S. 420: Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-02-24 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-02-24 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. 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 the Right to Organize Act of 2021

Plain summary

Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 20 21 This bill expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. Among other things, it revises the definitions of employee , supervisor , and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards; permits labor organizations to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); and prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes. The bill also allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary; and expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes. The bill makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership and prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees under which employees waive the right to pursue or a join collective or class-action litigation. Finally, the bill addresses the procedures for union representation elections, modifies the protections against unfair labor practices that result in serious economic harm, and establishes penalties and permits injunctive relief against entities that fail to comply with National Labor Relations Board orders.

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 the Right to Organize Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] · 46 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Gary C. Peters (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA), John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] reported raising $3.6 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 (1)

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-117s420.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>

Record fed-us-cong117-s420 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117