Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act

Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act

This bill provides rights and protections for domestic workers, including pay and leave rights, and health and safety protections.

The bill, among other things

• repeals the exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 for domestic live-in employees from certain minimum wage and maximum hour requirements;
• requires written notices of termination and allow other communications for live-in domestic employees;
• requires written agreements for domestic workers covering wages, sick leave, benefits, and other matters;
• allows domestic workers to request and receive changes to work schedules due to personal events;
• sets forth certain privacy rights for domestic workers;
• expands coverage to domestic workers under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 against discrimination in employment; and
• increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for certain Medicaid-funded medical services provided by domestic workers.

The Department of Labor shall (1) award grants for a domestic worker national hotline for reporting emergencies, training on hazards facing domestic workers, and workforce investment activities for domestic workers; and (2) establish a Domestic Worker Wage and Standards Board to investigate standards in the domestic workers industry.

Labor must provide domestic workers with a document that describes the rights and protections under the domestic workers bill of rights.

The Department of Health and Human Services must collect state Medicaid program data on the personal or home care aide workforce.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov