Protecting America’s Workers Act

Expanded Coverage for Public Workers: Public employees, including those working for the United States or any State and its political subdivisions, are now covered under the Act (Section 101).

Stronger Whistleblower Protections: Employees are protected from retaliation for reporting unsafe conditions or refusing to perform duties they reasonably believe would cause serious injury (Section 201).

Victim and Family Rights: Victims of work-related injury or death, or their representatives, gain the right to meet with the Secretary, receive copies of citations, and make statements during proceedings (Section 331).

Guaranteed Pay During Inspections: Employees will not lose wages or benefits for time spent participating in or aiding safety inspections (Section 313).

Increased Accountability for Fatalities: The Secretary is required to investigate any incident resulting in death or "significant incidents" involving the hospitalization of two or more employees (Section 314).

Enhanced Training Access: The bill provides for grant programs to help nonprofit organizations offer safety and health training to high-risk workers and employers (Section 502).

Higher Costs for Employers: Employers face significantly higher civil penalties, with some maximums increasing from $70,000 to $700,000, which may impact business operations (Section 351).

Stricter Criminal Penalties for Management: Corporate officers and directors can now face imprisonment for up to 10 years if a knowing violation significantly contributes to an employee's death (Section 352).

Increased Administrative Burden: Employers must now electronically report certain injury and illness records to the Secretary and maintain site logs for all workers, including independent contractors (Section 312).

Limited Ability to Delay Corrections: For violations labeled as serious, willful, or repeated, filing a contest no longer automatically stops the required correction period (Section 342).