GCSAA supports the Oct. 5 reintroduction of the Simplifying Technical Aspects Regarding Seasonality (STARS) Act (H.R. 3956) by Reps. James Renacci (R-OH), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Jim Costa (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH). The STARS Act would clarify what constitutes a seasonal employee under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) law and regulations. Without STARS, golf and many other industries that rely on seasonal employees face the threat of penalty as they try to determine whether the ACA applies to those who work for them.

Under the ACA, or Obamacare, different definitions of "seasonal" are used when determining whether a business is a small or large employer under the law and when determining which employees must be offered health insurance. The STARS Act would define a "seasonal employee" as a worker who is employed on a seasonal basis for 6 months or less during the calendar year and apply that definition to all aspects of the law.

What's seasonal?

In order to comply with the ACA, employers have to first look at their payroll. Those with 50 or more full-time employees must provide health insurance or pay a penalty.    Seasonal workers are excepted from this 50 employee threshold, provided they work four months or less per year. However, if an employer meets the ACA threshold, it then has to provide insurance to anyone who works for 6 months or more. 

The STARS Act resolves this conflict by providing a uniform definition of "seasonal employee".

If any GCSAA affiliated chapter is interested in adding its name to the 10-5-17 STARS Act Support Letter 2017, call the government affairs department at 800-472-7878, ext. 3619.by end of business on Thursday, Oct. 12.

A bipartisan companion letter is expected to be introduced in the Senate soon, and GCSAA's advocacy efforts to support STARS will continue. Here is a copy of the press release on the STARS Act from Renacci’s office.