lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2014-09-18 00:00:00

Protecting American Jobs Act - Amends the National Labor Relations Act to repeal the authority of the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to issue, and prosecute before the Board, complaints with respect to unfair labor practices.

Repeals the prohibition against: (1) review of an administrative law judge's report by any person other than a Board member or legal assistant; and (2) advice to or consultation with the Board by an administrative law judge with respect to exceptions taken to his or her findings, rulings, or recommendations.

Limits the Board's rulemaking authority to rules concerning the internal functions of the Board. Prohibits the Board from promulgating rules or regulations that affect the substantive or procedural rights of a person, employer, employee, or labor organization, including those concerning unfair labor practices and representation elections.

Revises Board powers to grant it the authority to investigate unfair labor practices, but repeals its power to prevent any person from engaging in them.

Repeals the Board's power to issue a complaint against a person charging an unfair labor practice. Allows an aggrieved person to bring a civil action for relief (including an injunction) in U.S. district court or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in cases where it appears that a person has engaged, is engaging, or is about to engage in an unfair labor practice.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-01-06 00:00:00

Original Living Wage Act of 2015

 Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the federal minimum wage should, as a minimum, be adjusted every four years so that a person working for it may earn an annual income at least 15% higher than the federal poverty threshold for a family of four; (2) it should be set at a level high enough to allow two full-time minimum wage workers to earn an income above the national housing wage; and (3) Congress, any of the several states, the District of Columbia, any U.S. territories or possessions, any Indian tribe, or local or state government may establish a higher minimum wage requirement than that established in this Act.

Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to at least the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor according to the formula prescribed by this Act beginning September 1, 2015.

Requires the Secretary to determine such minimum wage rate by June 1, 2015, and once every four years thereafter. Prohibits any adjustment if the determination would result in a minimum wage lower than the current one.

Requires the minimum wage so determined to be the minimum hourly wage sufficient for a person working for it 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, to earn an annual income 15% higher than the federal poverty threshold for a four-person household, with two children under age 18, and living in the 48 contiguous states, as published for each such year by the Census Bureau.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-01-07 00:00:00

Transitioning to Integrated and Meaningful Employment Act or the TIME Act

Directs the Secretary of Labor to discontinue issuing to any new profit or non-profit or governmental entity special wage certificates (which permit individuals with disabilities, including individuals employed in agriculture, to be paid at lower than minimum wages).

Prescribes requirements for a three-year phase-out of all certificates.

Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to repeal authority and requirements for the issuance of such certificates three years after enactment of this Act. Requires revocation of any certificates remaining at that time.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-01-22 00:00:00

Working Families Flexibility Act of 2015

 Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to authorize private employers to provide compensatory time off to private employees at a rate of 1 1/2 hours per hour of employment for which overtime compensation is required. Authorizes an employer to provide compensatory time only if it is in accordance with an applicable collective bargaining agreement or, in the absence of such an agreement, an agreement between the employer and employee.

Prohibits an employee from accruing more than 160 hours of compensatory time. Requires an employee's employer to provide monetary compensation, after the end of a calendar year, for any unused compensatory time off accrued during the preceding year.

Requires an employer to give employees 30-day notice before discontinuing compensatory time off.

Prohibits an employer from intimidating, threatening, or coercing an employee in order to: (1) interfere with the employee's right to request or not to request compensatory time off in lieu of payment of monetary overtime compensation, or (2) require an employee to use such compensatory time.

Makes an employer who violates such requirements liable to the affected employee in the amount of the compensation rate for each hour of compensatory time accrued, plus an additional equal amount as liquidated damages, reduced for each hour of compensatory time used.

