[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 78 (Monday, April 23, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 20411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9959]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division

29 CFR Part 552

RIN 1215-AA82


Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service

AGENCY: Wage and Hour Division, Employment Standards Administration, 
Labor.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document reopens and extends the period for filing 
written comments on proposed revisions to regulations under the Fair 
Labor Standards Act (FLSA) pertaining to the exemption for 
companionship services in 29 CFR Part 552, which were published in the 
Federal Register on January 19, 2001 (66 FR 5481). The Department is 
continuing to consider this proposal, and is taking this action in 
order to obtain additional comments from interested parties.

DATES: Comments are due on or before July 23, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Thomas M. Markey, Acting 
Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, Employment Standards 
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Attention: Fair Labor 
Standards Team, Room S-3516, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, 
D.C. 20210. Commenters who wish to receive notification of receipt of 
comments are requested to include a self-addressed, stamped postcard, 
or to submit comments by certified mail, return receipt requested. As a 
convenience, commenters may transmit comments by facsimile (``FAX'') 
machine to (202) 693-1432. This is not a toll free number. If comments 
are transmitted by FAX and a hard copy is also submitted by mail, 
please indicate on the hard copy that it is a duplicate copy of the FAX 
transmission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard M. Brennan, Deputy Director, 
Office of Enforcement Policy, Wage and Hour Division, Employment 
Standards Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room S-3510, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, D.C. 20210; telephone: (202) 693-
0745. This is not a toll free number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 19, 2001, the Department 
published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (66 FR 5481) (NPRM) inviting 
public comments for 60 days on proposed revisions to the regulations 
defining and interpreting the minimum wage and overtime exemption under 
section 13(a)(15) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for employees 
employed in domestic service employment to provide ``companionship 
services'' to individuals unable to care for themselves because of age 
or infirmity. This exemption was enacted in 1974 at the same time that 
Congress amended the FLSA to cover domestic service employees 
generally. The pertinent regulations governing this exemption have not 
been changed since they were promulgated in 1975. The NPRM stated that, 
due to significant changes in the home care industry over the last 25 
years, workers who today provide in-home care to individuals needing 
assistance with activities of daily living are performing types of 
duties and working in situations that were not envisioned when the 
companionship services regulations were promulgated. The number of 
workers providing these services has also greatly increased. In 
addition, the NPRM stated that the Department had reevaluated the 
regulations and determined that, as currently written, they exempted 
types of employees beyond those whom Congress intended to exempt when 
it enacted section 13(a)(15). Accordingly, the Department proposed to 
amend the regulations to revise the definition of ``companionship 
services,'' which sets out the duties that a companion must be employed 
to perform in order to qualify for the exemption. The Department 
proposed three alternatives for defining companionship services that 
varied in the degree to which time must be spent in fellowship 
activities as compared to other care duties, and requested comments on 
all three alternatives. The Department also proposed to amend the 
regulations to clarify the criteria used to judge whether employees 
qualify as trained personnel, who are not recognized as exempt 
companions. Finally, the Department proposed to amend the regulations 
pertaining to employment by a third party. This change would make the 
companionship services exemption inapplicable if the worker is employed 
by someone other than a member of the family in whose home he or she 
works. It would similarly provide that the exemption for live-in 
domestics, who are exempt from the FLSA's overtime requirements 
pursuant to section 13(b)(21), would not apply if they are employed by 
someone other than a member of the family in whose home they reside and 
work. Interested parties were requested to submit written comments on 
the proposed revisions on or before March 20, 2001.
    Because of continuing interest that has been expressed in this 
proposal and to address requests from interested parties, the 
Department believes that it is desirable to reopen and extend the 
comment period for all interested parties. Accordingly, the comment 
period for the NPRM published on January 19, 2001, is reopened and 
extended through July 23, 2001.

    Signed at Washington, DC on this 17th day of April, 2001.
Thomas M. Markey,
Acting Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, Employment Standards 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 01-9959 Filed 4-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-27-P