Washington — A House bill that would extend OSHA protections to public sector employees now has 50 co-sponsors, the bill’s sponsor recently announced.
Workers employed by state and local governments aren’t always covered under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. States that operate under OSHA-approved State Plans offer protections to these workers.
“No matter where they live, American workers in every sector should have the strong safety standards and protections of OSHA in their workplace,” Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA) said in a press release. “I’m glad that we’ve got momentum growing behind the bipartisan Public Service Worker Protection Act (H.R. 3139).
“We need to take on this gap in worker protections and support the public servants who power our state and local governments, teach our kids, and keep all of us safe. Let’s protect America’s public sector workers and get this done.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is the lone Republican among the bill’s co-sponsors. He co-sponsored the same bill in the 118th Congress that was introduced in June 2024. That bill had 49 co-sponsors. The latest bill was reintroduced in May and is with the House Education and Workforce Committee.
