Bill > HB64

This bill, known as the Employee Protection from Captive Audience Meeting Act, prohibits employers from penalizing or taking adverse action against employees for declining to attend or participate in employer-sponsored meetings or communications that express the employer's opinions on religious or political matters, or for reporting suspected violations of this prohibition. It defines "political matter" broadly to include elections, political parties, and proposals to change laws or regulations, and "religious matter" to encompass beliefs, affiliations, practices, or support for religious organizations. The bill allows employees to sue employers for violations, seeking remedies like back pay and reinstatement, and mandates that employers post notices informing employees of their rights under the act within 30 days of its effective date, with the Department of Labor and Industry also providing such notices online. The Department of Labor and Industry is empowered to investigate complaints and can assess administrative fines of up to $2,500 per employee for a first violation and up to $5,000 per employee for subsequent violations, with all collected fines deposited into a new Captive Audience Meeting Enforcement Fund to support the act's enforcement. The bill includes exceptions, such as not prohibiting legally required communications, voluntary meetings, job-essential information, requirements for managerial staff, academic discussions at higher education institutions, or government agency communications about public policy proposals, and it also clarifies that it does not prohibit mandatory anti-discrimination training or labor organizations' access to employees for discussions under collective bargaining agreements.

Labor and Employment

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=64