This bill, the Public Safety Free Speech Act, defines who is a covered employee: qualified law enforcement officers, people who provide fire-fighting or emergency medical services, and certain federal firefighters. It lets a covered employee sue their employer if the employer fires them or takes other adverse employment action because of the employee's oral or written personal opinions on: delivery of public safety services; pay or benefits; working conditions or scheduling (including personal protective equipment, tools, or vehicles); employer policies or procedures; other job expectations or requirements; or political and religious opinions. The bill allows courts to award actual, compensatory, and punitive damages; injunctive relief; attorneys' fees and costs; and other appropriate relief. The bill lists limits to the protection: it does not cover comments made while on duty; comments that encourage violence or illegal acts; advocacy of discrimination or favoritism in carrying out duties; intentional disclosure of confidential or personally identifiable information about specific people encountered on the job; or statements that call for withholding, delaying, or diminishing essential services as a form of protest. The bill says it does not replace or supersede 42 U.S.C. 1983 or any State law that provides a similar cause of action. It was introduced in the House and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on February 18, 2025.
If you are a covered employee, the bill would let you bring a lawsuit if your employer takes adverse action against you for off-duty statements listed above. If you are an employer as defined in the bill, the bill would limit when you may discipline or fire covered employees for certain off-duty speech and could expose you to legal claims and court-ordered remedies if you do so. The bill also identifies specific situations where speech is not protected.
No publicly available information on fiscal effects or estimated costs.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.