# 119-s-2488: Empowering App-Based Workers Act 119-s-2488, Empowering App-Based Workers Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2488 - As of: 2026-04-21 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: 119-s-2488 - Congress: 119 - Title: Empowering App-Based Workers Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-07-28 - Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI) - Cosponsors: 4 - Policy area: Labor and Employment - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **Transparency about monitoring and pay.** The Empowering App-Based Workers Act would require app-based platforms to disclose how electronic monitoring tools and automated decision systems shape assignments, compensation, tips, and consumer pricing, and it limits ride-service platform take rates to 25 percent. - App-based workers get plain-language notices and detailed pay data. Platforms must provide itemized assignment statements and weekly pay summaries, respond to data requests within five business days, and cannot infer sensitive attributes to set pay. - Consumers and households get assignment-level pricing breakdowns that show total paid, tips, amounts sent to the worker, and the platform take rate so buyers see where their money goes. - Platforms face strict data rules and oversight. They must retain monitoring and ADS records for four years, cannot sell worker data except in narrow cases, are subject to enforcement by the Secretary of Labor, and can be sued by workers, authorized agents, consumers, and labor organizations, with penalties deposited into a Treasury investigation fund. ## Cosponsors (4) - Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-07-28T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-07-28T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2026-02-10T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Right to sue platforms for violations: benefit, high. If enacted, app-based workers, consumers, authorized agents, and labor groups could sue platforms for many violations. Plaintiffs could recover set statutory damages (for example, $20,000 for some notice or data preservation failures, $5,000 for certain pay-statement or algorithmic-pay violations,… - 25% cap on platform take per ride: benefit, medium. If enacted, platforms that provide on-demand rides could not take more than 25 percent of the consumer payment for each ride. Platforms also could not add fees on workers that, when combined with the fare, make the platform's share exceed 25 percent. The cap applies to each assignment and limits ho… - Clear pay receipts and public platform data: benefit, medium. If enacted, platforms would send an electronic receipt at the end of each assignment showing fare, tip, reimbursements, amount paid to the worker, take rate, miles, time, and bonus info. Platforms would also send a weekly pay statement with totals, an hourly pay metric, time worked, miles, and unpa… - Fair pay rules and worker protections: benefit, medium. If enacted, platforms could not pay different amounts for substantially similar tasks unless differences reflect real cost differences or a collective bargaining agreement. Platforms would be barred from using individualized worker data in pay-setting ADS. The bill would also block confidentiality… - Worker data access and notice rules: benefit, medium. If enacted, platforms would have to tell applicants and workers in their primary language about tracking tools and automated decision systems. Platforms would keep monitoring and ADS records for four years and not sell worker monitoring data except to a worker's authorized agent or when law require… - Rulemaking, enforcement, and legal limits: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Secretary of Labor would get strong inspection and enforcement powers and could issue rules within 180 days of enactment. The Department could require reports, interview workers, and refer criminal matters to the Attorney General. The Act would preserve state law protections and FLS… ## Related bills - 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act - 119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act - 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act - 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026 - 119-s-1503: Equality Act - 119-s-2845: Billionaires Income Tax Act ## Sources - [119-s-2488 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2488) ## Related - [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823) - [119-s-3869: Healthy Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3869) - [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51) - [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108) - [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503) - [119-s-2845: Billionaires Income Tax Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2845) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2488 (as of 2026-04-21).