H.R. 6597: LET’S Protect Workers Act
Sponsor
Robert Scott
Democrat · VA-3
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Dec 10, 2025
Referred to 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. for review
Breaking labor laws shouldn't be cheap
Why it matters
Up to $800,000 for a willful OSHA violation. Up to $700,000 when an illegal child-labor violation causes a young worker's death or serious injury. H.R. 6597 would make labor, safety, leave, and union-law violations far more expensive so employers face bigger consequences for breaking the rules.
H.R. 6597 raises civil penalties across a wide stretch of workplace law. The biggest jumps are in child labor and workplace safety: illegal child-labor violations involving a worker under 18 would carry $1,500 to $150,000 per employee, and if a violation causes death or serious injury, the penalty would rise to $7,000 to $700,000 per employee, with repeated or willful cases eligible to be doubled.
OSHA penalties would also climb sharply. Willful or repeated violations would range from $60,000 to $800,000, serious violations would be $80,000, and other violations like posting failures could reach $40,000.
The bill also raises the price of wage theft, leave violations, and retaliation. Wage and hour violations could bring up to $25,000 per violation, or $50,000 for repeated or willful cases, while FMLA interference could trigger penalties up to $25,000 per offense.
For union rights, employers could face up to $50,000 per unfair labor practice, or up to $100,000 for certain repeat violations within 5 years, especially when a worker is fired or suffers serious economic harm. The bill also allows personal liability for directors or officers who directed the conduct or knew about it and failed to stop it.
Mine operators and farm employers would see tougher enforcement too. Farmworker penalties would jump from $1,000 to $30,000, and mines with unpaid final penalties could face a withdrawal order after 180 days if they do not pay or enter a payment plan.
Most of the major penalty increases would apply to violations on or after January 1, 2027. Some recordkeeping and mine-payment provisions would start when the bill becomes law.
H.R. 6597 Bill Summary
What H.R. 6597 actually does.
Child labor violations get much costlier
Illegal child-labor violations involving a worker under 18 would carry $1,500 to $150,000 per employee. If the violation causes death or serious injury, the penalty would rise to $7,000 to $700,000 per employee, and repeated or willful cases could be doubled.
Unsafe workplaces face bigger OSHA fines
Willful or repeated OSHA violations would range from $60,000 to $800,000. Serious violations would be set at $80,000, while other-than-serious, failure-to-correct, and posting violations would also rise sharply.
Wage theft and leave violations carry steeper penalties
General wage and hour violations could be fined up to $25,000 each, or $50,000 for repeated or willful cases. Employers that interfere with family or medical leave rights could face penalties up to $25,000 per offense, with notice and recordkeeping violations up to $2,500.
Union retaliation can cost up to $100,000
Unfair labor practices could carry civil penalties up to $50,000 per violation. Certain repeat violations within 5 years — including cases tied to firing a worker or causing serious economic harm — could reach $100,000.
Executives can be personally on the hook
A director or officer could face personal liability for an unfair labor practice if that person directed it, committed it, set the policy behind it, or knew about it and failed to prevent it.
Mine and farm enforcement gets tougher
Farmworker-protection penalties would rise from $1,000 to $30,000. Mine operators with unpaid final penalties would get a delinquency letter within 45 days, and after 180 days could face a withdrawal order unless they pay or enter a payment plan.
Who benefits from H.R. 6597?
Teens and children on the job
Young workers would have stronger protection because illegal child-labor violations could cost employers up to $150,000 per employee — or up to $700,000 if a violation causes death or serious injury.
Workers dealing with unsafe job sites
If your workplace has serious safety hazards, the bill raises the financial stakes for employers. OSHA penalties would climb as high as $800,000 for willful or repeated violations.
Workers denied pay, leave, or retaliation protections
People harmed by wage theft, FMLA interference, or workplace retaliation would benefit from larger civil penalties that are meant to make violations harder for employers to treat as a routine cost.
Workers trying to organize a union
Employees facing unlawful retaliation during organizing drives would get stronger enforcement tools, with penalties up to $100,000 in some repeat cases involving firing or serious economic harm.
Farmworkers and miners
Farmworkers would see a major jump in penalties tied to violations of federal farm-labor protections, and miners would get tougher enforcement against operators who do not pay final safety penalties.
Who is affected by H.R. 6597?
Employers across multiple industries
Businesses covered by federal labor, safety, leave, and labor-relations laws could face much higher penalties starting mostly in 2027, with some provisions taking effect sooner.
Company directors and officers
Top executives could face personal liability in some unfair labor practice cases if they directed the conduct or knew about it and failed to stop it.
Mine operators with unpaid final penalties
Operators that do not pay a final penalty — or arrange a payment plan — could face a withdrawal order after 180 days that requires most people to leave the mine.
Health plan sponsors, administrators, and service providers
Entities involved in group health plans would face clearer federal enforcement exposure, including for mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements.
What Congress Is Saying
H.R. 6597 hasn't been debated on the floor yet.
This section updates when a legislator speaks about it on the floor or in committee.
HR6597 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Dec 10, 2025
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.
About the Sponsor
Robert Scott
Democrat, Virginia's 3rd congressional district · 33 years in Congress
Committees: Education and Workforce, the Budget
View full profile →
Cosponsors (79)
All 79 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 30 states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, and 27 more.
