Bill Shielding Older Job Applicants From Bias Passes House

House lawmakers voted 224-200 Thursday to approve legislation that would provide additional protections for older workers seeking employment.

The Protect Older Job Applicants Act (H.R. 3992) would allow job seekers age 40 or older—the threshold under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act—to allege an employer used a seemingly neutral hiring practice to discriminate against them.

“It’s an especially important step toward helping older workers re-enter the workforce as the nation recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic,” Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) said on the House floor Wednesday. She also called the bill a “common sense fix” of the ADEA. ...