Federal bill would automatically decertify unions over unpaid fees

What it does

This bill requires federal agencies to charge labor unions quarterly fees for the cost of 'union time' (hours employees spend on union business while on the clock) and agency resources (office space, equipment, etc.) provided to unions. Unions must pay these fees within 60 days or face escalating penalties: interest accrual, loss of union time and resources after 90 days, loss of payroll deductions after 180 days, and decertification as the exclusive bargaining representative after 365 days. The bill also requires unions to track and report union time use, with employees facing disciplinary action for failing to record it.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is not fee collection—it is automatic decertification of unions after 365 days of non-payment. The fee structure is the trigger; decertification is the consequence. This is functionally a union-busting statute disguised as a cost-recovery measure.

What the text implies

• The bill creates a financial trap: unions representing low-wage federal workers may lack resources to pay quarterly fees, triggering automatic decertification even if the union later pays arrears. This converts a debt dispute into permanent loss of representation rights.
• The 'union time' valuation includes full-cost accounting (wages + benefits + payroll taxes + paid leave accruals), inflating the fee base far beyond actual salary cost. A union steward earning $50k/year may be charged $70k+ annually in union-time fees alone.
• The bill bars grievance procedures and unfair labor practice complaints during the enforcement period, preventing unions from challenging fee calculations or agency overreach through normal legal channels.
• Decertification is permanent unless the union pays ALL arrears plus interest. A union cannot regain certification by paying current fees; it must clear the entire debt. This creates indefinite decertification risk.
• The bill applies to TSA unions under a separate statutory framework (Aviation and Transportation Security Act), potentially fragmenting federal labor law and creating precedent for carving out other agencies.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

This bill restricts workers' collective bargaining rights and union organizing capacity by imposing substantial financial penalties on unions and creating barriers to union representation. The escalating enforcement mechanism—culminating in automatic decertification—effectively weaponizes fee non-payment to eliminate union certification, undermining workers' statutory right to organize and bargain collectively under the National Labor Relations Act framework.

Who stands to gain

• federal agencies (reduced union organizing capacity and operational costs)
• private contractors competing for federal work (weakened union wage standards may lower labor costs)

Named in the bill

Federal agencies, Labor organizations, General Services Administration, Federal Labor Relations Authority, Transportation Security Administration, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Feb 11, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Feb 11, 2025 — Referred to Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

2 lobbying clients named this bill on 4 disclosure filings across 2 quarters, Dec 2025 to Jun 2026. Those filings disclosed $1,070,304 in lobbying spend. A filing names 71 bills on average, so that figure is what each filing reported, not a share belonging to this bill.

More lobbying clients named this bill than 41% of bills with at least one filing.

Joni Ernst, the sponsor, reported $342,120 in PAC receipts in the 2026 cycle.

• National Treasury Employees Union — $690,000 on 2 filings
• International Association of Fire Fighters — $380,304 on 2 filings

Lobbying Disclosure Act filings through Jul 20, 2026. A filing shows who paid to lobby on a bill it names, not what changed.