The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the sole national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry, has submitted a statement to the House Ways and Means Committee on the need to change the current definition of a full-time employee in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The statement will be included as part of the official record for today's hearing, The Impact of the Employer Mandate's Definition of Full-Time Employee on Jobs and Opportunities, convened by Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI).

According to the statement, The lodging industry advocates for changes in the current law to allow for a definition of full-time status that is more in keeping with current employment practices. The current ACA definition has led and will continue to lead to disruptions in the workforce, and it prevents employees from maintaining flexible work schedules.

AH&LA's statement is accompanied by several submissions from hoteliers across the country, outlining the negative impacts of the current definition on their operations.

"Of the many things hoteliers need to successfully operate their businesses, one of the most important is certainty, particularly when it comes to the laws and regulations coming out of Washington with which they must comply," said Vanessa Sinders, AH&LA senior vice president of governmental affairs. "Unfortunately, the ACA's 30-hour full-time employee definition causes great uncertainty by impacting the scope of health coverage these employers provide and negatively affecting the number of hours worked by their employees. We thank Chairman Camp for convening today's hearing and hope the Committee and all of Congress take a serious look at the benefits of changing the definition to 40 hours."