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Support for the HR 3200 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act »

Key Conclusions from the EPI report

• “It is highly unlikely that a health care reform package including a play-or-pay policy will lead to job losses. On the contrary, such policy reform is likely to cause significant boost to employment.”
• “In short: concerns over job losses from comprehensive health care reform proposals that include play-or-pay employer contribution are overstated and unfounded.” 
• “Moreover, it is likely that the positive effects on employment from health care reform will surpass by several orders of magnitude any modest job losses caused by a play-or-pay policy considered in isolation, providing a substantial boost for the U.S. economy and U.S. workers.”
  

What about other studies that show significant job losses associated with play-or-pay?

• “Prior studies instead modeled a requirement that all employers provide private health insurance to their employees. With average costs of compliance of 40% of payroll or more for employers facing such a requirement, it is not surprising that those prior studies found much larger effects on employment that would be expected from a play-or-pay policy with a cost of compliance of just 4-8% of payroll.”

More information on the Tri-Committee discussion draft.

We’ve met with our respective Democratic and Republican committee members, with our Senate colleagues, with the CBO, and with administration officials in an open and collaborative process.

To further this open and collaborative process, our three committees will hold hearings on this draft starting next week.

After the July Fourth district work period, our committees will then work to make refinements to the draft, vote on it, and send a bill to the House floor.

This is truly exciting news.

The House decided to use this unified approach because we recognized that our ability to succeed at health care reform rests in our ability to work together.

We know that inside-the-beltway turf battles will not advance reforms.

We believe that in order to change America’s health care system, Congress itself must change.  

When the voters elected Barack Obama President, they did not only send a message that the White House must change.

They sent an equally strong message to the Congress that we must work together for the common good of our nation.

They told us that we will not be rewarded for standing on the sidelines or for raising every conceivable argument against taking action.  

Americans will judge us, and rightly so, by our willingness and our determination to cooperate and focus on the ultimate and necessary goal of reforming our health care system so that it works not just for the few but for everyone in our country.

That is why the approach that the three of us have taken in this process is one of the key factors that makes this year the year that we will finally fix our broken health care system.    

The current path is unsustainable. No one disagrees with that.

Health care premiums have spiraled out of control – dealing a crushing blow to families and businesses alike and placing our fiscal future in peril. Rising costs are unsustainable.

President Obama is absolutely correct when he says that health care reform is essential to the health of our nation and the strength of our economy.  

In fact, health care reform is the single greatest tool to reduce runaway budget deficits.  

Our discussion draft is the first step in building a truly American solution that will reduce costs, offer real choice, and guarantee affordable, quality health care for all.

It will build a health care system that emphasizes keeping Americans healthy, not waiting until they become sick to get treated.

In the coming weeks, our committees will continue to seek input from all the stakeholders, the American people, and all members of Congress.

But let me say again that we must and we will continue to move forward.  If there is one thing that is ‘off of the table’ it is saying ‘no’ to health care reform.  

There is not one child, not one worker, not one employer, nor one taxpayer who can further bear the cost of doing nothing.  

I am confident that we have the ability to respond to their needs.

I’d like to thank Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, the rest of our Democratic Leadership, and all of our Caucus for giving us the support and input we’ve needed to develop this uniquely American solution for finally bringing quality, affordable health care to our country.

Support for the House Tri-Committee Health Reform Discussion Draft

• AARP »
  
• Health Care for America Now »
• Small Business Majority »
• U.S. PIRG »
  

WHAT:          
Hearing on “H.R. 2339, the Family Income to Respond to Significant
Transitions Act, and H.R. 2460, the Healthy Families Act”

WHO:           
U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), sponsor H.R. 2460,
Healthy Families Act
Rajiv Bhatia, director, Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA
Deborah Frett, CEO, BPW Foundation, Washington, DC
Debra Ness, president, National Partnership for Women, Washington, DC
Sandra Poole, deputy director, California Employment Development Department Disability Insurance Branch
Additional Witnesses TBA
                                                             
WHEN:         
Thursday, June 11, 2009
10:00 a.m., EDT
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »
                       
WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Note: This hearing will be webcast live from the Education and Labor Committee website. Access the webcast when the hearing begins at 10:00 am EDT » 

Hear Chairman Miller talk about the importance of being prepared for a pandemic flu virus at work and school on the Ed show.

