§621. Congressional statement of findings and purpose

(a) The Congress hereby finds and declares that-

(1) in the face of rising productivity and affluence, older workers find themselves disadvantaged in their efforts to retain employment, and especially to regain employment when displaced from jobs;

(2) the setting of arbitrary age limits regardless of potential for job performance has become a common practice, and certain otherwise desirable practices may work to the disadvantage of older persons;

(3) the incidence of unemployment, especially long-term unemployment with resultant deterioration of skill, morale, and employer acceptability is, relative to the younger ages, high among older workers; their numbers are great and growing; and their employment problems grave;

(4) the existence in industries affecting commerce, of arbitrary discrimination in employment because of age, burdens commerce and the free flow of goods in commerce.

(b) It is therefore the purpose of this chapter to promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; to help employers and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment.

( Pub. L. 90–202, §2, Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 602 .)

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date; Rules and Regulations

Section 16, formerly §15, of Pub. L. 90–202, renumbered by Pub. L. 93–259, §28(b)(1), Apr. 8, 1974, 88 Stat. 74 , provided that: "This Act [enacting this chapter] shall become effective one hundred and eighty days after enactment [Dec. 15, 1967], except (a) that the Secretary of Labor may extend the delay in effective date of any provision of this Act up to and additional ninety days thereafter if he finds that such time is necessary in permitting adjustments to the provisions hereof, and (b) that on or after the date of enactment [Dec. 15, 1967] the Secretary of Labor is authorized to issue such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out its provisions."

Short Title of 1996 Amendment

Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, §101(a) [title I, §119], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009 , 3009-23, provided in part that: "This section [amending section 623 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 623 of this title, and repealing provisions set out as a note under section 623 of this title] may be cited as the 'Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments of 1996'."

Short Title of 1990 Amendment

Pub. L. 101–433, §1, Oct. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 978 , provided that: "This Act [amending sections 623, 626, and 630 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and sections 623 and 626 of this title] may be cited as the 'Older Workers Benefit Protection Act'."

Short Title of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–592, §1, Oct. 31, 1986, 100 Stat. 3342 , provided that: "This Act [amending sections 623, 630, and 631 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 622 to 624 and 631 of this title] may be cited as the 'Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments of 1986'."

Short Title of 1978 Amendment

Pub. L. 95–256, §1, Apr. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 189 , provided that: "This Act [amending sections 623, 624, 626, 631, 633a, and 634 of this title and sections 8335 and 8339 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, repealing section 3322 of Title 5, and enacting provisions set out as notes under sections 623, 626, 631, and 633a of this title] may be cited as the 'Age Discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1978'."

Short Title

Pub. L. 90–202, §1, Dec. 15, 1967, 81 Stat. 602 , provided: "That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the 'Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967'."

Severability

Pub. L. 101–433, title III, §301, Oct. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 984 , provided that: "If any provision of this Act [see Short Title of 1990 Amendment note above], or an amendment made by this Act, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances is held to be invalid, the remainder of this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and the application of such provision to other persons and circumstances, shall not be affected thereby."

Congressional Finding

Pub. L. 101–433, title I, §101, Oct. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 978 , provided that: "The Congress finds that, as a result of the decision of the Supreme Court in Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio v. Betts, 109 S.Ct. 256 (1989), legislative action is necessary to restore the original congressional intent in passing and amending the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 621 et seq.), which was to prohibit discrimination against older workers in all employee benefits except when age-based reductions in employee benefit plans are justified by significant cost considerations."

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Functions vested by this section in Secretary of Labor or Civil Service Commission transferred to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1978, §2, 43 F.R. 19807, 92 Stat. 3781, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–101 of Ex. Ord. No. 12106, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1053.