Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2025 | ChamberLight
Bills · HR 2299
REPORTED· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 2299Labor standardsPersonnel records
Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2025
INTRO MAR 24· LAST ACTION MAR 3
READING
14MIN
COSPONSORS
5
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Reported, not passed
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 3 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
This bill matters because it changes how the government addresses certain wage and hour violations, creating a quicker path for employees to recover unpaid wages due to employer mistakes. If it becomes law, workers could see their back pay sooner if their employer proactively uses this program, rather than waiting for a government investigation or legal action, which can often take a long time.
For businesses, it offers a way to fix errors and comply with the law without immediately facing the full force of government enforcement, which could save them time and legal costs. However, it also means that the responsibility for identifying some wage errors shifts more to employers. Voters should care because it could either streamline the process for workers to get paid what they're owed or, depending on its implementation, potentially lessen oversight on employers if not carefully managed.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extracted
PROVISION 01
Establishes a permanent Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program within the Department of Labor.
This makes a voluntary self-correction process for wage violations a permanent fixture, providing an ongoing option for employers and employees.
PROVISION 02
Allows employers to conduct self-audits to find and voluntarily fix unintentional minimum wage or overtime violations.
This encourages proactive compliance by employers and offers a structured way to resolve payment errors outside of formal enforcement.
PROVISION 03
Requires employers to be in "good faith" to participate, meaning they cannot already be under investigation or subject to a lawsuit for wage violations.
This ensures the program is used for genuine, proactive self-correction rather than as an escape from existing legal troubles.
PROVISION 04
Mandates that employers provide detailed self-audit results, including lists of affected employees, payroll records, and calculations of owed wages in their application.
This sets clear requirements for transparency and thoroughness in the employer's self-correction process.
PROVISION 05
Excludes employees covered by certain prevailing wage laws (like Davis-Bacon or Service Contract Acts, or specific visa programs) from being considered "affected employees" under this program.
This limits the scope of the program, focusing it on general minimum wage and overtime issues and leaving other wage disputes to existing legal frameworks.
This bill matters because it changes how the government addresses certain wage and hour violations, creating a quicker path for employees to recover unpaid wages due to employer mistakes. If it becomes law, workers could see their back pay sooner if their employer proactively uses this program, rather than waiting for a government investigation or legal action, which can often take a long time.
For businesses, it offers a way to fix errors and comply with the law without immediately facing the full force of government enforcement, which could save them time and legal costs. However, it also means that the responsibility for identifying some wage errors shifts more to employers. Voters should care because it could either streamline the process for workers to get paid what they're owed or, depending on its implementation, potentially lessen oversight on employers if not carefully managed.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Establishes a permanent Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program within the Department of Labor.
This makes a voluntary self-correction process for wage violations a permanent fixture, providing an ongoing option for employers and employees.
high
Allows employers to conduct self-audits to find and voluntarily fix unintentional minimum wage or overtime violations.
This encourages proactive compliance by employers and offers a structured way to resolve payment errors outside of formal enforcement.
med
Requires employers to be in "good faith" to participate, meaning they cannot already be under investigation or subject to a lawsuit for wage violations.
This ensures the program is used for genuine, proactive self-correction rather than as an escape from existing legal troubles.
med
Mandates that employers provide detailed self-audit results, including lists of affected employees, payroll records, and calculations of owed wages in their application.
This sets clear requirements for transparency and thoroughness in the employer's self-correction process.
med
Excludes employees covered by certain prevailing wage laws (like Davis-Bacon or Service Contract Acts, or specific visa programs) from being considered "affected employees" under this program.
This limits the scope of the program, focusing it on general minimum wage and overtime issues and leaving other wage disputes to existing legal frameworks.
The Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division must make resources available to employers to assist them in complying with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA)
The main federal law that sets minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor standards for most private and public sector jobs.
Back wages
Money that an employer owes to an employee for past work, typically due to underpayment or failure to pay the legally required minimum wage or overtime.
Self-audit
An internal review conducted by an employer to check their own payroll and employment practices for compliance with wage and hour laws, often to identify and fix errors.
Wage and Hour Division
A part of the U.S. Department of Labor responsible for enforcing federal labor laws, including those related to minimum wage, overtime, and child labor.
Statute of limitations
A legal rule that sets a time limit for how long someone has to take legal action or for an employer to correct past mistakes in wage payments.
Overtime compensation
Extra pay employees receive for working more than a standard number of hours (usually 40 hours) in a workweek, typically at a rate of one-and-a-half times their regular pay.
Minimum wage
ACTION TIMELINE
6 EVENTS
MAR 3
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-539.
COMMITTEE
MAR 3
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 464.
CALENDARS
NOV 20, 25
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
COMMITTEE
NOV 20, 25
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 20 - 15.
