# 119-hr-5159: Nationwide Right to Unionize Act

119-hr-5159, Nationwide Right to Unionize Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5159
- As of: 2026-10-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-5159
- Congress: 119
- Title: Nationwide Right to Unionize Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-09-04
- Sponsor: Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 18
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-30

## Summary

This bill would repeal subsection (b) of section 14 of the National Labor Relations Act, **removing federal permission for state "right-to-work" laws**. That change would strip the federal authority that allowed states to ban agreements requiring union membership, making it possible for unions and employers to require membership as a condition of employment in states that now have right-to-work laws.

## Cosponsors (18)

- Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26] (D-CA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13] (D-IL), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [D-FL-20] (D-FL), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gomez, Jimmy [D-CA-34] (D-CA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2] (D-RI), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGarvey, Morgan [D-KY-3] (D-KY), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12] (D-NY), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] (D-CA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50] (D-CA), 2025-09-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4] (D-OR), 2025-10-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2026-10-26T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Ends state bans on union fees: mixed, high. This bill would repeal the federal rule that lets states pass right-to-work laws. States would no longer be able to ban union-security clauses in private-sector union contracts. In current right-to-work states, unions and employers could agree to require membership or fees to keep a job. Some worke…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-4099: Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-5159 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5159)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-4099: Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4099)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5159 (as of 2026-10-30).