Legislation that would extend the Fair Labor Standards Act to provide minimum wage and overtime compensation to home care workers has been filed in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Direct Care Workforce Empowerment Act, H.R. 5902, would also allow federal and state authorities to collect data and provide better oversight with respect to the direct care workforce, and create a grant program to help train, recruit and retain home care workers.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., said that the measure is needed to protect the increasing number of home care workers providing services to the disabled, home-bound and elderly. (click on link to read full story)