SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Older Workers’ Bureau 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Of the 5,350,000 workers expected to be 
added to the United States Workforce over the next 
10 years, 2,070,000 will be older than 55, according 
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 
(2) From 2004 to 2024, the share of older 
workers in the labor force grew from 16 percent to 
over 23 percent. 
(3) Under the Supplemental Poverty Measure 
(SPM) the older adult poverty rate went up to 15 
percent in 2024 from 9.5 percent during the 
COVID–19 pandemic. 
(4) Older adults in the bottom 20 percent of 
wealth died on average 9 years earlier than those in 
the top 20 percent. 
(5) Physically and psychologically difficult 
working conditions are widespread and damaging for 
older workers. 
(6) Older workers are more likely to be involun-
tary part time, gig, or temporary workers than 
prime age workers. 
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(7) More than 1⁄3 or 35.1 percent of women 
ages 55 and older earned low wages, defined as 
$17.37 per hour or less. 
(8) Concern about age discrimination amongst 
older workers reached a record high during the 
COVID–19 pandemic and remains consistently and 
persistently high at 64 percent. 
(9) More than 1,000,000 older workers were 
pushed out or voluntarily left the labor force during 
the COVID–19 pandemic. 
(10) While some older workers have returned to 
the labor force since the beginning of the COVID– 
19 pandemic, many have struggled to obtain work 
and others fear returning to unsafe working condi-
tions. 
(11) Significant numbers of women between the 
age of 55 and 64 have unexpected workforce exits 
due to health and care giving responsibilities. 
(12) Older workers need specific policy consid-
eration and assistance that could be met by estab-
lishing an Older Workers’ Bureau within the De-
partment of Labor. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to pro-
mote productive, inclusive, and welfare-enhancing employ-
ment opportunities and workplaces for older workers 
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through research, policy development, outreach, and grant 
programs. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) BUREAU.—The term ‘‘Bureau’’ means the 
Older Workers’ Bureau established under section 
4(a). 
(2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 
the Director of the Older Workers’ Bureau. 
(3) OLDER WORKER.—The term ‘‘older worker’’ 
means an individual who— 
(A) is not younger than 55 years of age; 
and 
(B)(i) is employed; 
(ii) is seeking employment; or 
(iii) wants employment, is available for em-
ployment, and has sought employment within 
the preceding 12 months. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Labor. 
SEC. 4. OLDER WORKER’S BUREAU. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Department of Labor a bureau to be known as the ‘‘Older 
Workers’ Bureau’’, which shall be under the direction of 
the Director of the Older Workers’ Bureau. 
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(b) PERSONNEL.— 
(1) DIRECTOR.— 
(A) APPOINTMENT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
President shall appoint a Director to lead the 
Bureau. 
(B) INCLUSION
IN
EXECUTIVE
SCHED-
ULE.—Section 5315 of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Director of the Older Workers’ Bureau, De-
partment of Labor.’’. 
(2) STAFF.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Director, shall employ such staff as the Secretary 
determines necessary to carry out the functions of 
the Bureau, at such rates of pay as the Secretary 
may provide, subject to the provisions of chapter 51 
and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, relat-
ing to classification and General Schedule pay rates. 
The Secretary may not reduce staffing levels of the 
Bureau below that necessary to carry out such func-
tions efficiently. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.—The Director shall promote the 
welfare and improve the working conditions of older work-
ers, increase the efficiency, capacity, and coordination of 
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programs serving older workers, and advance the employ-
ment opportunities of older workers, including by carrying 
out, with respect to older workers, the following: 
(1) Research relating to— 
(A) public benefits that support— 
(i) the economic and financial security 
of such workers; and 
(ii) access and retention of safety net 
supports for such workers who earn an an-
nual income that is not more than 200 
percent of the Federal poverty guidelines; 
(B) access for such workers to— 
(i) leave under the Family and Med-
ical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et 
seq.); and 
(ii) workplace flexibility opportunities 
to support the needs of such workers with 
respect to managing personal health and 
caregiving responsibilities; 
(C) tailored, person-centered approaches to 
job training and adult education (including on 
soft skills, financial literacy education, and dig-
ital literacy) for such workers; 
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(D) access to savings and tax-advantaged 
opportunities for such workers to provide a 
path toward a financially secure retirement; 
(E) age discrimination in the workplace, 
including how such discrimination is, and could 
be, addressed and how such discrimination im-
pacts such workers; 
(F) wages paid to such workers, including 
whether such wages are commensurate with ex-
perience; 
(G) job security for such workers, includ-
ing— 
(i) the probability of job loss; and 
(ii) resources available to such work-
ers in the event of job separation; 
(H) retirement readiness for such workers, 
including the impact of Federal policies on re-
tirement readiness for such workers; and 
(I) the impact of Federal policies on the 
equitable treatment (including with respect to 
race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, 
education, ability, and residence) of such work-
ers and their retirement. 
