The National Restaurant Association executive vice president of policy and government affairs, Scott DeFife, issued the following statement of support for the STARS Act of 2015, legislation that will align the definitions of seasonal employment in the Affordable Care Act and streamline the applicable large employer determination process.

“The National Restaurant Association commends the introduction of the STARS Act of 2015. Under the current health care law, the definition of seasonal employee versus seasonal worker varies, which complicates the already burdensome compliance process.

“The restaurant industry is an industry of small businesses with a variable hour and often seasonal workforce. As our members continue to navigate the law, many of our smaller restaurants do not understand the difference between the two seasonal definitions included in the ACA and the circumstances under which each must be used during the determination process. This leads to significant confusion and could potentially cause great financial burden to employers who believe they are small but in fact are large employers under the law.

“We look forward to quick passage in the House and will urge Senators on both sides of the aisle to move forward on this important fix.”