Proposed Federal Legislation

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Fair Hiring Timelines Act.”

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings.

Congress finds that:

1. Extended or uncommunicated hiring processes impose measurable financial and emotional burdens on job applicants.

2. Survey and academic research associate prolonged employment uncertainty with increased risk of anxiety, psychological distress, and financial instability.

3. Modern hiring technologies enable timely and efficient communication at minimal cost.

4. Transparent and predictable hiring practices promote workforce participation, efficiency, and trust.

(b) Purpose.

The purpose of this Act is to establish a uniform, enforceable standard requiring timely notification to job applicants following interviews or assessments, thereby restoring transparency, accountability, and dignity in the hiring process, while preserving employer discretion over hiring decisions.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

For purposes of this Act:

1. Applicant means any natural person who participates in a covered hiring interaction for employment to be performed within the United States.
2. Covered hiring interaction means any interview, screening, skills assessment, work sample, or two-way communication intended to evaluate an applicant’s qualifications.
3. Written notice means notice delivered by email, applicant portal, certified mail, or text message if the applicant has consented to that method.
4. Employer means any individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity employing ten or more persons for each working day in twenty or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year.
5. Covered employer includes any entity that:
   • (A) maintains operations, employees, or contracts for services within the United States; or
   • (B) recruits, interviews, or assesses any applicant for employment within the United States, directly or through an agent, affiliate, or third-party recruiter, regardless of the employer’s principal place of business.
6. Continued candidacy notice means a written communication confirming that:
   • (A) the applicant remains under consideration;
   • (B) the position has not been filled or canceled; and
   • (C) an estimated timeframe for the next hiring decision.

Two pay cycles

means two consecutive payroll periods customarily used by the employer.

SEC. 4. EMPLOYER DUTY TO NOTIFY.

(a)

An employer conducting a covered hiring interaction shall provide written notice of one of the following within four weeks (28 days) or two pay cycles, whichever is shorter, beginning on the date of the applicant’s first covered hiring interaction:

1. An offer of employment, conditional or final;

2. A continued candidacy notice; or

3. A notice of non-selection.

(b)

If additional covered hiring interactions occur, the employer shall again comply with subsection (a) within four weeks (28 days) of the most recent interaction.

(c)