Press Releases

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) and Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) issued the following joint statement after the Department of Labor finalized changes to the companion care exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act:

Today’s regulatory action by the Department of Labor will raise costs and limit access to in-home care for vulnerable Americans. Congress enacted a specific exemption in the law to help ensure seniors and individuals with disabilities can receive the support they need from the comfort of their own homes. While the delivery of care has changed in recent years, the crucial need for affordable in-home companion care has not. The department’s previous estimates suggest this regulation could increase the cost of care by $2 billion over the next decade. Faced with higher costs, some individuals will have no choice but to leave their homes and enter institutional living. This misguided regulation will make matters worse for countless families struggling in the Obama economy.

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