Bill > HR2299

This bill, titled the "Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2025," establishes a permanent program within the Department of Labor called the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, building on a successful pilot. The PAID program allows employers who have unintentionally violated the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), which sets minimum wage and overtime pay rules, to voluntarily come forward and correct these violations. Employers participating in the program must conduct a "self-audit" to identify specific violations, calculate the back wages owed to affected employees, and demonstrate that they have corrected the practices that led to the violations. To qualify, employers must be acting in "good faith," meaning they are not currently under investigation or facing lawsuits for similar violations. If an employer's application is approved, the Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division will oversee a settlement process where affected employees receive the back wages owed. By accepting this settlement, employees waive their right to sue for those specific violations, but they can decline the offer and pursue legal action independently. The bill also includes provisions to protect employers who participate in the program from having their application information used against them in future investigations, unless there's a risk to employee health and safety, and it prevents the scope of violations from being expanded beyond what the employer initially identified. Importantly, employers are not required to pay any fees to apply for or participate in the program.

Education

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2299/all-info