Senate HELP Committee Hearing Will Highlight Retirement Benefits for Independent Workers

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing this week focused on expanding access to portable benefits for independent workers. Titled “Freedom to Work: Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers,” the hearing is scheduled for Thursday, July 17, at 10 a.m. EDT.

Senator Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, the committee chair, will host the session to explore ways to modernize federal labor laws to better support gig workers, freelancers and other nontraditional earners who typically lack access to employer-provided benefits like health insurance, retirement savings and paid leave.

The hearing follows the unveiling of a new legislative package to address these issues, with bills offered by Senators Cassidy; Tim Scott, R-South Carolina; and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky. The legislation aims to provide independent workers with greater access to portable benefits and to clarify the federal definition of an independent contractor—a longstanding legal gray area that affects millions of Americans.

Cassidy has been particularly active in introducing retirement-related legislation, including the recent bills expanding benefits to gig workers and other measures focused on workers who have fallen behind in retirement.

In May, for example, Cassidy introduced the Auto Reenroll Act to help workers take advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans and receive the full employer match by permitting plan sponsors to automatically reenroll employees every one to three years.