Congress·In Committee·S. 1247

Sen. Schmitt Introduces Public Safety Free Speech Act to Protect First Responders' Personal Opinions

Public Safety Free Speech Act

12 months ago·View on Congress.gov

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

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.

Labor EmploymentCivil RightsCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Who is affectedScoreImpactCertaintyScopeDurationSentiment

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Apr 2, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Apr 2, 2025

Introduced in Senate

Related News

4 articles

National Review·12 months ago

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.

C-SPAN·10 months ago

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.

National Police Association·almost 2 years ago

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.

CR+