Directs the Comptroller General to report to Congress every three years on: (1) the extent to which employers provide compensatory time off and employees opt to receive it; (2) the number of complaints filed by an employee with the Secretary of Labor alleging a violation of the requirements as well as enforcement actions commenced by the Secretary on behalf of an aggrieved employee; (3) the disposition of such complaints and actions; and (4) any unpaid wages, damages, penalties, injunctive relief, or other remedies sought by the Secretary in connection with such actions.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-02-12 00:00:00

Responsibility in Federal Contracting Act

 Requires that the locally prevailing wage paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working under federally-financed or federally-assisted contracts for construction, alteration, and repair of public buildings or public works (Davis-Bacon Act) be determined by the Secretary of Labor (as under current law), but acting through the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), using surveys carried out by BLS that use proper random statistical sampling techniques.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-02-13 00:00:00

Davis-Bacon Repeal Act

 Repeals the Davis-Bacon Act (which requires that the locally prevailing wage rate be paid to various classes of laborers and mechanics working under federally-financed or federally-assisted contracts for construction, alteration, and repair of public buildings or public works).

States that references in any law to a wage requirement of the Davis-Bacon Act after enactment of this Act shall be null and void.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-02-13 00:00:00

Rewarding Achievement and Incentivizing Successful Employees Act or the RAISE Act

 Amends the National Labor Relations Act to declare that neither its prohibition against interference by an employer with employees' right to bargain collectively, nor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement entered into between employees and an employer after enactment of this Act, shall prohibit an employer from paying an employee higher wages, pay, or other compensation than the agreement provides for.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2015-03-19 00:00:00

Highway Trust Fund Reform Act of 2015

 Repeals the Davis-Bacon Act (which requires that the locally prevailing wage rate be paid to laborers and mechanics working on federal-aid highway construction projects and public transportation construction projects).
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-04-23 00:00:00

Employee Bonus Protection Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exclude from the regular rate at which an employee is employed (and at which overtime compensation is calculated) any sums paid in recognition of services performed during a given period if the payments are made to reward an employee or group of employees for meeting or exceeding the productivity, quality, efficiency, or sales goals specified in writing in a gainsharing plan, incentive bonus plan, commission plan, or performance contingent bonus plan and made available to the employees.

The amount of the payments made under the plan (and excluded from calculation of overtime compensation) must be:

 based upon a formula stated in the plan, and established and maintained in good faith for the purpose of distributing to employees additional remuneration over and above the wages and salaries that are not dependent upon the existence of the plan or payments made pursuant to it.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-04-30 00:00:00

Raise the Wage Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.00 an hour on January 1, 2016, or, if later, on the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act; (2) $9.00 an hour after one year; (3) $10.00 an hour after two years; (4) $11.00 an hour after three years; (5) $12.00 an hour after four years; and (6) the amount the Department of Labor determines (based on increases in the median hourly wage of all employees) after five years, and annually thereafter.

The federal minimum wage for tipped employees shall increase to $3.15 an hour for one year on January 1, 2016, or the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act, whichever is later. Subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase, according to a specified formula, shall ensure that it remains equal to the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees.

Employers must notify their employees of the right to retain any received tips.

The separate minimum wage requirements for tipped employees shall end, effective one day after the hourly wage established for them under this Act takes effect.

The Department must publish any increase in the minimum wage in the Federal Register and on the Department's website 60 days before it takes effect.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-05-01 00:00:00

Outdoor Recreation Enhancement Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to extend the exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements to an employee of a recreational establishment engaged in providing services or facilities directly related to outfitting and guiding or similar outdoor recreation activities, or rental of outdoor recreational equipment.

And federal agency shall notify the holder of any contract, permit, license, or other agreement with the agency of this exemption for these employees.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-06-18 00:00:00

Fair Access for Moms Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to revise maximum hours requirements to subject employers with less than 15 employees (currently, less than 50) to the requirement that they provide a reasonable break time and place for their employees to express breast milk for a nursing child at the work place. (Effectively expands the number of employers subject to the requirement.)
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-07-22 00:00:00

Pay Workers a Living Wage Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $9.00 an hour on January 1, 2016, or, if later, on the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act; (2) $10.50 an hour after one year; (3) $12.00 an hour after two years; (4) $13.50 an hour after three years; (5) $15.00 an hour after four years; and (6) the amount the Department of Labor determines (based on increases in the median hourly wage of all employees) after five years, and annually thereafter. The federal minimum wage for tipped employees shall increase to $3.15 an hour for one year on January 1, 2016, or the first day of the third month after enactment of this Act, whichever is later. Subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase, according to a specified formula, shall ensure that it remains equal to the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees.

