Steve Daines (R-MT)
Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act
A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
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
This bill is called the "Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act". It proposes to change the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The goal is to exempt certain employees who provide outdoor recreational outfitting or guiding services from minimum wage and maximum hours requirements. This applies to employees whose employers are also primarily in the business of providing these services.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +9
Would business owners be better off under this?
Significantly reduces labor costs and regulatory burdens for business owners in this industry.
- Scored +7
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
Provides significant relief to outdoor guiding and outfitting businesses by removing FLSA constraints.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Boosts the economic viability of guiding services commonly located in rural areas.
The opposite· 3 of 8
- Scored -8
Does this raise the lowest wage an employer may pay?
The bill explicitly exempts these employees from minimum wage requirements.
- Scored -6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Workers in this sector may see reduced wages due to the removal of the minimum wage floor.
- Scored -5
Would union members be better off under this?
Exemptions from FLSA undermine standard labor protections typically fought for by unions.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Outdoor Outfitting and Guiding Businesses: Employers primarily engaged in providing outdoor recreational outfitting or guiding services may no longer be required to follow minimum wage and maximum hours requirements for these specific employees (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Outdoor Recreational Employees: Employees primarily engaged in providing guiding services or outdoor recreational outfitting, including equipment rentals, would lose the protections of minimum wage and maximum hours requirements (Section 2).
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 business owners be better off under this? — Significantly reduces labor costs and regulatory burdens for business owners in this industry. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Boosts the economic viability of guiding services commonly located in rural areas. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Workers in this sector may see reduced wages due to the removal of the minimum wage floor. Would union members be better off under this? — Exemptions from FLSA undermine standard labor protections typically fought for by unions. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Seasonal guiding is often performed by young adults who would lose minimum wage protections. Would students be better off under this? — Students taking seasonal guiding jobs would lose minimum wage protections.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Loss of minimum wage protections can increase poverty risk for low-paid guides.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Supports the viability of rural-based outdoor guiding businesses.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — Actually reduces federal oversight by creating exemptions to federal labor laws.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Provides significant relief to outdoor guiding and outfitting businesses by removing FLSA constraints. Is this likely to create jobs? — Lower labor costs for outfitting businesses may encourage more hiring. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Reduced regulatory costs for a specific sector may slightly boost niche economic activity. Does this raise the lowest wage an employer may pay? — The bill explicitly exempts these employees from minimum wage requirements. Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — Removing wage and hour protections generally weakens labor bargaining positions.
- 7/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/18/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate
James RischRepublican · Idaho