Labor & Employment

in committee · United States · House Jan 13, 2025

HR 357: Back to Work Act

HR 357, the Back to Work Act, sets a 40% telework limit for federal employees, restricting remote work to no more than 40% of workdays per pay period. It requires agency heads to annually approve telework policies, monitor remote workers, and consider specific exceptions (e.g., for military spouses, specialized roles, or severe weather). Agencies must also submit annual reports to Congress on telework metrics, enforcement barriers, and impacts like productivity or security. The bill takes effect 180 days after enactment, aiming to standardize and regulate federal telework practices.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts federal telework to 40% of workdays, limiting workplace flexibility and arrangement options under employment standards, directly restricting a worker benefit.90% confidence

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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

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in committee · United States · House Oct 24, 2025

HR 5812: Correcting Opportunity and Accountability in Collegiate Hiring Act (COACH Act)

The COACH Act sets a limit on compensation for college athletics staff at 10 times the institution's annual undergraduate tuition and fees for full-time, first-time students. It applies to all colleges and universities receiving federal student aid (Title IV programs), requiring them to cap total pay - including salaries, bonuses, buyouts, and related payments - for all athletic department employees. Institutions must publicly disclose the cap amount, the tuition figure used, and how many staff are near the limit. The law aims to redirect resources toward academic priorities by preventing excessive athletic spending, while including an antitrust safe harbor to allow uniform enforcement.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill caps athletic staff compensation at 10x tuition, restricting wage growth for employees in university athletic departments92% confidence

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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

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in committee · United States · House Sep 8, 2026

HR 3495: Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to clarify that direct sellers and qualified real estate agents (as defined under IRS rules) are not considered "employees" under federal labor law. It directly affects these workers by excluding them from FLSA protections like minimum wage and overtime pay. The key provision inserts a new definition into the law, changing how these professions are classified for labor rights purposes. This is a technical definitional change, not a new policy or program.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentExcludes direct sellers and real estate agents from FLSA protections, removing minimum wage and overtime coverage per bill's definition change.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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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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in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2025

HR 4658: STUDENT Act

HR 4658, the STUDENT Act, would impose new requirements on the National Education Association (NEA) to maintain its federal charter. The bill mandates explicit employee consent for membership dues (ending automatic payroll deductions), prohibits the NEA from engaging in political activities or lobbying, and bans the promotion of specific beliefs (such as claims that the U.S. is fundamentally racist) in schools. It also repeals the NEA's property tax exemption in the District of Columbia and requires the organization to comply with anti-discrimination rules and labor laws. These changes directly affect the NEA and its state/local affiliates, altering how they operate and interact with public schools.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBans promotion of specific beliefs (e.g., 'U.S. fundamentally racist') in schools, restricting curriculum content and academic freedom.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts NEA union dues collection, bans political advocacy, and weakens collective bargaining for educators, directly opposing labor rights protections.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining

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in committee · United States · House Sep 8, 2026

HR 5267: American Franchise Act

HR 5267, the American Franchise Act, clarifies when franchisors can be considered joint employers of franchisee employees under federal labor laws. It defines "substantial direct and immediate control" over essential employment terms like wages, benefits, hours, hiring, and discipline - requiring franchisors to actively set these terms to be deemed joint employers. The bill explicitly excludes routine brand standards, training, or minimal safety requirements from constituting such control. This directly affects franchisors and franchisees by limiting joint employer liability to cases where franchisors exert significant, ongoing influence over core employment decisions. The law applies prospectively to new cases after enactment, not past disputes.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill restricts joint employer liability by requiring 'substantial direct control' over wages/hours, excluding routine standards, weakening worker accountability against franchisors.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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in committee · United States · House Feb 26, 2025

HR 1624: Supporting Farm Operations Act of 2025

This bill freezes the minimum wage rate for H-2A agricultural workers at the level effective in each state on December 31, 2023, through December 31, 2026. It directly affects farms hiring H-2A visa workers and the workers themselves by maintaining current wage requirements. The bill clarifies that wage determination for these workers will use a "primary duties evaluation" to assess their main job tasks, rather than all duties performed. This provides stability in wage calculations for agricultural employers and workers during the specified period.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentFreezes H-2A minimum wage at 2023 levels, preventing increases and weakening real wage growth for agricultural workers.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · United States · House Feb 12, 2025

HR 1232: National Right-to-Work Act

HR 1232, the National Right-to-Work Act, would make union membership voluntary for workers in most private-sector jobs by removing legal requirements for employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. It directly affects workers in unionized workplaces covered by the National Labor Relations Act (including most private employers) and railroad workers covered by the Railway Labor Act. The key change eliminates provisions that allowed "union security agreements" (requiring dues or membership), meaning workers could no longer be forced to pay union fees to keep their jobs. This bill does not change other labor rights or create new programs - it only modifies existing laws to allow workers to opt out of union membership and financial obligations.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentEliminates mandatory union dues/membership, weakening collective bargaining power and union security agreements under NLRA/Railway Labor Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Labor Standards

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