Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act

The Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act would extend a broad set of labor protections to domestic workers—people who perform in-home care, child care, cleaning, and related domestic services. It builds on and broadens existing coverage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) by creating specific rights for live-in and non-live-in domestic employees, establishing a framework for written agreements, scheduling, leave, privacy, and wage protections, and adding new enforcement mechanisms. The bill also creates a Domestic Employee Standards Board, funds an enforcement and outreach program, and includes provisions to support Medicaid-funded home- and community-based services. In short, it aims to treat domestic work as a visible, regulated form of employment with clear rights, predictable pay, and accessible avenues for redress. The act is structured in five title areas: amendments to federal labor standards (including overtime for live-in workers and new termination/communication rules), a suite of domestic employee rights (written agreements, sick days, scheduling protections, privacy, breaks, and wage protections), civil rights protections for domestic employees, a standards and benefits framework (board and research), and implementation/funding provisions (hotline, grants, task force, Medicaid-related funding). It defines key terms (such as “domestic employee,” “live-in,” and “domestic services”) and assigns rulemaking authority to the Secretary of Labor. The overall effect would be to raise wages, stabilize scheduling and benefits, improve safety and privacy, and provide stronger avenues for enforcement.