The National Restaurant Association (NRA) urged the Senate to move forward on tax extender legislation and reiterated support for an amendment filed by Senator Collins (R-ME) which would temporarily restore the definition of full-time under the current health care law from 30 to 40 hours per week.

“It is critical that the Senate move forward on tax extender legislation to provide certainty for main street business and allow restaurants to continue to create jobs and promote economic growth,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for the National Restaurant Association. “We are pleased that the Senate is working across the aisle on this issue, and urge Senators to continue their efforts on finding a path forward.”

The NRA also issued support for SA 3196, an amendment filed by Senator Collins that would temporarily raise the definition of full-time under ACA through 2016.

“We appreciate Senator Collins and Senators Donnelly, Scott, Isakson, Murkowski, Ayotte, Graham, Blunt, Crapo and Boozman for recognizing that the current definition of full-time under ACA places undue burden on businesses across the country,” said DeFife. “Aligning the law’s definition of full-time employee status with more traditional levels used by restaurant and foodservice operators would provide significant relief to employers.”

The ACA’s full-time employee definition has been a critical issue for the restaurant industry. The Association is continuing to work with members of both chambers to address this challenging part of the law for restaurant operators’ compliance.