Bill · S. 1352· Senate(119-S-1352)
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025
- Introduced
- 4/8/2025
- Last activity
- 4/8/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Mazie Hirono
- Cosponsors
- - 37 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 aims to secure the rights of public employees to organize, act concertedly, and bargain collectively. The bill establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights and procedures. A Federal Labor Relations Authority is tasked with determining if State laws already provide these rights and procedures. If a State fails to meet these standards, the Authority will administer the rights and rules directly. The Act also prohibits certain job actions that could disrupt emergency or public safety services.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Enhanced Collective Bargaining Rights: Public and supervisory employees are granted specific rights to self-organize, join labor organizations, and bargain collectively through chosen representatives (Section 3(b)(1)).
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Resolution of Disputes: The bill requires an interest impasse resolution mechanism, such as mediation or arbitration, to reach binding resolutions (Section 3(b)(3)).
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Job Security and Protection: The Act prohibits practices that interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees exercising their guaranteed rights (Section 3(b)(5)).
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Consistency in Bargaining: Employers are required to recognize chosen labor organizations and must commit any reached agreements to writing in a contract or memorandum of understanding (Section 3(b)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Restrictions on Job Actions: Employers, emergency services employees, and law enforcement officers are prohibited from engaging in lockouts, strikes, or organized job actions that would reasonably result in a measurable disruption of emergency or public safety services (Section 5(a)).
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Federal Oversight of State Laws: If the Authority determines a State's laws do not "substantially provide" for the required rights, the Authority will step in to administer rules and activities, which may affect how local labor relations are handled (Section 3(d)).
- 2/4/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/29/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/8/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 36 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Angela AlsobrooksDemocrat · Maryland
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Lisa Blunt RochesterDemocrat · Delaware
Maria CantwellDemocrat · Washington
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Martin HeinrichDemocrat · New Mexico
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Andy KimDemocrat · New Jersey
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Patty MurrayDemocrat · Washington
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Jon OssoffDemocrat · Georgia
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Gary PetersDemocrat · Michigan
John ReedDemocrat · Rhode Island
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Charles SchumerDemocrat · New York
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Brian SchatzDemocrat · Hawaii
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Elissa SlotkinDemocrat · Michigan
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Ron WydenDemocrat · Oregon
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts