WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is seeking to extend minimum wage and overtime rules to cover home health care workers.

The move would boost living standards for nearly 2 million domestic employees, but it could mean higher costs for the elderly and disabled.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis plans to announce a proposal to make the change Thursday at the White House.

Home care aids have been exempt from federal wage laws since 1974, when their work was compared to casual baby-sitting. But the number of full-time home care workers has surged with the growing number of retirees.

Advocacy groups say low wages leave many home health care workers living in poverty. But companies that provide the workers argue that extending wage and hour requirements would raise costs for customers.