Congressman Kim Votes to Pass Bill to Protect Older Workers from Discrimination

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, a bill that would restore protections against age discrimination in the workplace.

“Older Americans are working longer in life to keep their bills paid and food on the table, and too many simply cannot afford the cost of age discrimination,” said Congressman Kim. “This bill would give our seniors a weapon against age discrimination and help ensure older workers have the peace of mind of knowing their age can’t be used against them as they look to continue careers or provide for their families.”

The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act would ensure that legal protections against age discrimination would be the same as those against other forms of discrimination.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in 2017, over 20,000 complaints of age discrimination were filed. Those complaints accounted for nearly a quarter of all discrimination charges filed. A 2018 survey by AARP found that 3 in 5 workers age 45 and older had seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace.

Congressman Kim has been a leader in standing up for seniors across New Jersey. In his first year in office, Congressman Kim held more than a dozen events in New Jersey with seniors and senior advocacy groups to hear their issues and bring them back to Washington. Last month, the House passed Congressman Kim’s Helping Seniors Afford Health Care Act as part of H.R. 3, which would increase the number of seniors eligible for cost savings programs. The bill would also lower prescription drug costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and expand Medicare coverage for dental, vision and hearing.

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