Mike Lee (R-UT)
Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization 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 known as the Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act. It was introduced in the Senate on September 30, 2026. The purpose of the bill is to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. It aims to clarify the definition of an employee. Specifically, it changes how the law applies to direct sellers and real estate agents.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +6
Does this make it easier to run a small business?
The bill clarifies that direct sellers and qualified real estate agents are not employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, providing greater regulatory certainty and operational stability for small businesses operating with independent contractors.
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
Business owners utilizing direct sellers or real estate agents gain legal clarity and protection from unintended employee classification burdens under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Scored +4
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?
Many young adults working as independent real estate agents or direct sellers benefit from clearer independent contractor classifications under federal labor law.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Section 2 updates the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 by explicitly stating that the term employee does not include any direct seller or qualified real estate agent, as those terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. This could benefit these workers by providing clearer legal definitions regarding their employment status.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- The provided text does not contain any information regarding specific negative consequences, burdens, or sections that would negatively impact individuals or groups.
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? — Business owners utilizing direct sellers or real estate agents gain legal clarity and protection from unintended employee classification burdens under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Middle-aged individuals working in real estate sales or direct selling benefit from clear federal legal definitions confirming their independent contractor status. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Many young adults working as independent real estate agents or direct sellers benefit from clearer independent contractor classifications under federal labor law.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill clarifies that direct sellers and qualified real estate agents are not employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, providing greater regulatory certainty and operational stability for small businesses operating with independent contractors.
- 9/30/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John CurtisRepublican · Utah