September 8, 2026
Mr. Takano (for himself, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. Norton, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Omar, Mr. Correa, and Mrs. Ramirez) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to reduce the standard workweek from 40 hours per week to 32 hours per week, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act
.
Sec. 2. Fair Labor Standards Act
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended—
(1)
in section 7 (29 U.S.C. 207)—
(A)
in subsection (a)—
(i)
in paragraph (1)—
(I)
by striking commerce, for a workweek longer than forty hours
and all that follows through the period and inserting commerce—
; and
(II)
by adding at the end the following:
(A)
for a workweek longer than thirty-two hours unless such employee receives compensation for his employment in excess of such hours at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at which he is employed; or
(B)
for a workday—
(i)
longer than eight hours, but not longer than 12 hours, unless such employee receives compensation for his employment in excess of eight hours at a rate not less than one and one-half times the regular rate at which he is employed; or
(ii)
longer than twelve hours unless such employee receives compensation for his employment in excess of such hours at a rate not less than double the regular rate at which he is employed.;
(ii)
in paragraph (2)—
(I)
in the matter that precedes subparagraph (A), by striking Fair Labor Standards Amendments of 1966
and inserting Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act
; and
(II)
by striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following:
(A)
for a workweek longer than thirty-eight hours during the 1-year period beginning not less than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act,
(B)
for a workweek longer than thirty-six hours during the second year after the first day of such period,
(C)
for a workweek longer than thirty-four hours during the third year after the first day of such period, or
(D)
for a workweek longer than thirty-two hours after the expiration of the third year after the first day of such period,; and
(iii)
by adding at the end the following:
(3)
With respect to any employee described in paragraph (2) who in any workweek is brought within the purview of this subsection by the amendments made to this Act by the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, the employer of such employee may not reduce the total workweek compensation rate, including the regular rate at which the employee is employed, or any other employee benefit due to the employee being brought within the purview of this subsection by such amendments.; and
(B)
in subsection (l)—
(i)
by striking No
and inserting Except as provided in subsection (a)(2), no
; and
(ii)
by striking forty
and inserting thirty-two
; and
(2)
in section 18(a) (29 U.S.C. 218(a)) by inserting or workday
after workweek
in each place it occurs.