FLEXIBILITY FOR WORKERS EDUCATION ACT

On 2026-01-13, Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI-5) delivered a floor speech titled "FLEXIBILITY FOR WORKERS EDUCATION ACT" in the House. The speech addressed the economy and also covered taxes. It referenced legislation including HR2262, HRES988.

FLEXIBILITY FOR WORKERS EDUCATION ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 9 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 13, 2026)] [House] [Pages H677-H681] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] {time} 1410 FLEXIBILITY FOR WORKERS EDUCATION ACT Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 988, I call up the bill (H.R. 2262) to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exclude certain activities from hours worked, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Meuser). Pursuant to House Resolution 988, the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and Workforce, printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in part B of House Report 119-440, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered read. The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows: H.R. 2262 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Flexibility for Workers Education Act''. SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF ATTENDANCE OR PARTICIPATION IN CERTAIN ACTIVITIES. (a) In General.--Section 3(o) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 203(o)) is amended to read as follows: ``(o) Hours Worked.--In determining for the purposes of sections 6 and 7 the hours for which an employee is employed-- ``(1) there shall be excluded-- ``(A) any time spent in changing clothes or washing at the beginning or end of each workday which was excluded from measured working time during the week involved by the express terms of or by custom or practice under a bona fide collective-bargaining agreement applicable to the particular employee; and (B) except as provided in paragraph (2), any time spent attending or participating in an education or training program or a similar activity [[Page H678]] (such as a lecture), regardless of whether the program or activity is offered or facilitated by the employer, provided that-- ``(i) such attendance or participation occurs outside of the employee's regular working hours; ``(ii) such attendance or participation is voluntary, and the employer does not take adverse action against the employee on the basis that such employee does not so attend or participate; and ``(iii) the employee does not perform any work for the employer during such attendance or participation; and ``(2) there may be excluded, in accordance with section 785.32 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of the Flexibility for Workers Education Act), any time spent in an organized program of related, supplemental instruction working under a bona fide apprenticeship program.''. (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to hours worked on or after the date of enactment of this Act. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for 1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and Workforce or their respective designees. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) each will control 30 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg). General Leave Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2262. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Michigan? There was no objection. Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, hardworking Americans should never be barred from voluntarily pursuing professional development or training opportunities. In fact, we should be giving workers more opportunities to get the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing economy. Unfortunately, current Federal law makes it harder for employers to provide voluntary training and upscaling opportunities. Oftentimes that means workers must take time out of their busy lives to look beyond the workplace for programs that they should be able to get at work. Needless to say, this makes absolutely no sense. Employers understand their employees and whether skills gaps exist in their own workforces. If a business knows how to train its employees to succeed in a role, then it should be allowed to teach those skills and invest in the employees' professional development. There simply is no need for arbitrary roadblocks that make it harder for businesses to offer voluntary trainings to their own employees. Republicans are already promoting upscaling and training opportunities to help strengthen the American workforce. Last summer, we passed a Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which expanded opportunities for young Americans to access short-term, high-quality credentialing and training opportunities. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2262 builds on that success by simply allowing employers to offer voluntary education and upscaling opportunities to nonexempt employees so that workers can easily take control of their own professional development. This doesn't just help the business grow. It provides new, tangible skills that help employees do better in their own careers and sets them up for success on their own. Mr. Speaker, let's make one thing clear: H.R. 2262 expands voluntary--voluntary--employer-led training opportunities. Businesses would still be required to compensate workers who receive mandatory job training. This bill simply makes it easier for ambitious employees to pursue additional professional development opportunities on their own terms, whether or not it is directly tied to their current job. If a bartender wants to take a course in restaurant management, he or she should be able to do so, and the employer would welcome that dedication. Let's look at the bigger picture. Our workforce still has millions of unfilled jobs caused, in part, by a widening skills gap. As our own economy grows, thanks to the progrowth policies of Republicans and the Trump administration, many growing businesses are likely to face skills shortages of their own. That is why we need commonsense legislation like the Flexibility for Workers Education Act, which makes it easier for workers to get the skills that they need to succeed and for businesses to find the right person for the job. Throughout my time in Congress and now as chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee, I have consistently fought to expand opportunities to help workers thrive and grow. That is why I am proud to support H.R. 2262, the Flexibility for Workers Education Act, to remove obstacles and give workers more controls over their own careers. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2262, the so-called Flexibility for Workers Education Act. We have heard about these roadblocks and obstacles. Mr. Speaker, the roadblocks and obstacles are a requirement that people get paid for their time. Too many Americans still work too hard but can't afford the basics, such as groceries, rent, or utilities. Even more, they are struggling to afford the little extras that give you a slice of the American Dream, like owning a home, taking your family on vacation, or even occasionally going out to a restaurant. Yet, simply put, the economy just isn't working for everybody. According to Moody's Analytics, the top 10 percent of earners account for nearly 50 percent of all of the United States' consumer spending, so obviously something is out of whack. Despite this reality, House Republicans are attempting to pass three bills this afternoon that would cut workers' wages. This bill, H.R. 2262, would relieve employers of the obligation to pay employees for training outside of their regular working hours. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employees must be compensated for employer-mandated education and training outside the regular work hours. Essentially, the FLSA protects workers from being compelled to volunteer their time for job-related training without wage and hour protections. However, this bill significantly weakens the protections because it would permit employers to provide job-related training after hours but off the clock so long as they do not state that it is technically required. However, employers can still lead workers to believe that the training is needed. You can just imply that if you want a raise or promotion, it would be nice to get the training. That is not really required. The legislation is based on the flawed premise that if you provide workers with certain opportunities or benefits, employers must be able to pay them less. That doesn't make sense. We should not let employers get away with failing to pay workers for their time while claiming that it is in the workers' best interests. These workers, if they are working on an employer-provided training, should not be required to work off the clock without any compensation. For that reason, I recommend a ``no'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Hinson), the sponsor of this legislation, to present her bill. Mrs. HINSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in committee on this piece of legislation that is designed to empower the American worker. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 2262, the Flexibility for Workers Education Act. For too long, we know that Washington, D.C., has pursued policies that left American workers behind. Republicans continue to advance progrowth, proworker policies that expand opportunity, reward hard work, and help Americans to get ahead. No matter where I g

Referenced legislation: HRES988, HRES988, HR2262