# 119-s-636: Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act

119-s-636, Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-05-14).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-636
- As of: 2026-05-14
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-636
- Congress: 119
- Title: Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-19
- Sponsor: Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-05-14

## Summary

**A federal baseline for collective bargaining rights for public safety officers** would set minimum national standards for union representation and negotiation when state laws fall short. The bill emphasizes labor‑management cooperation to support emergency response and public safety missions while preserving stronger state or local protections where they already exist. - Public safety officers gain an explicit right to form and join labor organizations, bargain over wages, hours, and working conditions, seek binding interest arbitration for impasses, and enforce agreements through a state agency or court of competent jurisdiction. - States and local governments that already "substantially provide" these rights remain under state law. States that do not meet the baseline would enter a transitional federal regulatory regime after up to two years, with the Federal Labor Relations Authority identifying which officer categories are covered. - The Federal Labor Relations Authority would run unit elections, resolve bargaining disputes and unfair‑labor‑practice claims, and enforce orders. The bill also bars strikes, lockouts, sickouts, and slowdowns that disrupt emergency services.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-02-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2026-05-12T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Collective bargaining rights for public safety: benefit, high. If enacted, public safety officers could form or join a labor organization and choose a majority union as their exclusive representative. Employers would have to recognize that union and bargain in good faith over hours, wages, and other terms of employment. The bill would allow binding interest ar…
- State review for officer bargaining rights: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Federal Labor Relations Authority would decide within 180 days whether each State already gives public safety officers the listed bargaining rights. The Authority must use the bill's criteria and consider employers' and unions' views. It could not find noncompliance just because an…
- Who is covered as public safety officer: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would define public safety officers to include law enforcement officers, firefighters, and emergency medical services employees. It would include individuals temporarily transferred into supervisory or management roles. Except for those temporary transfers, supervisors, manager…

## Related bills

- 119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-1462: Fix Our Forests Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act

## Sources
- [119-s-636 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/636)

## Related
- [119-s-3923: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3923)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-1462: Fix Our Forests Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1462)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-636 (as of 2026-05-14).