Protecting Independent Contractors from Discrimination Act of 2021
Key claim: Independent contractors would receive the same legal protections as employees against workplace discrimination and under federal wage standards.
Abstract
(HR5143 · 117th Congress) Protecting Independent Contractors from Discrimination Act of 20 21 This bill treats independent contractors as employees with respect to the protections provided under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008. Latest action (2021-08-31): Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
Why this matters
The proposal would expand independent contractors’ access to federal protections against workplace discrimination, including disability, age, and genetic-information discrimination, and to federal wage standards. Its significance is the proposed extension of coverage beyond employees; the finding establishes introduction only, not enactment or an effective change in contractors’ rights.