MAKING COLLEGE MORE AFFORDABLE

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (signed February 17) will provide immediate relief to students and families working hard to pay for college by:

• Increasing the Pell Grant scholarship by $500. The bill increases the maximum award to $5,350 by next school year and to $5,550 for 2010. About seven million students would benefit from this increase.
• Establishing a new college tuition tax credit of $2,500. The bill establishes a new, partially refundable “American Opportunity” tax credit, expanding access for higher education tax credit to about four million students. 
• Creating new work-study opportunities for college students. The bill invests $200 million in work-study opportunities for college students in fields related to their major or in community service, creating jobs for an additional 200,000 students.
  

The President’s budget blueprint (released February 26) proposes historic increases to the Pell Grant scholarship and other grant aid for students at no additional cost to taxpayers by using federal funds to originate all new federal college loans beginning in the 2010 school year. This would insulate the federal student loan programs from any future instability in the economy and ensure that the Pell Grant keeps pace with rising costs. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this proposal will save taxpayers almost $100 billion over ten years.

RESTORING PROTECTIONS FOR WORKERS

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (signed January 29) restores workers’ rights to challenge pay discrimination.

Overturned harmful Bush midnight rule that would have slowed protections for workers from severe lung disease (withdrawn March 17). Under the leadership of the new Administration, OSHA withdrew a last minute Bush era procedural roadblock to that slowed protections for workers who handle the dangerous food flavoring diacetyl. Scientists have linked diacetyl exposure to bronchiolitis obliterans, a severe lung disease often known as “popcorn lung.”

Issued executive orders to restore workers’ rights in federal contracts and establish a Middle Class Task Force (signed January 30, 2009).

LAUNCHING A NEW ERA OF PUBLIC SERVICE

The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (signed April 21) expands opportunities for Americans of all ages to serve their nation and communities. It more than triples them number of service opportunities nationwide to 250,000 and increases the full time education award service members receive in exchange for their work to $5,350 for 2010.

EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helps workers who recently lost a job maintain their health coverage while they look for new employment by making them eligible to receive a 65 percent subsidy towards their COBRA premium for up to nine months.

INVESTING IN 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act invests $105.9 billion in early education, k-12 education, and training to help build the world class education system our economy needs and our children deserve. This plan will make sure that the economic crisis doesn’t compromise the quality of education schoolchildren receive. It also makes progress on key, commonsense reforms, like improving teacher quality, strengthening standards, and establishing data systems that track students’ progress, that are needed to transform our schools.

Each year, about 6,000 workers are killed on the job and thousands more are severely injured; it is estimated that on a daily basis 15 workers are killed and nearly 11,000 workers are injured or made ill.  

Criminal penalties are only available if a worker dies; serious injury is not subject to criminal prosecution.  When a tragedy does occur and a worker is killed on the job, the highest criminal penalty available is a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of just six months.  When a worker dies because of a knowing violation of the worker safety laws, the maximum sentence should be measured in years, not months.  Anything less sends the wrong message about the value of a worker’s life.

And with only weak criminal penalties available to OSHA, too often profit is put ahead of compliance as penalties are seen as a “cost of doing business.”  This is not an acceptable cost.

No worker should leave home unsure if his or her workplace is safe, and no family should have to worry if they will see their loved one again as they send him or her off to work.   Sadly, this happens to 15 families every single day.   But I am hopeful that hearings such as the one held today can prevent such devastating losses.

Today, my heart goes out to all of the workers who have been injured on the job and to their family members.  Particularly in my mind today are the families in Nevada.   In 2008, OSHA conducted 26 fatality investigations in Nevada.  I will continue to press for legislative improvements that will prevent injuries or fatalities.  I also would like to recognize the Las Vegas Sun for its work in publicizing and investigating the deaths of workers on the Las Vegas Strip.  Alexandra Berzon, along with editorial writers Matt Hufman and David Clayton, recently won a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for their investigative reporting, which opened the door to expose the dangers workers faced on the job when safety was sacrificed for speed and profit.  

