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Policy Week in Review – July 11, 2025
At a Glance
The Policy Week in Review, prepared by Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute (WPI), sets forth WPI’s updates on federal, state, and local matters.
Senate Republicans Introduce Legislation to Empower Independent Workers
Earlier this week, Senators Bill Cassidy, (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tim Scott (R-SC), members of the HELP Committee, introduced a legislative package that would provide a safe harbor from certain worker misclassification claims for employers that voluntarily provide benefits to independent contractors, and would harmonize the definition of employee with the common law. In a press release, Chair Cassidy stated, “Outdated labor laws should not prevent workers from receiving health care or saving for a secure retirement” and that “[m]odernizing our federal labor laws ensures all independent workers can access workplace benefits without losing their flexibility to work how and when they want.” This legislation follows a white paper that Chair Cassidy released on the topic earlier this year. The Senate HELP Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on these issues, “Freedom to Work: Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers,’’ on Thursday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
House Introduces Bipartisan NIL Legislation
On Thursday, members of the House Education and Workforce Committee, House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Judiciary Committee introduced the “Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements Act” (SCORE Act) that would set federal standards to protect the name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights of student athletes and to promote fair competition with respect to intercollegiate athletics. This landmark legislation would set a national framework, preempting the patchwork of state laws, to allow student athletes to profit from the use of their NIL and require institutions and colleges to provide comprehensive academic support and career counseling, including mental health and financial literacy services, to student athletes. Importantly, the bill makes clear that no student athlete may be considered an employee of an institution or college based on their participation on a sports team or an intercollegiate athletic competition. Leading up to the introduction of this legislation, Littler attorneys Dan Nash and Tyler Simms, in their own right, testified at Committee hearings. You can read their testimony here and here.
Senate to Hold Confirmation Hearing on NLRB, EEOC, and HHS Nominees
On July 16 at 10:00 a.m. ET, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing on the following White House nominees: Crystal Carey to be the general counsel of the NLRB; Brittany Panuccio to be a member of the EEOC; and Brian Christine to be assistant secretary for health at the Department of Health, and Human Services. Click here to watch live.
House Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on OSHA Compliance Assistance
The Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chair Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) will hold a hearing titled, “Safe Workplaces, Stronger Partnerships: The Future of OSHA Compliance Assistance” on Wednesday, July 16 at 10:15 a.m. The hearing will be live-streamed on the Committee’s YouTube page.
