Stop Spying Bosses Act

Bill Number: H.R. 9402
Origin Chamber: House
Congress: 119th Congress, Session 2
Policy Area: Labor and Employment
Status: Introduced
Latest Action: 2026-06-23: 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: 2026-07-07T07:04:10Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose The legislation, titled the "Stop Spying Bosses Act," aims to restrict employers' collection, use, and transfer of employee data while mandating transparency, access rights, and protections against certain forms of workplace surveillance and monitoring.

Key Provisions

Definitions (Section 2): Establishes terms including "employee data" (broadly covering personal, biometric, location, performance, and workplace activity information), "covered individual" (employees and applicants), "employer" (entities with 11+ workers engaged in commerce, including certain government entities), "automated decision system," and "service provider."
Employee Data Minimization (Section 3): Prohibits collection or use of data for purposes such as identifying union activity, monitoring protected concerted activity, ascertaining unrelated political/religious/health/immigration status, predicting unrelated behavior, or threatening health. Restricts off-duty collection in sensitive locations. Permits collection only if strictly necessary, least invasive, limited in scope/frequency, and retained no longer than 3 years post-employment (with exceptions for legal requirements). Prohibits selling employee data; limits transfers to service providers (requires opt-in, disclosure, and security) and bans transfers to third parties except as required by law.
Disclosure Requirements (Section 4): Mandates employers provide detailed, plain-language disclosures to covered individuals on data collected, methods, purposes, storage, access, and impacts on work decisions; updates required for changes.
Data Access and Accuracy (Section 5): Grants covered individuals rights to access their data within 30 days and correct inaccuracies; requires pre-decision disclosure and reconsideration opportunities for work-related decisions using such data.
Administration (Section 6): Creates the Worker Protection and Technology Division within the Department of Labor, led by a presidentially appointed Administrator; authorizes advisory boards (User, Research, Product, Labor) and technologist hiring.
Regulations and Enforcement (Sections 7–9): Delegates rulemaking to DOL, GAO, Library of Congress, congressional compliance bodies, and OPM for respective jurisdictions. Provides whistleblower protections, DOL investigations, private rights of action with statutory damages (up to $40,000+ per violation, higher for retaliation), state attorney general actions, and invalidates predispute arbitration agreements or class waivers.
Reporting and Coordination (Sections 10–13): Requires annual DOL reports on workplace surveillance; mandates interagency coordination; preserves other federal/state laws; includes severability.

Significant Changes to Existing Law This bill introduces comprehensive federal standards for employee data privacy and surveillance not previously codified in labor or privacy statutes. It adapts mechanisms from the Fair Labor Standards Act for enforcement while adding new prohibitions, disclosure mandates, and access rights. It establishes a dedicated DOL division and waives sovereign immunity for states and tribal governments receiving federal funds in covered programs.

Potential Impacts

Government Agencies: Expands DOL responsibilities via a new division; imposes compliance duties on GAO, Library of Congress, congressional offices, and federal employing agencies; requires coordination with FTC, EEOC, NLRB, and others.
Citizens: Enhances worker protections by limiting invasive data practices, ensuring transparency, and providing remedies for violations.
International Relations: No direct provisions, though multinational employers may face compliance adjustments affecting cross-border data handling.

Main Stakeholders Affected

Private and public employers (with 11+ covered individuals).
Covered individuals (current/former employees and applicants).
Labor organizations and worker representatives.
Service providers and third parties handling employee data.
Federal agencies (DOL, EEOC, NLRB) and state/tribal regulators.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

Creates private rights of action with tiered statutory damages and temporary relief options.
Exempts advisory boards from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
Applies to diverse employment contexts, including congressional and executive branch offices.
Emphasizes data minimization and least-intrusive means, potentially intersecting with existing labor, privacy, and anti-discrimination frameworks without preempting them.

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

Sponsor

Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]

Cosponsors (2)

Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7]

Recent Actions

2026-06-23: 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.
2026-06-23: 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.
2026-06-23: 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.
2026-06-23: Introduced in House
2026-06-23: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

Stop Spying Bosses Act — issued 2026-06-23 — PDF (56 pages)