Ensuring Access to Affordable and Quality Home Care for Seniors and People with Disabilities Act

This bill keeps certain wage-and-hour rules the same for in-home care. It keeps the rule that many “companionship services” workers are not covered by federal minimum wage or overtime, and that live-in domestic workers are not covered by overtime. “Companionship services” means non-medical help like bathing, dressing, meal prep, errands, laundry, medication reminders, and similar support. General housework can be included, but it can’t be more than 20% of weekly hours. It does not include tasks that must be done by trained medical staff, like registered or practical nurses.

The bill also defines “domestic service” to include jobs like cooks, housekeepers, nannies, certified nursing assistants, home care aides, home health aides, personal care aides, and more. It clarifies that these workers can be employed by an agency and still fit these categories. The overall goal stated in the bill is to keep access to affordable, quality home care for seniors and people with disabilities by preserving these existing rules.

• Who is affected: Seniors, people with disabilities, families using in-home care, home care and live-in domestic workers, and care agencies.
• What changes: Keeps current exemptions from minimum wage/overtime for companionship services and from overtime for live-in domestic work; defines what counts as companionship services and domestic service; excludes medical nursing tasks; caps general housework at 20% of weekly hours; clarifies that agency-employed workers can be included.