On Workers Memorial Day, let us remember those workers who died or were injured on the job, and recommit to diligently trying to improve worker safety by strengthening OSHA penalties and enforcement in order to prevent future tragedies. 

When the Equal Pay Act was signed into law, women working full-time and year-round earned an average of 59 cents for every dollar earned by men.  In 2007, women made 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. Today, the wage gap has only narrowed by less than half a cent per year.

The impact of income disparity is communal.  Equal pay is not just a women’s issue, it’s a family issue.  The current wage gap hurts everyone.  It lowers family income for essentials such as groceries, doctors’ visits, and child care.  When women earn more, families benefit.  Closing the wage gap is an integral part of strengthening American families and providing hope for a better future.

On January 29, 2009, President Obama took the first step by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law to restore employee rights to challenge unlawful pay discrimination.  

The Paycheck Fairness Act, passed by the House on January 9, 2009, would take further steps to ensure that gender-based pay discrimination does not occur in the first place by closing the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.  A comprehensive update to the 46-year-old Equal Pay Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act puts gender-based discrimination sanctions on equal footing with other forms of wage discrimination, such as race, disability or age. It creates a new grant program to help strengthen the negotiation skills of girls and women.  And it creates strong incentives for employers to equally compensate workers while strengthening correlating federal enforcement efforts.

I stand in support of equal pay for all.  I look forward to the day when equal pay is a firm reality and not a tenuous goal. 

WHAT:          
Hearing on, “Improving OSHA’s Enhanced Enforcement Program”

WHO:            
Jordan Barab, acting assistant labor secretary, Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Eric Frumin, director of health and safety, Change to Win
Elliot Lewis, assistant inspector general for audits, U.S. Department of Labor
Jesus Royas, stepson of Raul Figueroa, a worker who was crushed to death as a result of unsafe working conditions, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Jason Schwartz, partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

WHEN:         
Thursday, April 30, 2009
10:00 a.m, EDT
                        
WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

 

WHAT:          
Hearing on “Are OSHA’s Penalties Adequate to Deter Health and Safety Violations?”
 
WHO:            
Rebecca Foster, stepmother of Jeremy Foster who died as a result of a workplace safety violation, Danville, Ark.
Lawrence P. Halprin, partner, Keller and Heckman LLP
Margaret Seminario, safety and health director, AFL-CIO
David Uhlmann, professor and director of environmental law and policy program, University of Michigan Law School

WHEN:         
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
10:00 a.m. ET
Please check the Committee schedule for potential updates »

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Protects More Workers

• Expands OSHA coverage to include state and local public employees and federal government workers.
• Expands coverage to millions of other workers inadequately covered such as airline and railroad employees, and Department of Energy contractors.
   

Strengthens Health and Safety Penalties
 

• Raises civil penalties and indexes those penalties to inflation.  
• Establishes mandatory minimum penalties for violations involving worker deaths. 
• Allows felony prosecutions against employers who commit willful violations that result in death or serious bodily injury, and extends such penalties to responsible corporate officers.    
• Requires OSHA to investigate all cases of death and serious injuries (i.e. incidents that result in the hospitalization of 2 or more employees).
   

Improves Whistleblower Protections

• Codifies regulations that give workers the right to refuse to do hazardous work.  
• Clarifies that employees cannot be discriminated against for reporting injuries, illnesses or unsafe conditions, and brings the procedures for investigating and adjudicating discrimination complaints into line with other safety and health and whistleblower laws.
   

