# 119-s-3550: Schedules That Work Act 119-s-3550, Schedules That Work Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3550 - 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-3550 - Congress: 119 - Title: Schedules That Work Act - Status: introduced - Introduced: 2025-12-17 - Sponsor: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA) - Cosponsors: 20 - Policy area: Government Operations and Politics - Touches household money: yes - Last recorded action: 2026-04-21 ## Summary **Stable, predictable work schedules**. This bill would create a statutory right for many hourly workers to request predictable hours, require 14 days' advance schedules or pay when schedules change, and set minimum rest and pay protections. - Workers and families: Covered employees in retail, food service, hospitality, cleaning, and warehouses would get a right to request schedule changes and must be given 14 days' notice or receive predictability pay. The bill also guarantees an 11-hour rest period between shifts and stronger protections for caregiving, health, education, and second-job needs. - Employers and workplaces: Employers with 15 or more employees would have to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process, conspicuously post schedules, itemize predictability and split-shift pay on pay stubs, and face $75 per day penalties for failing to provide required advance notice plus civil penalties for willful violations. - Government, data, and pilots: The Secretary of Labor would write rules and may designate additional occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census must add scheduling questions to major surveys and the bill requires pilot programs, technical assistance, and outreach to test and spread predictable-scheduling practices. ## Cosponsors (20) - Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z - Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA), 2025-12-17T00:00:00.000Z ## Provisions PRIA read - Employee lawsuits for schedule violations: benefit, high. If enacted, employees could sue for violations of scheduling rights. You would be able to recover lost pay, benefits, and interest. Courts could also award extra liquidated damages equal to lost pay plus interest unless the court waives them for employer good faith. Suits would generally be filed w… - Advance notice and predictability pay: benefit, medium. If enacted, covered employees would receive posted work schedules at least 14 days before they start; new hires would get a schedule by their first day. Employers who fail to give required advance notice would pay each affected employee $75 per day. Last‑minute schedule changes (less than 14 days'… - Right to 11-hour rest and extra pay: benefit, medium. If enacted, covered employees could decline shifts that start less than 11 hours after their prior shift. Employees may give written consent to work with less rest and may revoke that consent. If you work a shift that violates the 11‑hour rest rule, the employer would pay 1.5 times your scheduled r… - Right to request schedule changes: benefit, medium. If enacted, employees could request changes to hours, on‑call status, shift times, work location, or reduced hour volatility. Employers would need to engage in a timely, good‑faith interactive process and either grant or give a written denial stating bona fide business reasons. Requests tied to ser… - Pilots, data, and schedule research: benefit, low. If enacted, the Labor Department would run pilots and offer technical help testing fairer scheduling ideas like longer notice, minimum‑hour guarantees, and cross‑training. The Census and BLS would add questions on schedule notice, hour fluctuations, and employee input to regular surveys to better m… - DOL enforcement and employer fines: mixed, medium. If enacted, the Labor Department would get inspection and subpoena powers to enforce the bill and could require employers to keep records. The Secretary would normally ask for records no more than once every 12 months unless there is cause. Employers who willfully fail to post the required worker n… - Which employers and jobs are covered: mixed, medium. If enacted, an employer would be "covered" if it has 15 or more employees, counting full‑, part‑time, and temporary workers (you may use last year's average if numbers fluctuate). Covered sector employees would include nonexempt workers in hospitality, warehouses, and specified retail, food service… - Union waivers and state law protection: mixed, low. If enacted, a valid collective bargaining agreement that includes scheduling terms and expressly waives this bill would keep its scheduling rules and exempt those employees. The bill would also say it sets minimum standards and would not override State or local laws that give workers stronger prote… ## Related bills - 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026 - 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 ## Sources - [119-s-3550 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3550) ## Related - [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066) - [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) - [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3550 (as of 2026-04-21).