Under the proposed act, employers will have the opportunity to rectify any wage discrepancies without incurring penalties, should they proactively report and address violations through self-audits. The act aims to enhance compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act by allowing employers to correct wage violations more efficiently. It is anticipated that this will not only benefit employees through the potential recovery of unpaid wages but also lessen the burden on the Department of Labor's enforcement resources by incentivizing voluntary compliance.
Summary
House Bill 2299, known as the Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2025, aims to establish a new program within the Department of Labor called the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program. This initiative seeks to facilitate collaboration between employers and the government by supporting employers who may have unintentionally violated wage and hour laws. It is designed to enable employers to perform self-audits and address any discovered violations related to minimum wage and overtime compensation voluntarily, thereby preventing legal repercussions for inadvertent noncompliance.
Contention
Some concerns have been raised regarding the effectiveness and ethics of allowing employers a route to correction without strict penalties, as critics argue this could lead to minimized accountability for wage violations. There are fears that it might create a system where employers may exploit the opportunity to minimize their liabilities at the expense of employee rights. Furthermore, the legal implications of the self-audit disclosures are up for debate, particularly in how employers are protected from future claims after utilizing this program.
Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 788) to limit donations made pursuant to settlement agreements to which the United States is a party, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 98) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the National Labor Relations Board relating to "Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status''; and providing for consideration of the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 38) providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Highway Administration relating to "Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Electric Vehicle Chargers''.
A resolution recognizing the critical importance of access to reliable, clean drinking water for Native Americans and affirming the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure such water access.