws that address issues such as the federal minimum wage, overtime compensation, and collective bargaining. The rights and protections provided by these laws exclusively apply to employees. Under the bill, an individual is considered an independent contractor if (1) another individual or entity does not exercise significant control over the details of how the individual's work is performed, without regard to any control the other individual or entity may exercise over the final result of the work performed; and (2) while performing such work, the individual has opportunities and risks inherent with entrepreneurship (for example, the discretion to exercise professional judgment). The bill also sets forth factors that may not be used to determine whether an individual is an employee. Specifically, factors such as whether another individual or entity requires the individual to meet certain legal, health and safety, insurance, or performance requirements may not be used to make such a determination.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Minimum Wage

in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2025

HR 4693: College Athlete Right to Organize Act

This bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to recognize college athletes as employees eligible for collective bargaining rights. It directly affects athletes receiving athletic scholarships (grant-in-aid) who perform services for their institution, including those at public and private universities. Key provisions establish that athletes meeting specific criteria (receiving compensation for athletic participation) are employees, allow multiemployer bargaining units across athletic conferences, and prohibit waivers of these rights in scholarship agreements. The bill explicitly states it will not change tax treatment of athletic compensation or affect eligibility for federal financial aid.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Gig Economy Labor Standards

in committee · United States · House Feb 20, 2026

HR 1320: Modern Worker Security Act

HR 1320, the Modern Worker Security Act, changes how federal law determines if a worker is an employee or independent contractor. It prohibits considering whether a worker has access to "portable benefits" (like health insurance, retirement savings, or paid leave that they can keep after leaving a job) when making this classification. This directly affects workers who might currently be misclassified as independent contractors, denying them employee benefits. The key mechanism is removing portable benefits from the employee status determination process, aiming to ensure workers who perform regular work for an employer qualify for standard employee protections.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Insurance Gig Economy Labor Standards Retirement Benefits

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 9, 2025

S 2228: Modern Worker Empowerment Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to clarify key definitions. It adds "as determined under the usual common law rules" to the definition of "employee" (Section 3(e)(1)) and inserts "employee" after "permit" in the definition of "employ" (Section 3(g)). These changes aim to standardize how worker classification is determined under existing law, directly affecting how the FLSA's minimum wage and overtime protections apply to workers. The bill does not create new benefits but refines the legal framework for applying current protections.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Minimum Wage

in committee · United States · House Dec 11, 2025

HR 6646: Empowering App-Based Workers Act

The Empowering App-Based Workers Act requires digital labor platforms (like ride-hail and delivery services) to disclose how they use algorithms and electronic monitoring tools to determine worker pay and assignments. It caps the percentage of consumer payments that platforms can keep (take rate) at 25% for ride-hail services and mandates detailed weekly pay statements showing compensation, take rate, and other work metrics. The bill prohibits platforms from using algorithms to set different pay rates for similar work based on protected characteristics like race or gender. These provisions directly affect app-based workers, platform companies, and consumers, aiming to create more transparent and fair working conditions in the gig economy. The bill does not override existing state or local laws that provide greater protections for workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

All labor & employment bills