Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney on 21 July introduced the Fashioning Accountability and Building Real Institutional Change (FABRIC) Act of 2022.
The Bill: The Bill addresses issues in the apparel manufacturing industry such as the exploitation of essential workers, offshoring, and an ageing workforce by implementing measures that would advance workplace rights, protections, and manufacturing incentives to solidify the United States as the leader in responsible apparel production.
- The FABRIC Act of 2022 will establish a nationwide garment industry registry in the US Department of Labour to increase oversight and transparency within the industry, put forth requirements to hold both fashion brands and retailers along with their manufacturing partners jointly accountable for workplace wage violations, set an hourly pay in the garment industry, and eliminate piece rate pay in workplaces in which workers are not already paid a minimum wage or are covered by a union collective bargaining agreement.
- The Bill would also create a $40 million Domestic Garment Manufacturing Support Programme and establish a 30% reshoring tax credit for garment manufacturers that move their manufacturing operations to the United States.