Allows Workers and Their Families to Hold Dangerous Employers Accountable

• Provides workers and employee representatives the right to contest OSHA’s failure to issue citations, classification of its citations, and proposed penalties. 
• Gives injured workers, their families and families of workers who died in work-related incidents the right to meet with investigators, receive copies of citations, and to have an opportunity to make a statement before any settlement negotiations.
• Clarifies that the time spent by an employee accompanying an OSHA inspector during an investigation is considered time worked, for which a worker must be compensated. 
• Prohibits OSHA from designating a citation as an “unclassified citation” where an employer can avoid the potential consequences of a “willful” violation, the most serious violation. 
• Allows any worker or their representative to object to a modification or withdrawal of a citation, and entitles them to a hearing before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

We know that we must modernize our training techniques in our schools and universities.  In the Recovery Bill we provided $48.6 billion for services to low-income students, students with disabilities, and career tech to modernize schools and colleges, which would include facility repairs, updating technology, and making facilities more energy-efficient.

Congress must also assist in training workers for 21st century jobs.  The Recovery Bill provides nearly $4 billion to prepare adult, youth and dislocated workers for green jobs, and other emerging industries, including training for retrofitting buildings, green construction and production of renewable energy.  It also includes $1.2 billion to create job opportunities for younger Americans, including summer jobs.

Congress invested in early education by providing $2.1 billion for Head Start, and Early Head Start, which provides comprehensive development services for low-income preschool children, infants and toddlers. These investments will create 50,000 new jobs, increasing demand for early educators, transportation, nutrition providers, and more.

These investments now, in education and our children, will pay massive dividends in our future.  They will create American businesses and American jobs for America’s working families.  Whether or not we, as a country, move towards a new green economy now or not, we must acknowledge that other countries in the world are ahead of us on this front.  It is important to change our way of thinking and I believe this year’s Earth Day, along with the bold visions and goals of the new Obama Administration offer us a springboard to launch into the future of our economy – one that finally thinks outside of the barrel and is able to offer greener and cleaner outcomes.

Myth: More fee disclosure will dramatically increase costs to plan participants.

Fact: While there may be a small initial cost, continuing to hide fees that workers pay to Wall Street middle men puts Americans’ retirement security at risk. These Wall Street firms should have to tell their customers how much they charge for their services. And giving the consumer better information will encourage greater competition among financial service providers and help reduce fees.

Myth: H.R. 1984 mandates one investment option for every 401(k) plan.

Fact: H.R. 1984 would simply require 401(k) plans that want limited liability against investment losses to offer at least one index fund. It does not limit other types of investment options that 401(k) plans may offer; it does not tell 401(k) plans which specific index funds they must offer; and it does not require plan participants to invest in index funds. It simply ensures that participants are able to invest in an index fund if they choose to do so.

Myth: Actively managed investments provide better returns than index funds.

Fact: Over the full twenty-year time period from 1983 to 2003, depending on the sector, index funds outperformed 89 percent to 97 percent of all mutual funds. Index funds are not actively managed and therefore carry lower costs. While many 401(k) plans have made strides to include lower cost retirement options, index funds are still not available in 30 percent of 401(k) plans.

Myth: Service providers that “bundle” their services will be required to unbundle them.  

Fact: H.R. 1984 does not require service providers to unbundle their services. If a service provider sells investment management services, administrative services, and record-keeping together as a package, it may continue to do so. H.R. 1984 simply requires service providers to disclose the costs of the components of its bundled products. 

Requires Simple and Complete Fee Disclosure to Workers

• Before enrollment, workers would receive clear and understandable information that lists both historical returns and all fees assessed on each investment option; and
• A worker’s quarterly statement would be required to list total contributions, earnings, closing account balance, net return, and all fees subtracted from the account. All fees taken out of the account would be disclosed in one number, but the worker could request more detailed fee information from their plan administrator.
  

Helps Workers Understand Their Investment Options

• Workers would receive clear information on the name, risk level, and investment objective of each available investment option before enrolling in a 401(k) plan.

Requires Complete Disclosure to Employers of Fees and Conflicts of Interests

• Requires 401(k) service providers to disclose to employers all fees assessed against the participant’s account, broken down into four categories: administrative fees, investment management fees, transaction fees, and other fees; and
• Requires service providers to disclose any financial relationships or potential conflicts of interest to plan sponsors.
  

