Labor & Employment (Workplace Safety) in United States

in committee · United States · House Sep 3, 2025

HR 5112: Tipped Worker Protection Act

The Tipped Worker Protection Act eliminates the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, requiring employers to pay the full minimum wage instead of the current $2.13/hour rate that relies on tips to make up the difference. During a transition period, tipped workers would receive a minimum cash wage of $3.60/hour in the first year, increasing by $1.50 annually until reaching the full minimum wage. The bill also prohibits employers from keeping tips or using them for anything other than distributing to employees, requires transparency about service charges, and establishes rules for voluntary tip pooling. This bill directly affects workers in restaurants, bars, and other service industries who traditionally receive tips as part of their compensation.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House May 21, 2025

HR 3548: Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025

HR 3548, the Infrastructure Expansion Act of 2025, changes liability rules for injuries on federally funded infrastructure projects. It prohibits "absolute liability" (where a party is automatically responsible regardless of fault) for elevation or gravity-related risks, requiring states to use "comparative negligence" instead (where fault is shared based on circumstances). This applies to projects receiving federal funding like construction, bridges, or transit systems, directly affecting contractors, property owners, and workers filing injury claims. The bill preempts state laws imposing absolute liability and directs federal courts to handle related cases, while leaving workers’ compensation laws unchanged. It takes effect for projects accepting federal funds on or after January 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · Senate Nov 19, 2025

S 3225: Fishing Industry Safety, Health, and Wellness Improvement Act of 2025

This bill increases federal funding for fishing industry safety programs from $3 million to $6 million annually (2025-2029) and requires new training focused on behavioral and physical health risks - including substance use disorder and worker fatigue - for commercial fishing vessel operators and crewmembers. It mandates that safety training programs address these specific health risks and expands research grants to include wellness initiatives. Grants will be awarded competitively with criteria developed in consultation with the Coast Guard. The law directly affects commercial fishing crews and operators by requiring health-risk training and increasing funding for wellness-focused safety programs.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House Feb 10, 2026

HR 7479: WORK to Save Lives Act

The WORK to Save Lives Act requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue two types of guidance within 270 days of enactment. For private employers (excluding the U.S. Postal Service), OSHA must provide non-mandatory guidance on acquiring naloxone kits and offering annual employee training for opioid overdose emergencies. For all federal agencies (including the Veterans Health Administration), OSHA must issue mandatory regulations requiring agencies to maintain naloxone kits and provide annual employee training on their use. The bill directly affects private businesses and federal workplaces by establishing specific, time-bound requirements for opioid overdose response preparedness.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · Senate May 22, 2025

S 1881: Public Service Worker Protection Act

This bill expands workplace safety protections under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to cover public employees, including those working for federal, state, or local government agencies. It amends the law to explicitly include "the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State" in the definition of covered workers, removing previous exclusions. The key provision requires all public workplaces to follow OSHA safety standards, with a 36-month transition period for states or localities without their own OSHA-approved plans. This directly affects government workers like teachers, police, and sanitation staff who were previously excluded from federal OSHA coverage.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workers' Compensation Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House May 26, 2025

HR 3614: FIRE Act

The FIRE Act would extend workplace safety protections under OSHA and labor rights under FLSA to incarcerated firefighters who work in correctional facilities. It defines "incarcerated firefighter" as someone performing firefighting duties while incarcerated, including in prison work programs, facility maintenance, or emergency response services. The bill requires states and federal prisons to report on workplace safety conditions and provides grants to help states implement these protections. It also establishes an expungement process for certain criminal records of eligible incarcerated firefighters who have completed their sentences. This legislation aims to improve safety for incarcerated firefighters while creating pathways for their successful reentry into communities as firefighters.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole Labor Standards Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House Feb 11, 2025

HR 1193: Future in Logging Careers Act

This bill amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to create child labor exemptions for specific logging work. It allows 16- and 17-year-olds to work in mechanized timber harvesting operations (like felling, processing, and transporting timber using machinery) that the Secretary of Labor deems particularly hazardous, provided the employer is not owned or operated by a parent or guardian. The exemption applies to jobs involving equipment such as feller-bunchers, forwarders, and whole tree processors, but excludes children working for non-family-owned logging businesses. It does not create new career programs but modifies existing child labor restrictions for certain logging occupations.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House Jan 3, 2025

HR 86: NOSHA Act

HR 86, the NOSHA Act, would repeal the 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act and abolish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This bill directly affects all employers and workers currently covered by OSHA regulations, eliminating federal workplace safety standards. The key mechanism is the complete repeal of the foundational law and the termination of the agency responsible for enforcing safety rules. If passed, this would remove federal oversight of workplace safety requirements across all industries.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House Aug 5, 2025

HR 4896: Warehouse Worker Protection Act

The Warehouse Worker Protection Act establishes new requirements for employers in warehouse facilities to protect workers from harmful quotas and workplace surveillance practices. It requires employers to provide written descriptions of quotas and workplace monitoring to workers, prohibits quotas that interfere with breaks, safety compliance, or anti-discrimination rights, and gives workers the right to access their work speed data. The bill creates a Fairness and Transparency Office within the Department of Labor to enforce these requirements and investigate violations, with enforcement also involving the Federal Trade Commission. Employers with more than 200 employees at covered warehouse facilities (including distribution centers, couriers, and warehouses) are directly affected by these new requirements, which include new protections against retaliation for workers who exercise these rights.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Workplace Safety

in committee · United States · House Apr 3, 2025

HR 2647: Safe Workplaces Act

The Safe Workplaces Act requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop nonmandatory guidance for workplaces to reduce violence threats. Within 4 years of enactment, OSHA must issue this guidance, tailored to specific settings like hospitals, retail stores, schools, and restaurants, based on a study and report completed within 15 months. The guidance will cover practical safety measures such as staff training, security personnel, physical barriers, and environmental improvements (e.g., better lighting or weapon detectors). It directly affects employers and employees across diverse workplaces by providing voluntary strategies to address violence risks. The bill does not create new laws but establishes a process for OSHA to share best practices on preventing workplace violence incidents.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Workplace Safety

All labor & employment bills