Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Striking and Locked Out Workers Healthcare Protection Act
A Democratic bill with 13 Democratic cosponsors · See all 14 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Striking and Locked Out Workers Healthcare Protection Act aims to prevent employers from changing or ending health insurance coverage during labor disputes. It prohibits employers from altering group health plan coverage while they are engaging in a lock-out to influence collective bargaining. Additionally, it prevents such changes while employees are participating in a lawful strike. The bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to include these specific protections. It also establishes civil penalties for employers who violate these rules.
Yes· 3 of 4
- Scored +8
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill provides direct economic security to union workers by protecting their health insurance during disputes.
- Scored +7
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?
The bill strengthens union members' bargaining positions by ensuring health coverage continuity during strikes and lock-outs.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
It protects healthcare access for workers engaged in labor disputes by preventing coverage termination.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill imposes new financial liabilities and penalties on employers during labor disputes.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of Health Coverage during Lock-outs: Under Section 2(a), employees will be protected from having their group health plan coverage terminated or altered while an employer is taking action to lock-sout, suspend, or withhold employment to influence bargaining.
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Protection of Health Coverage during Strikes: Under Section 2(b), employees engaged in a lawful strike will be protected from having their group health plan coverage terminated or altered.
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Financial Penalties for Violations: Section 3 establishes civil penalties for employers who violate these protections, with penalties up to $75,000 for lock-out violations and up to $50,000 for strike violations.
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Increased Penalties for Repeat Offenders or Serious Harm: Under Section 3(b) and (c), penalties can be doubled up to $150,000 or $100,000 respectively if the violation involves an employee's discharge or results in serious economic harm, provided the employer has a violation history within the last 5 years.
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Personal Accountability for Leadership: Section 3(d) allows for civil penalties to be assessed against a director or officer of a company if they directed, committed, or had knowledge of and authority to prevent the violation.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — The bill strengthens union members' bargaining positions by ensuring health coverage continuity during strikes and lock-outs.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — It protects healthcare access for workers engaged in labor disputes by preventing coverage termination.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill increases federal oversight of labor practices through expanded NLRB enforcement and civil penalties.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The bill provides direct economic security to union workers by protecting their health insurance during disputes. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill imposes new financial liabilities and penalties on employers during labor disputes.
- 11/7/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/8/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/26/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/24/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/5/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 10 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Bernie SandersIndependent · Vermont
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts