Legal Briefs & Testimony

Comments on Proposed Revenue Procedure Regarding Criteria for Innocent Spouse Equitable Relief Determinations

February 10, 2012

The National Women's Law Center submitted comments supporting revised Internal Revenue Service procedures for determining when innocent spouse relief is granted under Internal Revenue Code section 6015(f).  The new procedures will facilitate the requests of low-income women, particularly those who have been victims of spousal abuse. 

Proposed Rulemaking, Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service Rule (RIN 1232-AA05)

February 09, 2012

The National Women's Law Center submitted comments to the Department of Labor in support of a proposed rule that would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations to extend basic labor protections – minimum wage and overtime premium pay – to nearly 1.8 million low-wage home care workers.

NWLC Letter to Dept. of Education re: Sexual Harassment

February 08, 2012

The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) supports the April 4, 2011 comprehensive guidance put out by the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to help schools, colleges, and universities more effectively prevent and respond to sexual harassment and violence on their campuses, as required by Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded schools.  NWLC especially welcomes OCR’s emphasis on prevention and its provision of specific procedures and remedies schools should use to combat this very serious problem, including OCR’s recognition that Title IX requires schools to use the preponderance of the evidence standard of proof for sexual harassment investigations.

Amicus Brief: Department of Health and Human Services, et al., v. State of Florida, et al.

January 13, 2012

The National Women’s Law Center's “friend of the court” brief is on behalf of 60 organizations in United States Department of Health and Human Services, et al v. State of Florida, et al. The brief explains what’s at stake for women in the challenge to the new health care law and why the ACA, in correcting fundamental gender inequities in the health insurance and health care markets, is an appropriate exercise of federal Commerce Clause authority and therefore is constitutional.

Testimony of Coalition before Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee for a Hearing on Women and the Arab Spring: Spotlight on Egypt, Tunisia and Libya

November 02, 2011

Testimony for a hearing on "Women and the Arab Spring: Spotlight on Egypt, Tunisia and Libya" before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy and Global Women’s Issues and The Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Central Asian Affairs. The hearing shines a spotlight on the importance of ensuring women’s rights as these new democracies begin to take shape and urge that the committee consider the importance of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in supporting these efforts.

Proposed Rulemaking for the Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit, REG-131491-10

October 31, 2011

The National Women's Law Center submitted comments to Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner recommending a number of changes and clarifications to strengthen the proposed Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit rule and ensure that women and families fully benefit from the premium tax credit in the manner intended by the Affordable Care Act.

Bipartisan Coalition Ltr. to Senate HELP Committee re Federal Accountability in ESEA 10.19.11

October 19, 2011

In an unprecedented show of unity in advance of today’s Senate mark-up of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2011, a bipartisan coalition of civil rights groups, business associations, statewide education officials, and education advocates are declining to support the bill proposed by HELP Committee Chairman Harkin and Ranking Member Enzi due in large part to the absence of accountability measures that narrow the achievement gaps for low-income students, students of color, English language learners, and students with disabilities.

NWLC Letter to Senate HELP Committee re: ESEA 10.19.11

October 19, 2011

The Senate HELP Committee is currently marking up a bill to reauthorize ESEA.  This bill falls seriously short of ensuring that all children have access to a quality education that will prepare them for college and careers, despite the fact that it contains some positive elements.  The bill sets no goals or targets for states to improve student achievement or graduation rates, and leaves it up to each state to determine which achievement gaps merit attention. The bill also does not go far enough to effectively address bullying, harassment, and excessive disciplinary practices, among other things.

Exemption of Child Support Enforcement Under Sequester

October 14, 2011

The National Women's Law Center’s legal memo to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) explains that child support enforcement is explicitly exempt from automatic cuts (“sequester”) under the Budget Control Act of 2011 as a program serving low-income people.

NWLC Comments to OFCCP Re: Proposed Non-Discrimination Data Collection Tool

October 11, 2011

 The Center strongly supports the Department of Labor's proposal for a new compensation data collection tool to combat pay discrimination in federal contractor workplaces. Such a tool could play an important role in promoting OFCCP’s mission to ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunity in the workplace.