H.R. 1319 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Feb 20, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryChanges how workers are classified as contractors
This bill sets a new legal rule for deciding who counts as an independent contractor versus an employee under federal labor laws. Under the rule, you'd be considered a contractor if your employer doesn't control how you do your work (though they can control the final result) and if you have the freedom and risk that comes with running your own business. The bill also says that certain requirements—like health and safety rules or performance standards—cannot be used to classify someone as an employee.
How it affects you
This directly affects workers and employers trying to understand their relationship. If you work as a contractor, this rule could make it easier to stay classified as independent. If you work for a company, this could change whether you're entitled to minimum wage, overtime pay, and the right to organize with coworkers—protections that apply to employees but not contractors. Employers also get clearer guidance on how to classify their workforce.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 13, 2025)
This bill specifies a legal standard for determining whether an individual is considered an independent contractor rather than an employee for the purposes of federal labor laws that address issues such as the federal minimum wage, overtime compensation, and collective bargaining. The rights and protections provided by these laws exclusively apply to employees.
Under the bill, an individual is considered an independent contractor if (1) another individual or entity does not exercise significant control over the details of how the individual's work is performed, without regard to any control the other individual or entity may exercise over the final result of the work performed; and (2) while performing such work, the individual has opportunities and risks inherent with entrepreneurship (for example, the discretion to exercise professional judgment).
The bill also sets forth factors that may not be used to determine whether an individual is an employee. Specifically, factors such as whether another individual or entity requires the individual to meet certain legal, health and safety, insurance, or performance requirements may not be used to make such a determination.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 1319
A BILL
Modern Worker Empowerment Act
Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA-3) · Introduced Feb 13, 2025 · Labor and Employment · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Feb 20, 2026: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 431.”