Title 29 — LaborRelease 119-73
§202 Congressional finding and declaration of policy
Title 29 › Chapter CHAPTER 8— - FAIR LABOR STANDARDS › § 202
Summary
Congress says poor working conditions in businesses that sell across state lines hurt trade and the economy. Such conditions spread bad jobs, slow the movement of goods, create unfair competition, lead to worker disputes, and disrupt fair markets. Work done in private homes also affects trade. Congress makes it a policy to use its power over trade between states and with other countries to fix and quickly remove these problems without sharply cutting jobs or workers’ pay.
Full Legal Text
Title 29, §202
Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Congress finds that the existence, in industries engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce, of labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency, and general well-being of workers (1) causes commerce and the channels and instrumentalities of commerce to be used to spread and perpetuate such labor conditions among the workers of the several States; (2) burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce; (3) constitutes an unfair method of competition in commerce; (4) leads to labor disputes burdening and obstructing commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce; and (5) interferes with the orderly and fair marketing of goods in commerce. That Congress further finds that the employment of persons in domestic service in households affects commerce.
(b)It is declared to be the policy of this chapter, through the exercise by Congress of its power to regulate commerce among the several States and with foreign nations, to correct and as rapidly as practicable to eliminate the conditions above referred to in such industries without substantially curtailing employment or earning power.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1974—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–259 inserted finding of Congress that employment of persons in domestic service in households affects commerce. 1949—Subsec. (b). Act Oct. 26, 1949, inserted reference to regulation of commerce with foreign nations.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1974 Amendment Pub. L. 93–259, § 29(a), Apr. 8, 1974, 88 Stat. 76, provided that: “Except as otherwise specifically provided, the
Amendments
made by this Act [see
Short Title
of 1974 Amendment note set out under section 201 of this title] shall take effect on May 1, 1974.”
Effective Date
of 1949 AmendmentAct Oct. 26, 1949, ch. 736, § 16(a), 63 Stat. 919, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this Act [enacting section 216b of this title, amending this section and sections 203 to 208, 211 to 216, and 217 of this title, and repealing section 216a of this title] shall take effect upon the expiration of ninety days from the date of its enactment [Oct. 26, 1947]; except that the amendment made by section 4 [amending section 204 of this title] shall take effect on the date of its enactment [Oct. 26, 1949].” Rules,
Regulations
, and Orders With Regard to Fair Labor Standards
Amendments
of 1974 Pub. L. 93–259, § 29(b), Apr. 8, 1974, 88 Stat. 76, provided that: “Notwithstanding subsection (a) [set out as an
Effective Date
of 1974 Amendment note above], on and after the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 8, 1974] the Secretary of Labor is authorized to prescribe necessary rules,
Regulations
, and orders with regard to the
Amendments
made by this Act [see
Short Title
of 1974 Amendment note set out under section 201 of this title].”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
29 U.S.C. § 202
Title 29 — Labor
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73