Employers must notify their employees of the right to retain any received tips.

The separate minimum wage requirements for tipped employees shall end, effective one day after the hourly wage established for them under this Act takes effect.

Any employer may pay any newly hired employee under age 20, during the first 90 consecutive days after initial employment, a wage at a rate (currently $4.25 per hour) that is not less than the standard minimum rate, reduced by $3.00 per hour.

The Secretary must publish the amount of any upwardly adjusted required wage in the Federal Register and on the Department of Labor's website 60 days before it takes effect.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2015-07-29 00:00:00

Payroll Fraud Prevention Act of 2015

 Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to require every person (including every employer and enterprise) that employs an employee or non-employee who performs labor or services, including through an entity such as a trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation, to: (1) classify such individuals accurately as employees or non-employees; and (2) notify each new employee and new non-employee of his or her classification as an employee or non-employee, together with information concerning their legal rights.

Makes it unlawful for any person to: (1) discharge or otherwise discriminate against an individual (including an employee) who has opposed any practice, or filed a complaint or instituted any proceeding related to this Act, including with respect to an individual's status as an employee or non-employee; and (2) wrongly classify an employee as a non-employee.

Doubles the amount of liquidated damages for maximum hours, minimum wage, and notice of classification violations by an employer. Subjects a person who: (1) violates such requirements (including recordkeeping requirements) to a civil penalty of up to $1,100; or (2) repeatedly or willfully violates such requirements to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation.

Directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to establish a single webpage on its website that summarizes the rights of employees and non-employees under the FLSA and this Act.

Amends the Social Security Act to require, as a condition for a federal grant for the administration of state unemployment compensation, for the state's unemployment compensation law to include requirements for: (1) auditing programs that identify employers that have not registered under the state law or that are paying unreported compensation where the effect is to exclude employees from unemployment compensation coverage, and (2) establishing administrative penalties for misclassifying employees or paying unreported unemployment compensation to employees.

Requires any office, administration, or division of DOL to report any misclassification of an employee by a person subject to the FLSA that it discovers to the DOL Wage and Hour Division (WHD). Authorizes the WHD to report such information to the Internal Revenue Service.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-11-05 00:00:00

This bill revises the applicable hourly minimum wage for the work-study allowance under Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance programs to the minimum wage to be the highest one under:

 the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, comparable law of the state in which the services are to be performed, or comparable law of the local government with jurisdiction over the area in which the services are to be performed.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2016-01-13 00:00:00

Pay Stub Disclosure Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require each employer to provide an initial disclosure to each employee who is not subject to certain exemptions from minimum wage and maximum hour requirements within 15 days after: (1) the employee is hired, or (2) specified information in the initial disclosure changes.

The information specified in that initial disclosure shall include:

 the pay rate and form of compensation; the name of the employer and any other name used by the employer to conduct business; and the physical address and telephone number of the employer's main office or principal place of business, and a mailing address if different from the first one. The bill specifies additional disclosures that must be in each pay stub, including the pay period covered, the employee's name and truncated Social Security number, the total hours worked by the employee, benefits, allowances, and reimbursements.

The bill also prescribes the form of the pay stub as well as employer notice requirements.

An employer shall keep records of the information disclosed in an employee's pay stub for three years from each stub's issuance.

In the event that an employee requests an inspection of his or her records, the employer shall provide copies of them for up to three years before the request.

