A bill proposed by 6th District Congressman Glenn Grothman would strengthen anti-discrimination protections for older workers.
The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act was introduced by the Glenbeulah Republican and Virginia Democrat David Scott.
It returns the legal standard for age discrimination to the pre-2009 evidentiary threshold, aligning the burden of proof with the same standards for proving discrimination based on race and national origin.
Grothman says, “In my mind, the one form of discrimination that is so widespread is age discrimination against older workers. This affects a whole generation of Americans. Countless people aged 50 and up get laid off at a time when they still have mortgages to pay and children to support, and they find it very difficult to find a job. Everyone—regardless of their age—should be able to go to work every day knowing that they are protected from discrimination.”
The act amends four laws: The Americans with Disabilities Act, Title seven of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Rehabilitation Act.
A similar version of the bill was passed during the 117th Congress with bipartisan support.