Ensures Workers Have Access to at Least One Low-Cost Index Fund

• Requires 401(k)-style plans that seek limited employer liability to include at least one index fund in its investment line-up. Index funds are less expensive and generally outperform actively-managed mutual funds.

Enhances Department of Labor Oversight and Protection

• Requires the U.S. Department of Labor to review compliance with new disclosure requirements and impose penalties for violations.

Support for H.R. 1984

• AFL-CIO »
  (PDF, 265KB)
• AARP »
  (PDF, 1.6MB)
• American Society of Pension Actuaries (ASPPA) »
  (PDF, 99KB)
• BrightScope »
  (PDF, 134KB)
• Consumer Federation of America »
  (PDF, 46KB)
• Council of Independent 401(k) Recordkeepers (CIKR) »
  (PDF, 99KB)
• Fund Democracy »
  (PDF, 46KB)
• Hewitt Associates »
  (PDF, 174KB)
• Matthew D. Hutcheson LLC »
  (PDF, 317KB)
• National Association of Independent Retirement Plan Advisors (NAIRPA) »
  (PDF, 99KB)
• Pension Rights Center »
  (PDF, 53KB)

Myths vs. Facts About the 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act »

WHAT:          
Hearing on “H.R. _____, 401(k) Fair Disclosure for Retirement Security Act of 2009”

WHO:            
Alison T. Borland, retirement strategy leader, Hewitt Associates LLC, Nashville
Mercer E. Bullard, founder, Fund Democracy and assistant professor of law, University of Mississippi, Oxford, Miss.
Robert G. Chambers, chairman of the board, American Benefits Council and partner at McGuire Woods, Charlotte, N.C.
Larry Goldbrum, executive vice president and general counsel, The SPARK Institute, Simsbury, Conn.
Kristi Mitchem, managing director and head of U.S. defined contribution plans, Barclay’s Global Investors, San Francisco
Julian Onorato, CEO, ExpertPlan, Inc., East Windsor, N.J.  
                                                                                                        
WHEN:         
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
10:30 a.m, EDT
                       
WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.
 

WHAT:         
Hearing on “Green Jobs and their Role in our Economic Recovery”

WHO:            
William T. Bogart, dean of academic affairs and professor of economics, York College, York, Pa.
Kathy Krepcio, executive director, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University
Jerome Ringo, president, the Apollo Alliance, San Francisco
Robin Roy, vice president for projects and policy, Serious Materials, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Jill Sherman, Gerding Edlen Development, Portland, Ore.
Clinton R. Wolfe, executive director of citizens for nuclear technology awareness, Aiken, South Carolina
                                                                                                         
WHEN:          
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
10:00 a.m. EDT

WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

WHAT:          
Hearing on "GAO’s Undercover Investigation: Wage Theft of America’s Vulnerable Workers

WHO:            
Greg Kutz, managing director of forensic audits and special investigations, U.S. Government Accountability Office
                                                                                                         
WHEN:          
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
10:00 a.m, EDT
                       
WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

 

WHAT:          
Hearing on "Retirement Security: The Importance of an Independent Investment Adviser"

WHO:            
Ken Baker, corporate director of human resources, Applied Extrusion Technologies
Mercer Bullard, founder and president, Fund Democracy, a nonprofit advocate for mutual fund shareholders
Sherrie Grabot, CEO, GuidedChoice
Charlie Jesczak, U.S. Government Accountability Office
Melanie Nussdorf, partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, on behalf of SIFMA
Andrew L. Oringer, partner, White and Case, LLP.
                                                                                                        
WHEN:         
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
10:30 a.m, EDT
                       
WHERE:       
House Education and Labor Committee Hearing Room
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.

We must strengthen WIA to meet today’s challenges and position our workers for long-term success in the global economy.

An improved WIA should be a key plank in our plans to restore economic prosperity to America’s working families. We have an opportunity to update our job training programs so that they not only place workers into jobs but onto career pathways that lead to better wages and advancement in the workplace. We should seize the moment to re-engage adult learners who struggle with low literacy levels or who lack a high school diploma, providing them with the skills and credentials they need for success on the job and an improved quality of life at home and in the community.

The Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness will kick off the drive to reauthorization with a hearing looking at innovation and best practices under the current Workforce Investment Act.  We will be seeking input from all stakeholders on how we need to modernize WIA to weather today’s economic crisis and to lay the foundation for a dynamic, highly skilled workforce for the future.

"The state of our economy demands Congress act quickly to pass at the earliest date an economic recovery plan to provide immediate relief to Americans and to create or save millions of American jobs," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  "This hearing will build upon the stimulus package the House passed in September and the numerous hearings held by our other committees, to ensure we make the necessary investments in an innovative and bold way to strengthen the economy."

"We know that smart, strategic investments in our nation's infrastructure are key to getting Americans back to work and getting our economy moving forward," said Congressman Miller, the chair of the House Education and Labor Committee. "This hearing will help the new Congress take swift, effective action to create jobs, rebuild our economy, strengthen our competitiveness through strategic investments in education and lay the foundation for a robust and innovative future."

"Families are struggling, facing times tougher than they have ever been in recent memory.  This moment requires bold solutions that will drive economic growth and job creation directly.  With this hearing we will examine what we need to do to get our economy moving again and how we can work together to reverse the daunting trends, jumpstart our economy and ensure our economy grows and prospers in the years ahead," said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.

Participating:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair, Democratic Policy Committee and chair, Education and Labor Committee
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), chair, Democratic Steering Committee
U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), chair, Science and Technology Committee
U.S. Rep. David Obey (D-WI), chair, Appropriations Committee
U.S. Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-MN), chair, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), chair, Ways and Means Committee
U. S. Rep. John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-SC), chair, Budget Committee
U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chair, Energy and Commerce Committee

Panelists:

Dr. Mark M. Zandi
Chief economist and cofounder of Moody's Economy.com

Robert Reich
Former Secretary of Labor and a professor at the University of California at Berkeley

Martin Feldstein
George F. Baker Professor of Economics at Harvard University and President Emeritus of the National Bureau of Economic Research
 
Norman R. Augustine
Author of the Gathering Storm, which focused the nation's attention on the critical need for investments in basic science and research, in addition to his other accolades

Maria Zuber
E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

ADA Amendments Act: Signed Into Law

On June 25, the House passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 by a vote of 402-17 to stop discrimination against individuals with disabilities by restoring the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This bipartisan legislation will reverse several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have undermined the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the ADA’s enactment nearly two decades ago, courts have dramatically reduced the numbers of workers who are protected from employment discrimination under the law.

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act: Signed Into Law

The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act was signed into law on May 21, preventing health insurers and employers from using Americans’ personal genetic information to discriminate against them. The law prohibits employers from using individuals' genetic information when making hiring, firing, job placement or promotion decisions. It also makes it illegal for group health plans and health insurers to deny coverage to healthy individuals or charge them higher premiums based solely on a genetic predisposition to a specific disease.

Child Labor Protection Act: Signed Into Law

Employers in the U.S. who violate child labor laws will face stiffer fines under a measure signed into law on May 21. The Child Labor Protection Act, first introduced in 2007 by U.S. Reps. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Joe Wilson (R-SC), increases penalties from $11,000 to $50,000 for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act that cause the death or serious injury of a child.

Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act: Passed by House

On May 20, the House passed the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act by a vote of 402-9, clarifying that flight attendants and pilots are entitled to take unpaid family and medical leave to care for themselves, newborn children, and sick or injured family members. The bill would close a loophole which, because of the unique way many air crews’ hours are calculated, effectively excludes more than 200,000 flight attendants and pilots from coverage under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fires Act: Passed by House

On April 30, the House passed the Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fires Act to help prevent combustible dust explosions like the one at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, on February 7 that killed 13 workers and injured more than 60 others. The measure would require the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue rules regulating combustible industrial dusts, like sugar dust, that can build up to hazardous levels and explode. OSHA has known about these dangers for years, but has failed to act.