{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/collins-donnelly-murkowski-manchin-40-hours-is-full-time_", "Collins, Donnelly, Murkowski, Manchin: 40 Hours is Full Time", "2013-11-06", "2013", "2013-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Collins, Donnelly, Murkowski, Manchin: 40 Hours is Full Time  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tAsk Budget Committee leaders to address \u201cForty Hours is Full Time Act\u201d in budget conference\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 6, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C.\u2014Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today sent a letter to Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray and Ranking Member Jeff Sessions asking them to address their legislation, the Forty Hours is Full Time Act (S.1188), in their budget conference.\r\nThe senators cited the need for a sensible definition of \u201cfull-time employee\u201d under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), writing, \u201cEffective health care reform should expand access to coverage, while not inhibiting economic growth. For this reason, we are concerned that the PPACA definition of full time as an employee working just 30 hours a week is too low and out-of-step with standard employment practices in the U.S. today.\u201d\r\nTo address this concern, the senators have introduced the Forty Hours is Full Time Act, which would set the PPACA\u2019s definition of \u201cfull-time\u201d employee at 40 hours a week and would make a matching adjustment in the monthly hours used to calculate \u201cfull time equivalent\u201d employee.\u00a0\r\nThe full text of the letter follows, and a signed copy is available here.\u00a0 Read more about the Forty Hours is Full Time Act here.\r\nNovember 6, 2013\r\nThe Honorable Patty Murray \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The Honorable Jeff Sessions  Chairman \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Ranking Member  Committee on the Budget \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Committee on the Budget  624 Dirksen Senate Office Building \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 624 Dirksen Senate Office Building  Washington, DC 20510 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Washington, DC 20510\r\nDear Chairman Murray and Ranking Member Sessions:\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 During consideration of S. Con Res 8 in March, the Senate adopted SA 144, calling for a sensible definition of \u201cfull-time employee\u201d for purposes of calculating the Employer Mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). We have since introduced the \u201cForty Hours is Full-Time Act\u201d (S. 1188), bipartisan legislation to set the PPACA\u2019s definition of \u201cfull-time employee\u201d at 40 hours per week. We urge you to seek adoption of a budget resolution that would accommodate the budgetary effects of this legislation in the upcoming Budget conference with the House.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Effective health care reform should expand access to coverage, while not inhibiting economic growth. For this reason, we are concerned that the PPACA definition of full time as an employee working just 30 hours a week is too low and out-of-step with standard employment practices in the U.S. today.\u00a0 Data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average American works 8.8 hours per day, which equates to 44 hours per week.\u00a0 The PPACA definition is nearly one-third lower than actual practice.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By using a threshold of 30 hours a week to define \u201cfull time\u201d employee, PPACA artificially drives up the number of workers that appear to be employed \u201cfull-time\u201d by a business, exposing those businesses to the risk of substantial penalties. These penalties begin at $40,000 for businesses with 50 employees, plus $2,000 for each additional \u201cfull-time equivalent\u201d employee. As a consequence, some businesses have reduced their employees\u2019 work to 29 hours per week, to ensure workers are considered \u201cpart time\u201d for purposes of PPACA.\u00a0 If more businesses follow suit, millions of American workers could find their hours and their earnings reduced.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 S. 1188 would set the PPACA\u2019s definition of \u201cfull-time\u201d employee at 40 hours a week, and would make a matching adjustment in the monthly hours used to calculate \u201cfull time equivalent\u201d employee. This sensible definition will help protect millions of employees from having their hours curtailed as a result of the PPACA\u2019s arbitrary and unreasonable definition of \u201cfull time\u201d employee.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We thank you for your consideration of our request.\r\n\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Sincerely, \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nSusan M. Collins  United States Senator Joe Donnelly  United States Senator\r\nLisa Murkowski  United States Senator\r\nJoe Manchin  United States Senator\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Press Contact \n\t\t\t\t\tDonnelly_Press@Donnelly.Senate.Gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/collins-donnelly-murkowski-manchin-40-hours-is-full-time_"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6438639722764492, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}