WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., chairman of the Special Committee on Aging, and fellow senators reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act.

Enacting POWADA would restore critical protections in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and make it easier for employees to prove when they are a victim of age discrimination in the workplace. U.S. Representative Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

In 2009, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Gross v. FBL Financial Services weakened the ADEA by imposing a significantly higher burden of proof on workers alleging age discrimination than is required of workers alleging other forms of workplace discrimination. As a result, workers that allege age discrimination must meet an undue legal burden not faced by workers alleging discrimination based on race, sex, national origin or religion.

“As more Americans are remaining in the workforce longer, we must recognize and address the challenges that aging workers face. We must make it clear to employers that age discrimination is unacceptable, and we must strengthen antidiscrimination protections that are being eroded,” said Casey. “POWADA would level the playing field for older workers and ensure they are able to fight back against age discrimination in the workplace.”

Joining Casey were senators Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Susan Collins, R-Maine.

“The introduction of this bill is a crucial step to strengthening the law and restoring fairness for older workers who experience age discrimination,” said Nancy LeaMond, AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy & Engagement Officer. “It sends a clear message that discrimination in the workplace — against older workers or others — is never acceptable.”