(2) Policy development. 
(3) Outreach and education. 
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(4) Grant program administration. 
(5) Coordinating Federal research relating to 
such workers. 
(6) Improving access to data on the economic 
situation of such workers. 
(d) OFFICE QUARTERS.—The Secretary shall furnish 
sufficient quarters, office furniture, and equipment as the 
Secretary determines necessary to carry out the functions 
of the Bureau. 
(e) REPORT.—The Director— 
(1) shall annually submit to the Secretary a re-
port— 
(A) on the activities of the Bureau with re-
spect to older workers, including with respect to 
the functions described in subsection (c); 
(B) that catalogs Federal programs that 
support the employment, economic success, and 
well-being of such workers; 
(C) that identifies issues with respect to 
such workers that may be improved with Fed-
eral support; and 
(D) that makes recommendations to pro-
mote the welfare and economic and financial se-
curity, improve the working conditions, increase 
the efficiency, capacity, and coordination of pro-
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grams serving older workers, and advance the 
employment opportunities of such workers; and 
(2) may publish such report, as directed by the 
Secretary. 
(f) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the functions of 
the Bureau, the Secretary, acting through the Director, 
may consult with— 
(1) Federal agencies that have jurisdiction over 
matters involving older adults, including— 
(A) the Social Security Administration, in-
cluding the Office of Retirement and Disability 
Policy; 
(B) the Department of Health and Human 
Services, including the Administration for Com-
munity Living, the Centers for Medicare and 
Medicaid Services, the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health, and the Na-
tional Institute on Aging; 
(C) the Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission; 
(D) the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
(E) the Department of the Treasury, in-
cluding the Internal Revenue Service; and 
(F) the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; and 
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(2) any other Federal agency that the Secretary 
determines has relevant expertise. 
(g) APPLICABILITY.—The Secretary shall take such 
actions as are necessary to ensure the Bureau is oper-
ational not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
SEC. 5. RESEARCH GRANTS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date on which the 
Bureau is operational, the Secretary, acting through the 
Director, shall carry out a program to award, on a com-
petitive basis, grants to facilitate, with respect to older 
workers, research— 
(1) designed to identify areas that could benefit 
from additional research for the purposes of— 
(A) identifying and eliminating barriers to 
securing employment, job retention, and reem-
ployment for such workers; and 
(B) identifying policies that the Federal 
Government may implement to assist such 
workers; and 
(2) as determined appropriate by the Secretary, 
into the areas identified under paragraph (1). 
SEC. 6. GRANTS TO COMBAT STRUCTURAL AGEISM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date on which the Bureau is operational, the Secretary, 
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acting through the Director, shall carry out a program to 
award, on a competitive basis, grants to covered institu-
tions to— 
(1) facilitate activities, services, and programs 
to improve the welfare of older workers; 
(2) combat structural ageism; 
(3) improve employment opportunities for older 
workers; and 
(4) create a more diverse and inclusive work-
place. 
(b) PRIORITY.—In making grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to a covered institu-
tion that is located in an area that has no training pro-
grams specifically targeted to disadvantaged older work-
ers. 
(c) COVERED INSTITUTIONS DEFINED.—For the 
purposes of this section, the term ‘‘covered institution’’ 
means any of the following: 
(1) An employer. 
(2) An employer association. 
(3) A labor organization. 
(4) A nonprofit with expertise in older workers. 
(5) A worker organization. 
(6) Another institution determined appropriate 
by the Secretary. 
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SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
To carry out sections 5 and 6, there is authorized 
to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each fiscal year after 
fiscal year 2027. 
Æ 
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