Public Safety Free Speech Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a legal right for police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers to sue their employers if they are fired or punished for expressing personal opinions on topics like public safety, pay, working conditions, or political and religious views.
• The protections only apply to off-duty speech. Workers who speak out while on the clock, encourage violence, share private information about people they encounter on the job, or advocate for withholding emergency services as a form of protest are not protected.
• Workers who win their case in court can receive a wide range of relief, including money damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief (like getting their job back), and reimbursement of attorney's fees and court costs.
• The bill is bipartisan, introduced by Rep. Van Drew and Rep. Cohen, and covers a broad range of public safety workers including qualified law enforcement officers, fire-fighting personnel, emergency medical services workers, and federal firefighters.
• The bill does not override existing civil rights protections under Section 1983 or state laws that already allow lawsuits for violations of rights by government officials.