The bill prescribes civil penalties for employer failure to comply with this Act.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2016-02-09 00:00:00

Fair Wage Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to:

 $8.00 an hour 30 days after this Act's enactment date or January 1, 2017, whichever date is earlier; $9.00 an hour, one year after the date the $8.00 an hour wage takes effect; $10.00 an hour, after two years; $11.00 an hour, after three years; $12.00 an hour, after four years; $13.00 an hour, after five years; $14.00 an hour, after six years; $15.00 an hour, after seven years; and the amount determined by the Department of Labor (based on increases in the Consumer Price Index) eight years after such date and annually thereafter. The bill directs Labor, 60 days before any increase in the minimum wage, to publish it in the Federal Register and on Labor's website.

The bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow an employer who pays at least $1 more per hour than the federal minimum wage, but not more than $15 per hour, a credit against the employment tax equal to 6.2% of wages paid by such employer during the calendar year.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2016-03-16 00:00:00

Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to require employers engaged in commerce, or in the production of goods for commerce, to make certain disclosures to employees about their employment, including a paystub corresponding to work the employee performed during the applicable pay period, and make final payments to a terminating employee for uncompensated hours the employee has worked.

An employer shall compensate an employee at the rate specified in an employment contract or other employment agreement, including a collective bargaining agreement, that specifies a rate of pay higher than the minimum wage rate.

The bill revises penalty requirements to:

 increase to double the amount of unpaid wages or unpaid overtime compensation the damages an employer must pay for violating minimum wage or maximum hour rules, plus interest; increase to treble damages the penalty for retaliatory discrimination against or discharge of a whistleblowing employee; repeal the requirement that an employee consent in writing to become a party plaintiff in an action to recover damages from an employer for all such violations; prohibit waiver of the right to bring an action, including a collective action, by an employee as a condition of employment or in a pre-dispute arbitration agreement; and direct the Department of Labor to refer any case involving a covered offender to the Department of Justice for prosecution. In the event that an employee requests an inspection of his or her records for accuracy of wage payments, the employer shall give the employee a copy of the records covering a period of up to five years prior to the request.

The Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 is amended to:

 increase the statute of limitations for causes of action under that Act, the Walsh-Healy Act, or the Bacon-Davis Act with respect to unpaid wages, unpaid overtime compensation, or damages; and deem the statute of limitations tolled for such an action between notification of an employer that an investigation or enforcement action has begun to notification to the employer that the matter has been officially resolved. Acting through the Wage and Hour Division, Labor shall award grants to assist eligible entities in enhancing the enforcement of wage and hour laws.

The Government Accountability Office shall identify successful programs carried out by such grants, especially elements, policies, or procedures that can be replicated by other grant-receiving programs.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2016-03-17 00:00:00

Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act

This bill declares that the proposed or the final rule of the Department of Labor entitled "Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales and Computer Employees" shall cease to have any force or effect. The rule revises the "white collar" exemption of executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, and computer employees from minimum wage and maximum hour, or overtime, requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA).

If the proposed rule is a final rule on the date of enactment of this bill:

 Labor shall not enforce it based on conduct occurring before that enactment date, an employee shall not have any right of action against an employer for the employer's failure to comply with the final rule at any time before that enactment date, any regulations that were amended by the final rule shall be restored and revived as if the final rule had never taken effect, and nothing in this bill shall be construed to create a right of action for an employer against an employee for the recoupment of any payments made to the employee before the enactment of this bill that were in compliance with that final rule. Labor may promulgate any substantially similar rule only if it has completed certain required actions; but the rule shall not contain any automatic updates to the salary threshold for purposes of exemptions to minimum wage and maximum hour requirements under the FLSA.

The requirement that definitions applicable for such exemptions be defined and delimited from time to time by Labor regulations shall be construed to:

 require Labor to issue a new rule through notice and comment rulemaking for each change in any salary threshold it has proposed; and exclude any rule that would result in changes to any salary threshold for multiple time periods, including through any automatic updating procedure. Labor may not promulgate any final rule that includes any revision to duties tests for exemption from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements unless specific regulatory text for the provision was proposed in the proposed rule.
Topic: Labor — Fair Labor Standards
Subject: Labor and employment
Date: 2016-06-24 00:00:00

Driver Fatigue Prevention Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to apply its maximum hours requirements to over-the-road bus drivers.