Introduced in House — H.R. 7524

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 7524

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2026

Mr. Beyer (for himself, Ms. Bonamici, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

A BILL

To establish in the Department of Labor an Older Workers’ Bureau, to establish a data hub and a technical assistance center at the Department of Labor related to employment of older workers and the effect of older employment on retirement security, to establish grant programs related to the employment of older workers, and for other purposes.

Section 1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the Older Workers’ Bureau Act.

Sec. 2. Findings; purpose

(a) Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

Of the 5,350,000 workers expected to be added to the United States Workforce over the next 10 years, 2,070,000 will be older than 55, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(2)

From 2004 to 2024, the share of older workers in the labor force grew from 16 percent to over 23 percent.

(3)

Under the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) the older adult poverty rate went up to 15 percent in 2024 from 9.5 percent during the COVID–19 pandemic.

(4)

Older adults in the bottom 20 percent of wealth died on average 9 years earlier than those in the top 20 percent.

(5)

Physically and psychologically difficult working conditions are widespread and damaging for older workers.

(6)

Older workers are more likely to be involuntary part time, gig, or temporary workers than prime age workers.

(7)

More than 1/3 or 35.1 percent of women ages 55 and older earned low wages, defined as $17.37 per hour or less.

(8)

Concern about age discrimination amongst older workers reached a record high during the COVID–19 pandemic and remains consistently and persistently high at 64 percent.

(9)

More than 1,000,000 older workers were pushed out or voluntarily left the labor force during the COVID–19 pandemic.

(10)

While some older workers have returned to the labor force since the beginning of the COVID–19 pandemic, many have struggled to obtain work and others fear returning to unsafe working conditions.

(11)

Significant numbers of women between the age of 55 and 64 have unexpected workforce exits due to health and care giving responsibilities.

(12)

Older workers need specific policy consideration and assistance that could be met by establishing an Older Workers’ Bureau within the Department of Labor.

(b) Purpose

It is the purpose of this Act to promote productive, inclusive, and welfare-enhancing employment opportunities and workplaces for older workers through research, policy development, outreach, and grant programs.

Sec. 3. Definitions

For the purposes of this Act:

(1) Bureau

The term Bureau means the Older Workers’ Bureau established under section 4(a).

(2) Director

The term Director means the Director of the Older Workers’ Bureau.

(3) Older worker

The term older worker means an individual who—

(A)

is not younger than 55 years of age; and

(B)

(i)

is employed;

(ii)

is seeking employment; or

(iii)

wants employment, is available for employment, and has sought employment within the preceding 12 months.

(4) Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Labor.

Sec. 4. Older Worker’s Bureau

(a) Establishment

There is established in the Department of Labor a bureau to be known as the Older Workers’ Bureau, which shall be under the direction of the Director of the Older Workers’ Bureau.

(b) Personnel

(1) Director

(A) Appointment

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint a Director to lead the Bureau.

(B) Inclusion in Executive Schedule

Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

Director of the Older Workers’ Bureau, Department of Labor.

(2) Staff

The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall employ such staff as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the functions of the Bureau, at such rates of pay as the Secretary may provide, subject to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. The Secretary may not reduce staffing levels of the Bureau below that necessary to carry out such functions efficiently.

(c) Functions

The Director shall promote the welfare and improve the working conditions of older workers, increase the efficiency, capacity, and coordination of programs serving older workers, and advance the employment opportunities of older workers, including by carrying out, with respect to older workers, the following:

(1)

Research relating to—

(A)

public benefits that support—

(i)

the economic and financial security of such workers; and

(ii)

access and retention of safety net supports for such workers who earn an annual income that is not more than 200 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines;

(B)

access for such workers to—

(i)

leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); and

(ii)

workplace flexibility opportunities to support the needs of such workers with respect to managing personal health and caregiving responsibilities;

(C)

tailored, person-centered approaches to job training and adult education (including on soft skills, financial literacy education, and digital literacy) for such workers;

(D)

access to savings and tax-advantaged opportunities for such workers to provide a path toward a financially secure retirement;

(E)

age discrimination in the workplace, including how such discrimination is, and could be, addressed and how such discrimination impacts such workers;

(F)

wages paid to such workers, including whether such wages are commensurate with experience;

(G)

job security for such workers, including—

(i)

the probability of job loss; and

(ii)

resources available to such workers in the event of job separation;

(H)

retirement readiness for such workers, including the impact of Federal policies on retirement readiness for such workers; and

(I)

the impact of Federal policies on the equitable treatment (including with respect to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, education, ability, and residence) of such workers and their retirement.

(2)

Policy development.

(3)

Outreach and education.

(4)

Grant program administration.

(5)

Coordinating Federal research relating to such workers.

(6)

Improving access to data on the economic situation of such workers.

(d) Office quarters

The Secretary shall furnish sufficient quarters, office furniture, and equipment as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out the functions of the Bureau.

(e) Report

The Director—

(1)

shall annually submit to the Secretary a report—

(A)

on the activities of the Bureau with respect to older workers, including with respect to the functions described in subsection (c);

(B)

that catalogs Federal programs that support the employment, economic success, and well-being of such workers;

(C)

that identifies issues with respect to such workers that may be improved with Federal support; and

(D)

that makes recommendations to promote the welfare and economic and financial security, improve the working conditions, increase the efficiency, capacity, and coordination of programs serving older workers, and advance the employment opportunities of such workers; and

(2)

may publish such report, as directed by the Secretary.

(f) Consultation

In carrying out the functions of the Bureau, the Secretary, acting through the Director, may consult with—

(1)

Federal agencies that have jurisdiction over matters involving older adults, including—

(A)

the Social Security Administration, including the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy;

(B)

the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Administration for Community Living, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the National Institute on Aging;

(C)

the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;

(D)

the Department of Veterans Affairs;

(E)

the Department of the Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Service; and

(F)

the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and

(2)

any other Federal agency that the Secretary determines has relevant expertise.

(g) Applicability

The Secretary shall take such actions as are necessary to ensure the Bureau is operational not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 5. Research grants

Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Bureau is operational, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall carry out a program to award, on a competitive basis, grants to facilitate, with respect to older workers, research—

(1)

designed to identify areas that could benefit from additional research for the purposes of—

(A)

identifying and eliminating barriers to securing employment, job retention, and reemployment for such workers; and

(B)

identifying policies that the Federal Government may implement to assist such workers; and

(2)

as determined appropriate by the Secretary, into the areas identified under paragraph (1).

Sec. 6. Grants to combat structural ageism

(a) In general

(1)

facilitate activities, services, and programs to improve the welfare of older workers;

(2)

combat structural ageism;

(3)

improve employment opportunities for older workers; and

(4)

create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.

(b) Priority

In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority to a covered institution that is located in an area that has no training programs specifically targeted to disadvantaged older workers.

(c) Covered institutions defined

For the purposes of this section, the term covered institution means any of the following:

(1)

An employer.

(2)

An employer association.

(3)

A labor organization.

(4)

A nonprofit with expertise in older workers.

(5)

A worker organization.

(6)

Another institution determined appropriate by the Secretary.

Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations

To carry out sections 5 and 6, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2027.