Rep. Stauber Introduces Bill to Grant Collective Bargaining Rights to Police, Fire, and EMS Workers
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would establish a federal floor of collective bargaining rights for state and local public safety officers — law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS workers — requiring every state to meet minimum standards for union organizing and contract negotiations.
From policy text
“To provide collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by States or their political subdivisions, and for other purposes.”
View in full text - States must recognize unions chosen by a majority of workers, bargain over hours, wages, and working conditions, commit agreements to writing, and provide binding arbitration to resolve bargaining impasses. If a state already meets or exceeds these standards, its laws remain in place.
From policy text
“Requiring public safety employers to recognize the employees' labor organization (freely chosen by a majority of the employees), to agree to bargain with the labor organization, and to commit any agreements to writing in a contract or memorandum of understanding.”
View in full text - The Federal Labor Relations Authority would evaluate each state's laws within 180 days. States that fall short would become subject to federal collective bargaining regulations, though they'd get time to pass their own qualifying laws before the federal rules kick in.
From policy text
“Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Authority shall make a determination as to whether a State substantially provides for the rights and responsibilities described in subsection (b).”
View in full text - Strikes, sickouts, work slowdowns, and lockouts are all prohibited for public safety workers and their employers, ensuring emergency services aren't disrupted during labor disputes. Binding arbitration serves as the alternative for resolving deadlocked negotiations.
From policy text
“an employer, public safety officer, or labor organization may not engage in a lockout, sickout, work slowdown, strike, or any other organized job action that will measurably disrupt the delivery of emergency services”
View in full text - States can still enforce right-to-work laws that prevent mandatory union dues, and very small communities (under 5,000 residents or fewer than 25 full-time employees) can be exempted from the requirements entirely.
From policy text
“to prevent a State from enforcing a right-to-work law that prohibits employers and labor organizations from negotiating provisions in a labor agreement that require union membership or payment of union fees as a condition of employment”
View in full text
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
State Impacts
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
What Happens Next
Projected impacts based on AI analysis
Federal Labor Relations Authority evaluates every state's public safety labor laws
The FLRA has 180 days after enactment to determine which states already meet the bargaining rights standards and which fall short. This assessment sets the stage for which states will face new federal requirements.
FLRA issues federal collective bargaining regulations for non-compliant states
Within one year of enactment, the FLRA must create the actual rules that will govern bargaining between public safety workers and their employers in states that don't already have qualifying laws.
Federal bargaining rules take effect in non-compliant states
At least 2 years after enactment — or after the state's legislature has had a chance to pass its own law — public safety officers in non-compliant states gain full collective bargaining rights under federal regulations.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(58)Data Sources
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.