H.R. 7524

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7524 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7524

To establish in the Department of Labor an Older Workers' Bureau, to 
establish a data hub and a technical assistance center at the 
Department of Labor related to employment of older workers and the 
effect of older employment on retirement security, to establish grant 
programs related to the employment of older workers, and for other 
purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2026

Mr. Beyer (for himself, Ms. Bonamici, and Ms. Garcia of Texas) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To establish in the Department of Labor an Older Workers' Bureau, to 
establish a data hub and a technical assistance center at the 
Department of Labor related to employment of older workers and the 
effect of older employment on retirement security, to establish grant 
programs related to the employment of older workers, and for other 
purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Older Workers' Bureau Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) Of the 5,350,000 workers expected to be added to the 
United States Workforce over the next 10 years, 2,070,000 will 
be older than 55, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(2) From 2004 to 2024, the share of older workers in the 
labor force grew from 16 percent to over 23 percent.
(3) Under the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) the older 
adult poverty rate went up to 15 percent in 2024 from 9.5 
percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(4) Older adults in the bottom 20 percent of wealth died on 
average 9 years earlier than those in the top 20 percent.
(5) Physically and psychologically difficult working 
conditions are widespread and damaging for older workers.
(6) Older workers are more likely to be involuntary part 
time, gig, or temporary workers than prime age workers.
(7) More than \1/3\ or 35.1 percent of women ages 55 and 
older earned low wages, defined as $17.37 per hour or less.
(8) Concern about age discrimination amongst older workers 
reached a record high during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains 
consistently and persistently high at 64 percent.
(9) More than 1,000,000 older workers were pushed out or 
voluntarily left the labor force during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(10) While some older workers have returned to the labor 
force since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many have 
struggled to obtain work and others fear returning to unsafe 
working conditions.
(11) Significant numbers of women between the age of 55 and 
64 have unexpected workforce exits due to health and care 
giving responsibilities.
(12) Older workers need specific policy consideration and 
assistance that could be met by establishing an Older Workers' 
Bureau within the Department of Labor.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to promote productive, 
inclusive, and welfare-enhancing employment opportunities and 
workplaces for older workers through research, policy development, 
outreach, and grant programs.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

For the purposes of this Act:
(1) Bureau.--The term ``Bureau'' means the Older Workers' 
Bureau established under section 4(a).
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
the Older Workers' Bureau.
(3) Older worker.--The term ``older worker'' means an 
individual who--
(A) is not younger than 55 years of age; and
(B)(i) is employed;
(ii) is seeking employment; or
(iii) wants employment, is available for 
employment, and has sought employment within the 
preceding 12 months.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
of Labor.

SEC. 4. OLDER WORKER'S BUREAU.

(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department of Labor 
a bureau to be known as the ``Older Workers' Bureau'', which shall be 
under the direction of the Director of the Older Workers' Bureau.
(b) Personnel.--
(1) Director.--
(A) Appointment.--Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the President shall 
appoint a Director to lead the Bureau.
(B) Inclusion in executive schedule.--Section 5315 
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at 
the end the following:
``Director of the Older Workers' Bureau, Department of 
Labor.''.
(2) Staff.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, 
shall employ such staff as the Secretary determines necessary 
to carry out the functions of the Bureau, at such rates of pay 
as the Secretary may provide, subject to the provisions of 
chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title, 
relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates. The 
Secretary may not reduce staffing levels of the Bureau below 
that necessary to carry out such functions efficiently.
(c) Functions.--The Director shall promote the welfare and improve 
the working conditions of older workers, increase the efficiency, 
capacity, and coordination of programs serving older workers, and 
advance the employment opportunities of older workers, including by 
carrying out, with respect to older workers, the following:
(1) Research relating to--
(A) public benefits that support--
(i) the economic and financial security of 
such workers; and
(ii) access and retention of safety net 
supports for such workers who earn an annual 
income that is not more than 200 percent of the 
Federal poverty guidelines;
(B) access for such workers to--
(i) leave under the Family and Medical 
Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); and
(ii) workplace flexibility opportunities to 
support the needs of such workers with respect 
to managing personal health and caregiving 
responsibilities;
(C) tailored, person-centered approaches to job 
training and adult education (including on soft skills, 
financial literacy education, and digital literacy) for 
such workers;
(D) access to savings and tax-advantaged 
opportunities for such workers to provide a path toward 
a financially secure retirement;
(E) age discrimination in the workplace, including 
how such discrimination is, and could be, addressed and 
how such discrimination impacts such workers;
(F) wages paid to such workers, including whether 
such wages are commensurate with experience;
(G) job security for such workers, including--
(i) the probability of job loss; and
(ii) resources available to such workers in 
the event of job separation;
(H) retirement readiness for such workers, 
including the impact of Federal policies on retirement 
readiness for such workers; and
(I) the impact of Federal policies on the equitable 
treatment (including with respect to race, sex, sexual 
orientation, gender identity, education, ability, and 
residence) of such workers and their retirement.
(2) Policy development.
(3) Outreach and education.
(4) Grant program administration.
(5) Coordinating Federal research relating to such workers.
(6) Improving access to data on the economic situation of 
such workers.
(d) Office Quarters.--The Secretary shall furnish sufficient 
quarters, office furniture, and equipment as the Secretary determines 
necessary to carry out the functions of the Bureau.
(e) Report.--The Director--
(1) shall annually submit to the Secretary a report--
(A) on the activities of the Bureau with respect to 
older workers, including with respect to the functions 
described in subsection (c);
(B) that catalogs Federal programs that support the 
employment, economic success, and well-being of such 
workers;
(C) that identifies issues with respect to such 
workers that may be improved with Federal support; and
(D) that makes recommendations to promote the 
welfare and economic and financial security, improve 
the working conditions, increase the efficiency, 
capacity, and coordination of programs serving older 
workers, and advance the employment opportunities of 
such workers; and
(2) may publish such report, as directed by the Secretary.
(f) Consultation.--In carrying out the functions of the Bureau, the 
Secretary, acting through the Director, may consult with--
(1) Federal agencies that have jurisdiction over matters 
involving older adults, including--
(A) the Social Security Administration, including 
the Office of Retirement and Disability Policy;
(B) the Department of Health and Human Services, 
including the Administration for Community Living, the 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
and the National Institute on Aging;
(C) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;
(D) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(E) the Department of the Treasury, including the 
Internal Revenue Service; and
(F) the Department of Housing and Urban 
Development; and
(2) any other Federal agency that the Secretary determines 
has relevant expertise.
(g) Applicability.--The Secretary shall take such actions as are 
necessary to ensure the Bureau is operational not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. RESEARCH GRANTS.

Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Bureau is 
operational, the Secretary, acting through the Director, shall carry 
out a program to award, on a competitive basis, grants to facilitate, 
with respect to older workers, research--
(1) designed to identify areas that could benefit from 
additional research for the purposes of--
(A) identifying and eliminating barriers to 
securing employment, job retention, and reemployment 
for such workers; and
(B) identifying policies that the Federal 
Government may implement to assist such workers; and
(2) as determined appropriate by the Secretary, into the 
areas identified under paragraph (1).

SEC. 6. GRANTS TO COMBAT STRUCTURAL AGEISM.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which 
the Bureau is operational, the Secretary, acting through the Director, 
shall carry out a program to award, on a competitive basis, grants to 
covered institutions to--
(1) facilitate activities, services, and programs to 
improve the welfare of older workers;
(2) combat structural ageism;
(3) improve employment opportunities for older workers; and
(4) create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
(b) Priority.--In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall give priority to a covered institution that is located in an area 
that has no training programs specifically targeted to disadvantaged 
older workers.
(c) Covered Institutions Defined.--For the purposes of this 
section, the term ``covered institution'' means any of the following:
(1) An employer.
(2) An employer association.
(3) A labor organization.
(4) A nonprofit with expertise in older workers.
(5) A worker organization.
(6) Another institution determined appropriate by the 
Secretary.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

To carry out sections 5 and 6, there is authorized to be 
appropriated $10,000,000 for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2027.
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