UNREMUNERATED WORK ACT OF 1991

102D CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION

H. R. 3625

To require the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics to conduct time use surveys of unremunerated work performed in the United States and to calculate the monetary value of such work.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 24, 1991

Mrs. COLLINS of Michigan (for herself, Mr. DYMALLY, Mr. HAYES of Illinois, Mr. STOKES, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. RANGEL, Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois, Mr. FORD of Tennessee, Mr. DIXON, Mr. SAVAGE, Mr. OWENS of New York, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. WHEAT, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. Espy, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MFUME, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey, Mr. WASHINGTON, Ms. NORTON, Mr. JEFFERSON Ms. WATERS, and Mr. CLAY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor.

A BILL

To require the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics to conduct time use. surveys of unremunerated work performed in the United States and to calculate the monetary value of such work.

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 "Unremunerated Work Act of 1991".

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that -

  1. women perform 2/3 of the work in the world relating to the production of goods and services;
  2. in 1985 the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution which included part of the Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, which states that "the remunerated and, in particular, the unremunerated contributions of women to all aspects and sectors of development should be recognized, and appropriate efforts should be made to measure and reflect these contributions in national accounts and economic statistics and in the gross national product";
  3. such resolution also states that "concrete steps should be taken to quantify the unremunerated contribution of women to agriculture, food production, reproduction, and household activities"; and 
  4. the unremunerated contribution by women to the economy of the United States should be recognized.

SEC. 3. CALCULATION OF MONETARY VALUE OF UNREMUNERATED WORK.

(a) IN GENERAL. - The Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics shall -

  1. conduct time use surveys of unremunerated work performed in the United States, including household work, work related to child care and other care services, agricultural work, work related to food production, work related to family businesses, and volunteer work; and
  2. calculate the monetary value of such unremunerated work.

(b) SEPARATE MONETARY VALUES BASED ON GENDER. - Separate monetary values shall be calculated pursuant to subsection (a) for men and women.

(c) INCLUSION IN GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT. - The monetary value of the unremunerated work calculated pursuant to subsection (a) shall be included in statistics used to determine the gross national product.

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