Congressman DeSaulnier Passes Measure to Protect Older Workers Against Discrimination

Statement

Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) passed an effort to ensure that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has the resources necessary to address age discrimination in the workplace. The amendment was included in the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (H.R. 1230), which passed the U.S. House by a vote of 261-to-155.

"The American workforce is getting older and working longer than ever before. At the same time, complaints of age discrimination are on the rise," said Congressman DeSaulnier. "To better support the EEOC in its work and meaningfully address age discrimination in the workplace, Congress needs to understand the full scope of the problem as well as any gaps in the agency's ability to address and prevent such incidents."

The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would once again allow older workers to use the same standard of proof for discrimination like workers who face discrimination based on other characteristics like race, sex, national origin or religion -- overturning a 2009 Supreme Court ruling. Congressman DeSaulnier's amendment would require a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the EEOC's ability to meet the demands of its workload; its plans for investigating systemic age discrimination; and options for improving EEOC's ability to respond to allegations of age discrimination.

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