Donald Norcross
Democrat · NJ
Debbie Dingell
Democrat · MI
Steven Horsford
Democrat · NV
Mark Pocan
Democrat · WI
Lateefah Simon
Democrat · CA
Yassamin Ansari
Democrat · AZ
Suzanne Bonamici
Democrat · OR
Frank Mrvan
Democrat · IN
Sarah Elfreth
Democrat · MD
Greg Casar
Democrat · TX
Nikki Budzinski
Democrat · IL
LaMonica McIver
Democrat · NJ
Committee Sponsors
Committee on House Administration
0 of 12 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
Oversight and Government Reform Committee
12 of 47 committee members cosponsored
Education and Workforce Committee
13 of 36 committee members cosponsored
16 Democrats across these committees haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 6597 change?
6 changes
Sections Amended
Section 110(b) of Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 820(b))
adding at the end the following: ``(3) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in the case of an operator who has been given written notice of a pattern of violations in accordance with paragraph (1) of section 104(e), such operator, for any violation of any provision of this Act occurring during the period beginning on the date that such notice was issued and ending on the date such pattern of violation is deemed to be terminated in accordance with paragraph (3) of section 104(e), shall be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary equal to the lesser of-- ``(A) twice the amount that would, in the absence of this paragraph, be assessed by the Secretary for such violation; or ``(B) the maximum amount that may be assessed for such violation
Section 107(b) of Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2617(b))
adding at the end the following new paragraph: ``(4) Civil penalty
Section 109(b) of Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2619(b))
striking ``$100'' and inserting ``$2,500''
Section 106(b) of Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. 2616(b))
adding ``Any employer that violates this subsection may be assessed a civil monetary penalty not to exceed $2,500 for each separate offense
Section 9(c) of Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 658(c))
adding at the end the following: ``In the case of a violation that relates to making, keeping, or preserving a record, such violation continues to occur until the earlier of (1) the date on which an employer complies with the requirement, rule, standard, order, or regulation that was violated with respect to making, keeping, or preserving such record; or (2) the date on which the requirement to keep and preserve such record expires
Section 11(c) of Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 211(c))
inserting before the last sentence the following: ``For purposes of enforcement of this subsection under section 16(e)(3), a violation of a requirement to make, keep, or preserve a record continues to occur until the earlier of (1) the date on which an employer has complied with the regulation or order that was violated with respect to such record, or (2) the date on which the requirement to keep and preserve such record expires
H.R. 6597 Quick Facts
- Committee
- House Administration
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Labor and Employment
- Introduced
- Dec 10, 2025
Referred to 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. for review
Dec 10, 2025
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the LET’S Protect Workers Act with status, text, sponsors, and actions.
OSHA’s official penalties page provides current federal workplace-safety penalty framework relevant to the bill’s proposed increase in OSHA fines.
Department of Labor page explaining federal child-labor rules enforced under the Fair Labor Standards Act, directly relevant to the bill’s higher penalties for child-labor violations.
Official DOL overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act covering wage and hour enforcement that the bill would strengthen with higher civil penalties.
Official Labor Department page on FMLA rights and enforcement, relevant to the bill’s proposed civil penalties for interference with leave rights.
The NLRB is the federal agency that enforces unfair labor practice rules implicated by the bill’s higher union-law penalties and officer liability provisions.
Mine Safety and Health Administration page related to mine penalty payment and compliance, directly relevant to the bill’s unpaid-penalty and withdrawal-order provisions.
Official Labor Department page on federal farmworker protections under MSPA, which the bill would back with much larger civil penalties.
Official U.S. Code access point for Title 29 labor statutes cited throughout the bill, including the FLSA, OSHA, and FMLA provisions being amended.
H.R. 6597 Common Questions
How high could OSHA fines go under H.R. 6597?
Up to $800,000 for willful or repeated violations. The bill would also set serious violations at $80,000 and some other violations at $40,000.
What happens if an illegal child-labor violation seriously injures or kills a worker under 18?
H.R. 6597 would set penalties at $7,000 to $700,000 per employee. Repeated or willful cases could be doubled.
Does H.R. 6597 raise penalties for wage theft?
Yes. Wage and hour violations could bring up to $25,000 per violation, or $50,000 for repeated or willful violations.
Would employers face new penalties for blocking family or medical leave?
Yes. Employers that interfere with FMLA rights could face civil penalties up to $25,000 per offense. Notice and recordkeeping violations could reach $2,500.
How much could union-law violations cost under H.R. 6597?
Up to $50,000 per unfair labor practice, or up to $100,000 for certain repeat violations within 5 years, including some cases involving firing or serious economic harm.
Can company executives be personally liable under this bill?
Yes. Directors or officers could face personal liability for an unfair labor practice if they directed it, committed it, set the policy behind it, or knew about it and failed to prevent it.
Could a mine be forced to stop operating over unpaid penalties?
Yes. If a final penalty is still unpaid after 180 days and there is no payment plan, the bill says the government must issue a withdrawal order to clear most people from the mine.
When would the bigger penalties in H.R. 6597 start?
Most major penalty increases would apply to violations on or after January 1, 2027. Some mine-payment and recordkeeping changes would start when the bill becomes law.
Based on H.R. 6597 bill text
H.R. 6597 Bill Text
“To safeguard the rights of workers and protect children by responsibly increasing civil monetary penalties and other means.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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