To require coverage of incarcerated workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, and for other purposes.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would extend federal minimum wage and overtime protections to people who work while incarcerated in prisons and jails. Currently, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) — the main federal law that sets rules about wages and working hours — does not apply to incarcerated workers. This means prisons can legally pay inmates very little, sometimes just a few cents per hour, or nothing at all, for the work they perform. This bill would change that by requiring that incarcerated workers be paid at least the federal minimum wage and receive overtime pay when they work more than 40 hours per week, just like other employees.

The bill would directly affect the estimated hundreds of thousands of incarcerated people across the United States who perform jobs inside correctional facilities — such as cooking, cleaning, manufacturing, farming, or other labor. It would also affect federal, state, and local governments that run prisons and jails, as well as any private companies that use prison labor, since they would be required to meet the same wage standards that apply to workers outside prison walls.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, which is the standard first step in the legislative process. It has not yet been voted on. The bill reflects an ongoing national debate about labor rights, prison reform, and the conditions under which incarcerated people work, though no official position or policy description has been provided by its sponsors at this time.