LET’S Protect Workers Act

Bill Number

H.R. 6597

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Labor and Employment

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-10: 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.

Last Updated

2026-06-10T08:07:14Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose of the Legislation

The "Labor Enforcement to Securely Protect Workers Act" (H.R. 6597), also known as the "LET'S Protect Workers Act," aims to strengthen worker protections and child safety by significantly increasing civil monetary penalties (fines imposed by the government for legal violations) for labor law breaches. It enhances enforcement across multiple federal laws to deter violations, ensure compliance, and provide better remedies for affected workers.

Key Provisions

The bill amends several key labor and safety statutes to impose higher penalties and improve enforcement mechanisms. Provisions are organized by affected laws:

• Child Labor and Wage/Hour Protections (Fair Labor Standards Act - FLSA):
• Increases child labor penalties to $1,500–$150,000 per affected minor employee; for violations causing death or serious injury to minors, penalties rise to $7,000–$700,000 (doubled for repeated or willful violations).
• Raises general wage/hour violation fines from $1,100 to $25,000 (or $50,000 for repeated/willful cases).
• Adds a new $2,500 penalty per violation for interfering with whistleblower rights (protections for workers reporting violations).

• Workplace Health and Safety (Occupational Safety and Health Act - OSHA):
• Boosts maximum penalties: serious violations from $15,625 to $800,000 (wait, checking: actually from ~$14,502 adjusted to $800,000? Bill strikes $70,000 to $800,000 for willful/repeated; $5,000 min to $60,000; failure-to-correct from $7,000 to $80,000; posting violations from $7,000 to $40,000).

• Farmworker Protections (Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act):
• Increases penalties for violations from $1,000 to $30,000 per incident.

• Mine Safety, Retaliation, and Black Lung Benefits (Federal Mine Safety and Health Act):
• Doubles penalties for operators with a "pattern of violations" (repeated safety breaches).
• Introduces enforcement for unpaid penalties: after 45 days, a warning letter; after 180 days without payment or a plan, a "withdrawal order" (shuts down mine operations until resolved).
• Adds penalties for retaliation against whistleblowers: $10,000–$100,000 for first offense, $20,000–$200,000 for repeats.
• Raises black lung benefits claim interference fines from $1,000 to $5,000–$50,000.

• Family and Medical Leave (FMLA):
• Adds $25,000 penalty per offense for interfering with leave rights.
• Increases notice violation fines from $100 to $2,500.
• Imposes $2,500 penalty for recordkeeping failures.

• Mental Health Parity and Genetic Information (Employee Retirement Income Security Act - ERISA):
• Expands civil penalties to plan sponsors, administrators, and service providers for failing to provide equal mental health/substance use disorder coverage or mishandling genetic information.
• Allows the Secretary of Labor to enforce these penalties directly via civil actions.

• Unfair Labor Practices (National Labor Relations Act - NLRA):
• Introduces new civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation by employers (doubled to $100,000 for repeats involving interference with union activities, discharges, or serious economic harm).
• Factors in penalty amounts: violation severity, employer size, history, and public interest.
• Holds directors/officers personally liable if they directed, authorized, or failed to prevent violations.
• Penalty funds go to the U.S. Treasury.

• Recordkeeping and Ongoing Violations (OSHA and FLSA):
• Treats recordkeeping failures as continuing violations until corrected or the record retention period ends.
• Requires the Secretary of Labor to issue rules within one year to implement this.

• Effective Dates:
• Most provisions (Sections 2–4) effective January 1, 2027, for violations after that date.
• Recordkeeping changes (Section 5) effective immediately upon enactment.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Penalty Increases: Dramatically raises fine amounts across statutes (e.g., OSHA's top penalty jumps over 10-fold; child labor fines increase up to 100 times for severe cases), replacing flat or low caps with tiered, higher ranges.
• New Enforcement Tools: Introduces mine shutdowns for unpaid fines, personal liability for corporate leaders, and direct Secretary enforcement for ERISA violations—previously limited or absent.
• Expanded Scope: Adds penalties for previously unpenalized areas (e.g., NLRA unfair practices, FMLA interference) and broadens liability to include service providers and officers.
• Ongoing Violation Treatment: Shifts recordkeeping breaches from one-time to continuous offenses, allowing sustained enforcement until fixed.
• Whistleblower and Retaliation Focus: New or heightened penalties specifically target retaliation, enhancing protections for reporting workers.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: The Department of Labor (DOL), OSHA, and related bodies gain stronger tools for compliance, potentially increasing enforcement efficiency and revenue from fines (deposited in Treasury). However, it may require more resources for investigations, rulemaking, and collections.
• On Citizens (Workers and Families): Provides greater deterrence against unsafe or exploitative practices, especially benefiting vulnerable groups like children, farmworkers, miners, and those needing family/medical leave. Could lead to safer workplaces, fairer pay, and better mental health coverage, reducing injuries and economic harm.
• On Employers/Businesses: Higher fines and personal liability may raise compliance costs, particularly for small or repeat-offending firms in high-risk sectors (e.g., mining, agriculture). Encourages proactive safety and recordkeeping but could strain operations if violations occur.
• International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though stronger U.S. labor standards might influence trade negotiations or perceptions of worker rights abroad.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Workers and Employees: Primary beneficiaries, including minors, whistleblowers, union organizers, miners, farmworkers, and those using family/medical leave or mental health benefits—gaining stronger protections against exploitation and retaliation.
• Employers and Businesses: Directly impacted, especially in labor-intensive industries (e.g., manufacturing, agriculture, mining, construction); face higher financial risks for non-compliance.
• Children and Families: Enhanced child labor penalties protect minors from hazardous work.
• Government Agencies: DOL, OSHA, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) see expanded enforcement roles.
• Unions and Advocates: Benefit from NLRA changes promoting workplace democracy.
• Health Plan Providers: ERISA amendments hold insurers and administrators accountable for parity violations.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Strengthens administrative enforcement without new courts, but ongoing violation rules could extend statutes of limitations (time limits for lawsuits), potentially facing challenges on due process grounds. Personal liability for officers raises questions of corporate veil piercing (separating personal and business responsibility).
• Constitutional: Penalty hikes must align with Eighth Amendment (no excessive fines); extreme increases (e.g., for child labor deaths) might invite scrutiny if deemed disproportionate. Expands executive branch powers via DOL rulemaking, consistent with congressional delegation.
• Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (Democrats-led) signals focus on worker rights amid concerns over child labor rises and safety lapses. Could polarize debates on business regulation vs. protections, influencing future labor policy or elections in worker-heavy districts. No direct international treaty conflicts noted.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [D-VA-3]

Cosponsors (80)

Rep. Norcross, Donald [D-NJ-1], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2], Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12], Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3], Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-IN-1], Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3], Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5], Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5], Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5], Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17], Rep. DeSaulnier, Mark [D-CA-10], Rep. Mannion, John W. [D-NY-22], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28], Rep. Underwood, Lauren [D-IL-14], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9], Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3], Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39], Rep. Randall, Emily [D-WA-6], Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8], Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3], Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3], Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13], Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8], Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4], Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36], Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1], Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2], Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22], Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24], Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43], Rep. Cisneros, Gilbert Ray [D-CA-31], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] and 30 more

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-10: 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.
• 2025-12-10: 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.
• 2025-12-10: 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.
• 2025-12-10: Introduced in House
• 2025-12-10: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Labor Enforcement to Securely Protect Workers Act — issued 2025-12-10 — PDF (16 pages)