Current law: Spouses of H-1B visa holders are not allowed to work. Only spouses of L1 workers are allowed work authorization.
The Senate's original version of Immigration Reform Bill - S-744 ( Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act) document had the reciprocity clause, which made the employment authorization conditional to reciprocity. It means that the work authorization will only be granted to the dependent spouses whose country of origin offer reciprocal work authorization to spouses of US citizens.
But, Senator Orrin Hatch’s amendment dilutes it by allowing the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security to enforce the reciprocity. So, right now the decision has been left to them. The Bill was successfully passed in the Senate in 2013.
Official link of S- 744 's amended copy - http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/legislation/immigration/amendments/Hatch/Hatch-Schumer2nd-%28MDM13698%29.pdf
Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,
Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,
