In introducing the bill, Rep. Young stated, "When the employer mandate became effective on January 1, up to 2.6 million Americans were at risk for seeing lost hours and wages at work. Ironically, this unintended consequence hurts most those Obamacare was claimed to help - low- and middle-income Americans working hourly jobs. Repealing this provision and restoring the traditional understanding of a 40-hour week is necessary to protect their paychecks."

Besides being co-sponsored by over 150 other representatives, the bill was supported by over 300 business organizations, including the American Benefits Council, the National Association for the Self-Employed, the National Association of Health Underwriters, the National Federation of Independent Business, the National Small Business Association, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, the Small Business Council of America, the Small Business Legislative Council, the Society of Human Resource Management, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In voicing support for the bill, James A. Klein, president of the American Benefits Council, noted, "Because final regulations implementing the employer mandate include many complex standards for determining whether an individual is a 'full-tie employee,' passage of H.R. 30 is one helpful step Congress can take to alleviate employer concerns." He added, "Many employers are concerned that, despite best efforts to comply with the law, they could be subject to penalties given the complexity of administering coverage to comply with the law, particularly with respect to employees who work a variable schedule, short-term employees, temporary, seasonal or similar contingent workers."

Another voice of support was the National Federation of Independent Business. "One of the most easily foreseeable consequences of the Affordable Care Act is the pressure it imposes on small firms to reduce or avoid adding full-time positions," said Dan Danner, president and CEO of the NFIB. "Health insurance coverage is a very big expense for small companies, and if they don't have the sales to cover the cost, then they've got to make other adjustments. By defining down the definition of full-time work, the law creates a terrible dilemma for small businesses. Repealing it should be an immediate priority."

Turning the act into law, however, still faces a couple of hurdles.

First, companion legislation must pass the Senate. Last week, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana) re-introduced the "Forty Hours is Full-Time Act" (S. 30), which Sen. Collins first introduced in 2013. As of January 13, 32 senators, including two Democrats, had signed onto the bill. However, despite the fact that the Senate is controlled by Republicans, there is question as to whether the bill will be able to garner the 60 votes required to prevent a filibuster. The 60 votes would require "yea" votes by all Republicans plus at least six Democrats.

Second, President Obama has threatened to veto the bill if it gets to his desk.