A bill from an independent · See all 28 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Restoring Overtime Pay Act of 2026 seeks to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. It establishes a minimum salary threshold for executive, administrative, and professional employees who are exempt from federal overtime requirements. This threshold starts at $45,000 and increases annually until 2030, at which point it links to the 55th percentile of weekly earnings for full-time salaried workers. The Secretary of Labor is also empowered to establish higher thresholds through rulemaking. Additionally, the bill modifies duties limits for these exempt employees.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +6
Does this raise the lowest wage an employer may pay?
The bill establishes a rising minimum salary threshold for employees previously exempt from overtime pay requirements.
- Scored +5
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill increases earnings for many middle-income workers who currently fall under the exempt threshold.
- Scored +4
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill strengthens wage protections for salaried workers, similar to traditional labor protections.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Would business owners be better off under this?
Employers will face higher labor costs to meet the increasing salary thresholds for exempt staff.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Salary Thresholds: Employees classified as bona fide executive, administrative, or professional employees will be required to be compensated at a higher minimum rate to qualify for overtime exemption (Section 2(a)(1)). This begins at $45,000 and increases predictably through 2030 (Section 2(a)(2)(A)).
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Automatic Updates to Salary Standards: To keep up with earnings, the salary threshold will be updated annually based on the 55th percentile of weekly earnings of full-time salaried workers nationally (Section 2(a)(2)(C)).
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Transparent Earnings Data: The Bureau of Labor Statistics will publish data on the weekly earnings of full-time salaried workers by census region every 21 days after the end of each calendar quarter (Section 2(b)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Changes to Duties Requirements: The bill modifies the requirements regarding duties for exempt employees, specifically changing descriptions regarding activities not directly or closely related to executive or administrative tasks (Section 3).
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Increased Regulatory Requirements for Employers: The Secretary of Labor is tasked with maintaining and updating salary thresholds, including publishing notices in the Federal Register and on the internet website of the Department of Labor (Section 2(a)(2)(C) and (D)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill increases earnings for many middle-income workers who currently fall under the exempt threshold. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill strengthens wage protections for salaried workers, similar to traditional labor protections. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Higher salary thresholds for exempt positions benefit young professionals entering the workforce. Would business owners be better off under this? — Employers will face higher labor costs to meet the increasing salary thresholds for exempt staff.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this raise the lowest wage an employer may pay? — The bill establishes a rising minimum salary threshold for employees previously exempt from overtime pay requirements.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Increasing the minimum salary threshold for exempt workers provides higher earnings for those currently in the middle-income bracket.
- 7/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/19/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/18/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 25 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Maria CantwellDemocrat · Washington
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Mazie HironoDemocrat · Hawaii
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island
Charles SchumerDemocrat · New York
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts