No Robot Bosses Act
Sponsored By: Representative Bonamici
Introduced
Summary
This bill would stop employers from relying only on automated decision systems to hire, fire, promote, or manage workers. It would require testing, clear disclosures, human review, and appeal rights when employers use those systems.
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- Workers and applicants would get notice before ADS use, a machine-readable copy of input data after a decision, post-decision documentation within 7 days, and the right to dispute and appeal to different humans. They could opt out of being managed by an ADS and choose a human manager instead.
- Employers with 11 or more employees would face new rules: pre-deployment validation for accuracy and non-discrimination across many protected classes, annual independent bias testing with public results, operator training, and detailed recordkeeping about inputs and how outputs relate to job functions.
- The Department of Labor would get a new Technology and Worker Protection Division to write regulations and advise agencies. States can sue as parens patriae. Statutory damages can reach $50,000 per violation or $100,000 for serious harm with prior violations.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New private damages for workers
You or your union would be able to sue in federal court for covered violations. Courts could award actual damages (including treble damages), injunctive relief, and attorney's fees. Statutory damages per violation would be set by type: for automated-decision violations $5,000–$20,000 (or $10,000–$40,000 for willful or repeated violations); for retaliation violations $5,000–$50,000 (or $10,000–$100,000 for willful or repeated violations). Those dollar amounts would increase each year beginning in fiscal year 2026 by the percent change in CPI‑U. Before suing you must notify the Secretary of Labor and any relevant State attorney general, who have 60 days to decide whether to intervene.
Ban robot-only hiring and give human review
This bill would stop employers from relying only on automated decision systems (ADS) to make hiring, firing, promotion, or discipline decisions for covered people. Employers would have to test and validate systems before use, run annual independent bias tests and publish results, disclose ADS use before decisions and update disclosures within 30 days of major changes, and give full documentation and a machine-readable copy of input data within 7 days after a decision. A qualified human must independently corroborate ADS outputs, and workers could dispute and appeal to humans and opt out to be managed by a human manager. Predispute arbitration and class-action waivers for these claims would not be enforceable, and employers could not retaliate against covered individuals who complain or participate in enforcement.
New Labor Department technology division
The bill would create a Technology and Worker Protection Division at the Labor Department led by a Presidentially appointed Administrator. The Administrator could hire technologists into certain federal positions and set pay up to the Executive Schedule level V rate. The Division could set up regional offices, appoint attorneys, and create four advisory boards that are exempt from the usual advisory board rules.
State and Tribal waiver of immunity
If a State or Tribal government receives or uses federal financial assistance for a program, that act would count as a waiver of sovereign immunity to suits by covered individuals for violations in that program. The waiver would apply to conduct after enactment and after the government first receives or uses the federal funds for that program.
State attorneys general can sue
State attorneys general or state privacy regulators would be able to sue in state or federal court to stop violations and get damages, penalties, restitution, and fees. States must notify the Secretary of Labor before filing, and the Secretary may intervene. In State actions, courts could award up to $50,000 per violation, or up to $100,000 per violation if the violation caused job loss or serious economic harm and the employer had a prior qualifying violation within five years.
Workplace inspections and record requirements
The Secretary of Labor would be able to enter workplaces, inspect records, and question covered individuals to check compliance. The Secretary could require employers to file annual or special reports or answers under oath and conduct joint investigations with other agencies. Employers would have to make and preserve compliance records in line with FLSA rules and any Secretary regulations.
Federal rulemaking and agency coordination
The Secretary of Labor would write rules on automated decision systems that affect workers and consult agencies like the FTC, EEOC, and NLRB. The GAO, Library of Congress, and other covered agencies would issue matching regulations soon after the Secretary's rules. The bill would not override other federal or state laws unless it explicitly says so.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bonamici
OR • D
Cosponsors
Deluzio
PA • D
Sponsored 12/3/2025
Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large]
GU • R
Sponsored 12/3/2025
Goldman (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 1/30/2026
Adams
NC • D
Sponsored 3/20/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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