LET’S Protect Workers Act
Congress Proposes Raising Fines to $800,000 for Major Workplace Safety and Child Labor Violations
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would sharply increase the fines companies pay for breaking labor laws. For example, child labor violations that lead to death or serious injury could result in fines up to $700,000, a massive increase meant to discourage dangerous illegal hiring practices.
- Workplace safety fines would also see a major boost. Maximum penalties for the most serious or repeated safety violations would rise from $70,000 to $800,000 to ensure companies take employee health and safety seriously and fix hazards quickly.
- The plan introduces new fines for "unfair labor practices," such as interfering with workers' rights to join a union. Employers could be fined up to $50,000 per violation, and company leaders could be held personally responsible for these actions in certain cases.
- It targets specific industries like farming and mining with stricter rules. For instance, mine operators who fall behind on paying their safety fines could be forced to shut down their mines and stop all work until they pay what they owe the government.
- The bill also adds new penalties for employers who violate family leave laws or fail to provide equal insurance coverage for mental health treatments. Most of these higher fines would go into effect on January 1, 2027.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Small businesses face dramatically higher financial exposure for labor law violations. Child labor fines jump to $150,000 per employee, wage and hour penalties rise to $25,000-$50,000 per violation, OSHA fines increase tenfold, and FMLA violations now carry penalties up to $25,000 per offense. While the bill instructs the NLRB to consider employer size when setting penalties, these increases could be financially devastating for small employers who make mistakes, even unintentional ones.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, and House Administration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
LET’S Protect Workers Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(79)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.