S. 1815: Farmworker Smoke Protection Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-06-12 · 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 2019-06-12 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · 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

Farmworker Smoke Protection Act of 2019

Plain summary

Farmworker Smoke Protection Act of 2019 This bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to address the exposure of farmworkers to wildfire smoke. Specifically, the bill establishes an initial occupational safety and health standard to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke. The initial standard must require employers to provide farmworkers with (1) appropriate equipment (e.g., N95 mask or N100 masks) to protect them when they are exposed to wildfire smoke that reaches a certain level of air pollution, and (2) training and education materials about how to use the equipment and the potential health impacts of breathing smoke without protective equipment. Under the standard, workers are required to use the equipment when the air pollution reaches a specified level. OSHA must promulgate an occupational safety and health standard that provides at least the same level of protection as the initial standard. Upon request, OSHA must provide technical assistance to employers on how to comply with the standards. OSHA must also develop sample training and education materials that may be used by employers.

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

Farmworker Smoke Protection Act of 2019

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. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] reported raising $5.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

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-116s1815.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s1815 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116