Public Safety Free Speech Act
Sen. Schmitt Introduces Public Safety Free Speech Act to Protect First Responders' Personal Opinions
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- Schmitt introduced a bill to protect the free speech of police, firefighters, and EMS workers. It stops employers from firing or disciplining them for sharing personal opinions on their pay, working conditions, or political and religious beliefs.
- If a worker is punished for their speech, they could sue their employer. A judge could order the employer to pay for the worker's lost wages, emotional distress, and legal fees, or force the agency to stop the unfair treatment.
- These protections only apply to speech made while the worker is off-duty. The bill does not protect speech that encourages violence, promotes discrimination, or suggests that emergency services should be delayed or stopped as a form of protest.
- To protect the public, the bill does not allow workers to share private information they learned on the job, such as names or addresses of people they helped. It also ensures that workers cannot use their speech to support favoritism while doing their jobs.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Many police officers, firefighters, and EMS workers belong to unions. This bill would give individual members a separate legal tool to challenge employer retaliation for off-duty speech about working conditions, compensation, or employer policies — topics that often overlap with union advocacy. However, the bill explicitly bars speech advocating for withholding essential services as protest, which could limit some labor action messaging.
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
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.
Related News
4 articles
Eric Schmitt Set to Introduce Legislation to Protect First Responders' Free Speech Rights
Senator Eric Schmitt (R., Mo.) is introducing the Public Safety Free Speech Act to ensure first responders can voice opinions on workplace matters and political or religious views without retaliation. The bill includes guardrails against speech promoting violence or discrimination.
Senator Eric Schmitt Remarks on Public Safety Free Speech Act
During a Senate session, Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) advocated for the Public Safety Free Speech Act, arguing that first responders have been unfairly disciplined for off-duty political speech and need federal legal protections.
The National Police Association Supports the Public Safety Free Speech Act
The bipartisan Public Safety Free Speech Act (H.R. 7398) protects the First Amendment rights of police officers and other first responders while off-duty, ensuring they cannot be terminated for expressing personal beliefs about employment or politics.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Public Safety Free Speech Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
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