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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/466105
Reps. Young, Lipinski intRoduce BipaRtisan BiLL to RestoRe 40-HouR WoRkWeek In a bipartisan effort on Tuesday, Reps. Todd Young (R-IN) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL)—on behalf of themselves and Reps. Pete Olson (R-TX), Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Tim Walberg (R-MI)— introduced H.R. 30, the Save American Workers Act, a bill that would repeal the 30-hour definition of "full-time employment" in the Affordable Care Act and restore the traditional 40-hour definition. It was introduced with 145 co-spon- sors. The bill passed the House with some bipartisan support (12 Democrats sup- ported it) on Jan. 8. "When the employer mandate became effective on Jan. 1, up to 2.6 million Americans were at-risk for see- ing lost hours and wages at work," said Young. "Ironically, this unintended con- sequence hurts most those Obamacare was claimed to help: low- and mid- dle-income Americans working hour- ly jobs. Repealing this provision and restoring the traditional understanding of a 40-hour work is necessary to protect their paychecks. By making this one of the first votes of the new Congress, the House of Representatives is making clear our desire to provide relief from the most egregious unintended conse- quences of this law. I'm pleased that Rep. Lipinski and a growing number of Democrats are joining such efforts." "In 2013, I introduced the Forty Hours is Full Time Act to change the ACA's definition of full time work from 30 to 40 hours," said Lipinski. "Last year, I joined with Rep. Young on his Save American Workers Act to make a bipartisan push to a floor vote on this commonsense issue and the bill passed out of the House. This needed change to the ACA will protect part-time work- ers from losing work schedule flexibility and potentially losing 10 hours of wages a week. I am hopeful that the new Congress will be able to get this legisla- tion to the president's desk." On Jan. 6, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Joe Donnelly (D–IN) along with Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Forty Hours is Full Time Act, S. 30, which would change the definition of a "full- time employee" under the Affordable Care Act to someone who works an average of 40 hours per week. Collins and Donnelly first intro- duced this bipartisan solution in 2013 with the aim of making the health care law work better for families, employers and employees. The bipartisan legisla- tion would help employees impacted by the current definition of full-time worker and allow employers to better plan for the future by using the more commonly accepted definition of full time: someone who works 40 hours. "Our legislation is very straightfor- ward and would remedy a serious flaw in the Affordable Care Act that is causing workers to have their hours reduced and their pay cut," said Collins. "The law cre- ates a perverse incentive for businesses to cut their employees' hours so they are no longer considered full time. Our con- cerns are not hypothetical—more than 450 employers have already cut work hours or staffing levels in response to the law as of September 2013. Employees of for-profit businesses are not the only ones who are threatened by this illogical definition of full-time work. In Maine, I have heard from organizations like home care agencies, hospitals and school departments. Our goal is simple. We want to protect part-time workers from having their hours reduced and their paychecks cut because of the definition in this law." "I supported the Affordable Care Act because I wanted to help workingand middle-class families to have access to health care," said Donnelly. "That doesn't mean that the law is perfect, and it doesn't mean that we don't still have work to do." S. 30 has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. neuac asks congRess to Fund LiHeap at $4.7 BiLLion National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition Chairman John Rich urges Congress to build upon President Obama's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program budget request by providing $4.7 billion in funding for LIHEAP in FY 2016. "The President's LIHEAP budget request is insufficient, leaving vulnerable households cold in the winter and dan- gerously overheated in the summer," said Rich. "Many of the vulnerable include our veterans, one in five eligi- ble recipient households include active duty military, dependents or veterans. "LIHEAP funding is now just 2/3rds of its 2010 level of $5.1 billion. The President's $3.39 billion FY 2016 request further reduces LIHEAP's ability to www.fueloilnews.com | FueL oiL neWs | MaRcH 2015 3 DATELINE • Bill Aims to Restore 40-Hour Workweek • NEUAC Asks Congress to Fund LIHEAP at $4.7 Billion FUELS/EIA - pg 10 • BQ-9000 Biodiesel Fuel Quality Program Expands to Retailers • National Biodiesel Board Calls for EPA to Act on RFS • EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook, Feb. 10, 2015 Highlights • Tremcar Expands BUSINESS OpErATIONS - pg 22 • Experience the Sweet Side of Education With OESP in Hershey • 60% of Workers Say Relationship with Employer Positively Impacts Focus and Productivity, Virgin Pulse Survey Finds • New Survey: Costs And Employee Productivity Top Priorities for Benefits Programs HVAC/HyDrONICS - pg 38 • Self-Regulating Materials: What if Your Home Could Heat Itself? • ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Agree to Develop Biomass Requirements for Green Building Standard • ASHRAE, IAQA Approve Consolidation • Monitor Parts are Still Available Featured News DateliNe BREAkING NEWS