Older Workers’ Bureau Act
Sponsored By: Representative Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
Introduced
Summary
A dedicated Older Workers Bureau would be created inside the Department of Labor to improve the welfare, job prospects, and workplace conditions of older workers through research, policy, outreach, and grants.
Show full summary
- Older workers: The bill would drive research on benefits access, Family and Medical Leave Act coverage, training and digital literacy, retirement readiness, wage fairness, job security, and the effects of age discrimination. This aims to identify barriers for workers with incomes up to 200 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines.
- Employers and training providers: The Bureau would run competitive grants to fight structural ageism and fund programs that expand training and reemployment, with priority for areas lacking services for disadvantaged older workers.
- Federal agencies and researchers: The Bureau would coordinate federal research and consult agencies like the Social Security Administration, HHS, EEOC, VA, Treasury, and HUD to improve data and policy alignment. It would also launch a competitive research grants program within 180 days of becoming operational.
*Authorizes $10.0 million per year after fiscal year 2027 for the two grant programs.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Grants to Help Older Workers
This bill would require the Bureau to run two competitive grant programs within 180 days after it is operational. One grant program would fund research on barriers to employment, retention, and reemployment and on federal policy responses. The other grant program would fund employers, labor groups, nonprofits, and other institutions to fight structural ageism and improve training and job opportunities. Priority for institution grants would go to places that lack training programs for disadvantaged older workers. The bill would authorize $10,000,000 for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2027 to carry out these grants.
New Older Workers Bureau at Labor
This bill would create an Older Workers' Bureau inside the Department of Labor. The President would appoint a Director and the Secretary would make the Bureau operational within one year. The Bureau would hire staff, get office space, and follow federal pay rules. It would study public benefits for older workers with income up to 200% of poverty and FMLA access. It would also study job training, financial and digital literacy, retirement savings, age discrimination, wages, and job security. The Director would send an annual report to the Secretary and may publish it. The Director would be able to consult agencies like SSA, HHS, EEOC, VA, Treasury (including IRS), and HUD. The bill would define an 'older worker' as a person age 55 or older who is employed or seeking work and who sought work in the past 12 months.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
VA • D
Cosponsors
Bonamici
OR • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]
TX • D
Sponsored 2/12/2026
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/2/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov