119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 10035
This bill would extend workplace discrimination protections to independent contractors by amending six major federal civil rights and labor laws. Currently, independent contractors are generally excluded from protections against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information, and other protected characteristics. The legislation would revise the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act to explicitly include independent contractors within the definition of "employee" for purposes of these protections. This change would make independent contractors eligible to file discrimination complaints and pursue legal remedies under these existing laws. The bill does not specify funding amounts or implementation timelines, as it primarily involves definitional changes to existing legislation rather than creating new programs or agencies.