# 119-s-844: Faster Labor Contracts Act

119-s-844, Faster Labor Contracts Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-25).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-844
- As of: 2026-09-25
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-844
- Congress: 119
- Title: Faster Labor Contracts Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-04
- Sponsor: Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO] (R-MO)
- Cosponsors: 17
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-25

## Summary

**This bill would _speed up initial collective bargaining agreements_** by imposing firm deadlines and a structured fast-track process after union certification or recognition. It creates required meetings, a mediation step, and binding arbitration to shorten delays to a first contract. - Workers: Newly represented employees would get an initial meeting within 10 days of a written bargaining request and a 90-day window to try to reach a first contract. Wages, hours, and terms must be maintained during the process. - Employers: If mediation does not settle talks within 30 days the dispute can go to a three-member arbitration panel whose majority decision is binding for 2 years. The panel must consider employer finances, business size and type, employee cost of living, and local wages. - Mediators and oversight: The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service would mediate disputes and appoint arbitrators if parties delay. The Government Accountability Office must prepare a report within 1 year on average days from certification to an initial collective bargaining agreement.

## Cosponsors (17)

- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Moreno, Bernie [R-OH] (R-OH), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-04-07T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-05-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-09-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-10-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-10-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-12-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-03-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-03-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS] (R-KS), 2026-04-22T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Faster first contracts for workers: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would require bargaining to start within 10 days after a written request from a newly certified or recognized representative. Parties would have 90 days from the start of bargaining to try to reach a first contract and must make every reasonable effort to conclude and sign it.…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act
- 119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former United States Senator for the State of Kansas.
- 119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewellyn Kyl, former Senator for the State of Arizona.
- 119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham, a Senator from the State of South Carolina.
- 119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former Senator for the State of Michigan.

## Sources
- [119-s-844 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/844)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-1032: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1032)
- [119-sres-913: A resolution relating to the death of the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum, former Uni…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-913)
- [119-sres-897: A resolution honoring the life, service, and legacy of the Honorable Jon Llewel…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-897)
- [119-sres-801: A resolution honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable Lindsey Olin Graham,…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-801)
- [119-sres-755: A resolution honoring the life of the Honorable Donald W. Riegle, Jr., former S…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-sres-755)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-844 (as of 2026-09-25).