Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act

S. 5384 · Senate bill Labor and Employment

A bill from an independent

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

  1. Introduced
  2. In Committee

What this bill would do

This bill, known as the "Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act," seeks to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The primary goal is to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours to 32 hours. It changes how overtime is calculated, requiring extra pay for work exceeding 32 hours a week or specific daily limits. The bill also implements a tiered schedule for these changes over several years. Additionally, it prohibits employers from reducing pay or benefits because of these new rules.

Yes· 3 of 8

  • Scored +6

    Would union members be better off under this?

    The bill expands wage protections and overtime pay, which aligns with union-led labor standards.

  • Scored +5

    Would households on low incomes be better off under this?

    The expansion of overtime pay provides a higher earning potential for hourly workers.

  • Scored +5

    Does this raise the lowest wage an employer may pay?

    The bill increases pay for employees by mandating overtime rates for work exceeding 32 hours per week or specific daily hour thresholds.

The opposite

  • Scored -6

    Would business owners be better off under this?

    Employers face significantly higher labor costs due to the expanded overtime requirements and daily thresholds.