2024年1月11日にDOL (Department of Labor)は、インフレ調整法（Inflation Adjustment Act）で義務付けられている特定の罰則の年次インフレ調整を実施する最終規則を発表しました。対象となる罰則の中には、D-1、H-1B、H-2A、H-2Bビザプログラムに対する雇用主の違反に対する罰則も含まれます。このルールは2024年1月15日から適用されます。
背景として、インフレ調整法では、罰則の引き上げに伴うインフレ調整の計算方法が以下のように大幅に見直されました：
- 民事罰の最初の「キャッチアップ」調整の提供
- DOLおよびその他の連邦政府機関に対し、毎年1月15日までに、（生活費計算式を用いて）インフレに応じた罰則の調整を行うことを義務付ける。
2024年の調整について
罰金額の引き上げ。従って、2024年1月15日以降に課される罰金については、関連する違反が以下の該当日以降に発生したものとします；
| Violation occurring | Penalty assessed | Which penalty level applies | |
| Civil Monetary Penalties for Violations of | After March 23, 2018 | After March 23, 2018 but on or before November 23, 2021 | Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 amount |
| Section 3(m)(2)(B) of the FLSA (TIPS) | After March 23, 2018 | After November 23, 2021 but on or before January 15, 2022 | November 23, 2021 level |
| After March 23, 2018 | After January 15, 2022 but on or before January 15, 2023 | January 15, 2022 level | |
| After March 23, 2018 | After January 15, 2023 but on or before January 15, 2024 | January 15, 2023 level | |
| After March 23, 2018 | After January 15, 2024 | January 15, 2024 level | |
| Civil Monetary Penalties for USMCA Violations | After July 1, 2020 | After July 1, 2020 but on or before January 15, 2022 | 2020 USMCA IFR amount |
| After July 1, 2020 | After January 15, 2022 but on or before January 15, 2023 | January 15, 2022 level | |
| After July 1, 2020 | After January 15, 2023 but on or before January 15, 2024 | January 15, 2023 level. | |
| After July 1, 2020 | After January 15, 2024 | January 15, 2024 level. | |
| Civil Monetary Penalties for the H–2B Temporary Non-Agricultural Worker Program | On or before November 2, 2015 On or before | On or before August 1, 2016 | Pre-August 1, 2016 levels. |
| November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 | After August 1, 2016 After August 1, 2016, but on or before March 17, 2017 After March 17, 2017 but on or before January 2, 2018 After January 2, 2018 but on or before January 23, 2019 After January 23, 2019 but on or before January 15, 2020 After January 15, 2020 but on or before January 15, 2021 After January 15, 2021 but on or before January 15, 2022 After January 15, 2022 but on or before January 15, 2023 After January 15, 2023 but on or before January 15, 2024 After January 15, 2024 | Pre-August 1, 2016 levels. August 1, 2016 levels March 17, 2017 levels January 2, 2018 levels January 23, 2019 levels January 15, 2020 levels January 15, 2021 levels January 15, 2022 levels January 15, 2023 level January 15, 2024 level | |
| Civil Monetary Penalties for Other DOL Program | On or before November 2, 2015 | On or before August 1, 2016 | Pre-August 1, 2016 levels |
| On or before November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 After November 2, 2015 | After August 1, 2016 After August 1, 2016, but on or before January 13, 2017 After January 13, 2017 but on or before January 2, 2018 After January 2, 2018 but on or before January 23, 2019 After January 23, 2019 but on or before January 15, 2020 After January 15, 2020 but on or before January 15, 2021 After January 15, 2021 but on or before January 15, 2022 After January 15, 2022 but on or before January 15, 2023 After January 15, 2023 but on or before January 15, 2024 After January 15, 2024 | Pre-August 1, 2016 levels. August 1, 2016 levels. January 13, 2017 levels January 2, 2018 levels January 23, 2019 levels January 15, 2020 levels January 15, 2021 levels January 15, 2022 levels January 15, 2023 level January 15, 2024 level |
調整プロセスと計算
米国国土安全保障省(DHS)および米国労働省(DOL)(以下、総称して「国土安全保障省」)は、全都市消費者物価指数(CPI-U)に基づき年次調整額を算出することが義務付けられています。
年間インフレ調整は、調整日前の10月のCPI-Uと前年10月のCPI-Uとの変動率に基づいて行われます。
2024年の生活費調整倍率について、同局は、該当する各罰則金の直近の罰金額に倍率1.03241を乗じ、1ドル未満を四捨五入したものです。
