H.R. 10035: Protecting Independent Contractors from Discrimination Act of 2026

This bill would change several federal job-discrimination and wage laws so that many independent contractors would be treated more like employees for those laws.

What it would change

• Title VII of the Civil Rights Act would be expanded so that people working under an independent contract are covered by its protections against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act would be expanded so that independent contractors would be covered by its protections against age discrimination.
• The Fair Labor Standards Act would define “employee” to include people working under an independent contract for purposes of the law’s equal pay provisions.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act would extend its employment protections to independent contractors.
• The Rehabilitation Act would extend its employment-related anti-discrimination protections to independent contractors.
• The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act would also cover independent contractors, meaning employers generally could not use genetic information to discriminate against them in the same way they cannot for employees.

Practical effect

In simple terms, the bill would make it easier for people who are classified as independent contractors to bring workplace discrimination claims under these federal laws. It would generally treat them as if they were employees for these specific protections, even if they are not traditional employees under other parts of the law.

The bill does not appear to change every legal rule that applies to employees. It specifically amends the listed civil rights, wage, disability, rehabilitation, and genetic information laws, rather than changing the general tax or labor classification rules for contractors across the board.

Relevant Companies

None found