American Hiring Transparency Act
Sponsored By: Senator Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced
Summary
A mandatory, inflation‑adjusted employer fee of at least $10,000 for permanent labor certification. This bill would require employers who file an Application for Permanent Employment Certification (Form ETA‑9089 or successor) to pay a non‑waivable fee and index that fee to inflation beginning in FY2028.
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- Employers: Firms filing PERM would face a new upfront cost of at least $10,000 starting in FY2027, and the fee would rise annually with the Consumer Price Index. The fee cannot be waived or reduced.
- Jobseekers and hiring platforms: Half of collected fees would go into a new PERM Fee Account and be used to upgrade and maintain USAJOBS or a successor platform to host job ads and process applications for labor market testing. These account funds would be split 50/50 for the Secretary of Labor and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to spend without further appropriation.
- Federal receipts and agencies: The other half of each year’s fees would flow to the Treasury general fund, creating a dedicated, ongoing revenue stream that funds both agency system upgrades and the general fund.
*Would increase federal receipts by creating a permanent, employer‑paid PERM fee and a dedicated account that lets the Department of Labor and the Office of Personnel Management spend half of deposits without further appropriation.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Higher permanent hiring fees for employers
This bill would require employers who file a permanent labor certification (Form ETA 9089 or a successor) to pay a PERM filing fee when they file. For fiscal year 2027 the fee would be the greater of $10,000 or a higher amount set by the Secretary of Labor. Starting in fiscal year 2028, the fee would rise each year by the year-over-year July CPI‑U percent change applied to the prior year and rounded down to the next $10. The fee could not be waived or reduced and is in addition to any other authorized fees.
New fee fund to upgrade USAJOBS
This bill would create a PERM Fee Account in the Treasury. Half of PERM fees each fiscal year would go into that Account and half would go to the general fund. Of the money in the Account, half would be available to the Secretary of Labor to spend without further appropriation and half would be available to the OPM Director to upgrade and maintain USAJOBS or a successor platform. This funding rule would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Scott, Rick [R-FL]
FL • R
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov