Outdoor Recreational Outfitting and Guiding Act

Key Points

• This bill, introduced by Representative Owens, would change federal law so that certain outdoor guides and equipment rental workers do not have to be paid the federal minimum wage or overtime pay.
• The change applies to businesses that only operate for seven months or less each year, or those that make the vast majority of their money during a short busy season. This includes jobs like guided fishing trips, hunting tours, and summer rafting rentals.
• Currently, these workers are protected by federal labor laws that ensure a base hourly pay and extra money for working more than 40 hours a week. This bill would remove those specific protections for these seasonal outdoor jobs.
• The goal of the policy is to help small seasonal businesses manage their costs during their busiest months when employees often work very long hours. However, it means these workers could earn less than the standard minimum wage or lose their overtime bonuses.
• If passed, these new rules would take effect for any workweeks starting after the bill becomes law. It would primarily affect workers in states with large outdoor tourism industries, like Utah, Colorado, and Montana.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.