Worker Rights and Support Act
Sponsored By: Representative Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
Introduced
Summary
Guarantees regular paid and unpaid breaks for workers. This bill would add mandatory meal, rest, restroom, and medical break rules to the Fair Labor Standards Act to define when breaks must be provided and how they must be paid.
Show full summary
- Workers: Employees would get a meal break of at least 30 minutes every 6 hours, a rest or restroom break during each 4-hour period (at least 10 minutes), and medical breaks up to 20 minutes when supported by a health care provider. Paid break time would count as hours worked.
- Pay rules and interrupted breaks: If an employee is not fully relieved or cannot leave the premises during a meal break the employer would owe the full break time at no less than 1.5 times the employee's regular rate. Rest and medical breaks would be paid at the regular rate.
- Employers and enforcement: Violations would become a prohibited act under the Fair Labor Standards Act and subject to the same legal and equitable remedies and enforcement pathways as other wage and hour rules. The measure also removes a related section of the Act to align rules with the new break framework.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New paid meal and rest breaks
If enacted, you would get a 30-minute meal break for every 6 hours of work. You would get rest or restroom breaks at least every 4 hours, at least 10 minutes or longer to use the nearest working and accessible restroom. If a health care provider says you need it, you would get medical breaks up to 20 minutes each. Rest and medical break time would be paid at your regular rate. Meal breaks would be unpaid only if you are fully relieved and free to leave; otherwise your employer would pay the full 30 minutes at not less than 1.5 times your regular rate. Paid break time would count as hours worked. Employers could not force you to waive a meal break. Collective bargaining agreements and State laws that give greater protections would still apply. If enacted, the bill would also let you use FLSA enforcement rules to enforce these break rules, and employers could face legal or equitable remedies and the usual filing time limits.
Repeal of prior break provision
If enacted, this bill would repeal Section 10 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 210). This repeal is a technical, conforming change tied to the new break rules. Employers and employees might see legal effects where Section 10 previously applied.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
FL • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39]
CA • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Adams, Alma S. [D-NC-12]
NC • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 5/21/2026
Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2]
RI • D
Sponsored 7/2/2026
Rep. Grijalva, Adelita S. [D-AZ-7]
AZ • D
Sponsored 7/14/2026
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 9/14/2026
Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
MS • D
Sponsored 9/14/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 9/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov