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H.R. 9008119th CongressIn committeeLatest action May 21, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 9008 would require 30-min meal breaks every 6 hrs and paid 10-min rest breaks every 4 hrs for most US private-sector workers.
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HR 9008 would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to require employers to provide workers a 30-minute meal break for every 6 hours worked, a paid 10-minute rest or restroom break for every 4 hours worked, and additional paid breaks of up to 20 minutes when a doctor certifies a medical need. Meal breaks may be unpaid only when workers are fully relieved of duties, but if workers must remain on-site or continue working during a meal break, employers must pay one and a half times the worker's regular rate for that time. Workers may voluntarily waive their meal break, but employers are prohibited from pressuring them to do so.
The bill primarily affects most private-sector employees and their employers across the United States, with particular impact on industries such as warehousing, retail, food service, and transportation. It does not apply where union contracts already set break rules and does not override state laws that provide stronger protections.
Violations would be enforceable under existing federal labor law, allowing workers to sue employers or triggering federal government action on their behalf. States and collective bargaining agreements that already exceed these standards would not be weakened by the bill.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.