S. 2371: Protecting America's Workers Act

108th Congress · introduced 2004-04-29 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2004-04-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting America's Workers Act

Plain summary

Protecting America's Workers Act - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to expand its coverage to Federal, State, and local government employees. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor, under specified conditions, to cede OSHA jurisdiction to another Federal agency with respect to certain occupational standards or regulations for such agency's employees. Declares OSHA inapplicable to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. Sets forth increased protections for whistleblowers under OSHA. Increases civil and criminal penalties for certain OSHA violators. Sets forth provisions relating to: (1) victims' rights; (2) posting of employee rights; (3) investigations of fatalities and serious injuries; (4) prohibition of unclassified citations; (5) right to contest citations and penalties; and (6) objections to modifications of citations. Directs the Secretary to revise regulations and promulgate OSHA standards to require employers to provide personal protective equipment for employees at no cost to employees.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting America's Workers Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] · 14 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Patty Murray (D-WA), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108s2371.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/s>

Record fed-us-cong108-s2371 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108