Senior living operators hoping for a reprieve against the Labor Department’s new overtime rule might get their wish today. Judge Amos L. Mazzant III, of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, could issue a preliminary injunction that would essentially put the pending overtime rule on hold.

Such an injunction would not nullify the new rule, which raises the overtime salary threshold from $23,660 to $47,476. But it would stop the measure’s implementation while additional court proceedings are held to determine whether it is legal.

Currently, the new pay requirements are scheduled to begin Dec. 1. They are projected to affect more than 4 million Americans, including many senior living employees.

Several senior living organizations have expressed concerns about the rule and the toll it could take on senior living operators.

Although pro-business groups are cautiously optimistic that the rule will be overturned, they are reminding operators to prepare for either outcome.