What This Bill Does
This bill aims to let workers choose whether or not to join labor organizations without being required to do so. The bill makes changes to federal labor laws that currently allow certain agreements between employers and unions.
Who It Affects
Employees (workers), employers, labor organizations (unions), and the railroad industry.
Key Provisions
• Removes language from federal labor law that permits agreements requiring employees to join or pay unions as a condition of employment (Sec. 2(a))
• Eliminates provisions that allowed unions to enforce agreements requiring employees to maintain union membership (Sec. 2(b)(1))
• Removes language that previously allowed unions to discriminate against or require membership as a condition of employment (Sec. 2(b)(2))
• Strikes provisions in railroad labor law that previously authorized certain union security agreements (Sec. 3)
What Changes
If enacted, workers would no longer be required to join unions or pay union fees as a condition of employment. Employers and unions would no longer be allowed to make agreements requiring union membership or fees. These changes apply to agreements made or renewed after the bill becomes law.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
Effective Date
The law applies to any agreement entered into or renewed after the date the bill is enacted (becomes law).
II
Calendar No. 17
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 532
To preserve and protect the free choice of individual employees to form,
join, or assist labor organizations, or to refrain from such activities.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
FEBRUARY 27, 2023
Mr. PAUL (for himself, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. RISCH, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr.
CRAMER, Mr. MARSHALL, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. BUDD, Mr. WICKER,
Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Ms. LUMMIS, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. GRASSLEY,
Mr. BOOZMAN, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. LEE, Mr.
TUBERVILLE, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. CASSIDY, Mr. CRAPO, and Mr. CRUZ) in-
troduced the following bill; which was read the first time
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Read the second time and placed on the calendar
A BILL
To preserve and protect the free choice of individual employ-
ees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, or to
refrain from such activities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Right-to-
4
Work Act’’.
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•S 532 PCS
SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELA-
1
TIONS ACT.
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(a) RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES.—Section 7 of the Na-
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tional Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 157) is amended
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by striking ‘‘except to’’ and all that follows through ‘‘au-
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thorized in section 8(a)(3)’’.
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(b) UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES.—Section 8 of the
7
National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158) is amend-
8
ed—
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(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ‘‘: Provided,
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That’’ and all that follows through ‘‘retaining mem-
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bership’’;
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(2) in subsection (b)—
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(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘or to
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discriminate’’ and all that follows through ‘‘re-
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taining membership’’; and
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(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘covered
17
by an agreement authorized under subsection
18
(a)(3)’’; and
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(3) in subsection (f)—
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(A) by striking clause (2) and redesig-
21
nating clauses (3) and (4) as clauses (2) and
22
(3), respectively; and
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(B) by striking ‘‘Provided, That nothing in
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this subsection shall set aside the final proviso
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•S 532 PCS
to section 8(a)(3) of this Act: Provided further,’’
1
and inserting ‘‘Provided,’’.
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(c) ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—
3
(1) NATIONAL
LABOR
RELATIONS
ACT.—The
4
National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 151 et
5
seq.) is amended—
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(A) in section 9 (29 U.S.C. 159), by strik-
7
ing subsection (e);
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(B) in section 3(b) (29 U.S.C. 153(b)), by
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striking ‘‘or (e)’’; and
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(C) in section 8(f) (29 U.S.C. 158(f)), as
11
amended by subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘or
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9(e)’’.
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(2) OTHER
LAWS.—Section 453A(a)(2)(B)(ii)
14
of
the
Social
Security
Act
(42
U.S.C.
15
653a(a)(2)(B)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘section
16
8(f)(3)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 8(f)(2)’’.
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SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO THE RAILWAY LABOR ACT.
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Section 2 of the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 152)
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is amended—
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(1) by striking the Eleventh paragraph under
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the heading for general duties; and
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(2) by redesignating the Twelfth paragraph
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under the heading for general duties as the Eleventh
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paragraph.
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SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
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This Act, and the amendments made by this Act,
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shall apply to any agreement entered into or renewed after
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the date of enactment of this Act.
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Calendar No. 17
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
S. 532
A BILL
To preserve and protect the free choice of indi-
vidual employees to form, join, or assist labor or-
ganizations, or to refrain from such activities.
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Read the second time and placed on the calendar
VerDate Sep 11 2014
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PO 00000
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