Pennsylvania HB 1923: An Act providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing industry by creating facility health and safety committees in the workplace; establishing the industry workers' rights coordinator within the Department of Labor and Industry; and imposing penalties.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2402 PRINTER'S NO. 2819
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1923
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HADDOCK, GIRAL, VENKAT, PROBST, KHAN, FREEMAN,
SANCHEZ, MALAGARI, McNEILL, KENYATTA, DONAHUE, BRENNAN, HILL-
EVANS, STEELE, SCHLOSSBERG, DEASY, GREEN, MADDEN, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ, FIEDLER, K.HARRIS, WAXMAN, BURGOS, RIVERA AND SMITH-
WADE-EL, OCTOBER 3, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JANUARY 28, 2026
AN ACT
Providing for regulation of the meat packing and food processing
industry by creating facility health and safety committees in
the workplace; establishing the industry workers' rights
coordinator within the Department of Labor and Industry; and
providing for public health emergency protections for workers
AND IMPOSING PENALTIES.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Meat Packing
and Food Processing Protection Act.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Department." The Department of Labor and Industry of the
Commonwealth.
"Employee." An individual who is employed by an employer.
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"Employer." A business that employs 100 or more employees at
a single facility, including independent contractors and
employees hired by a temporary hiring or staffing agency located
in this Commonwealth, and meets all of the following criteria:
(1) The business is any of the following:
(i) Licensed under the act of July 9, 1968 (P.L.304,
No.151), known as the Pennsylvania Meat and Poultry
Hygiene Law of 1968.
(ii) A food establishment subject to 3 Pa.C.S. Ch.
57 Subch. B (relating to food safety).
(iii) Subject to inspection by the Food Safety
Inspection Service under 21 U.S.C. Ch. 12 (relating to
meat inspection) or 15 (relating to egg products
inspection).
(2) The business is registered as a food facility
under Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness
and Response Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-188, 116 Stat. 594).
"Facility." The location of an employer where the employees
perform job-related duties or the following occurs, but shall
not be limited to the following:
(1) slaughtering or butchering;
(2) meat canning, meat packing or meat manufacturing;
(3) poultry canning, packing or manufacturing;
(4) pet food manufacturing;
(5) egg production;
(6) processing of meat packing products;
(7) commercial packaging;
(8) the making, cooking, mixing, processing, bottling,
baking, canning, freezing, packing or rendering of meat
products; or
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(9) the making, cooking, mixing, processing, bottling,
baking, canning, freezing, packing or rendering of products
intended for human consumption.
"Facility health and safety committee" or "committee." A
committee authorized and established under section 5.
"Full-time employee." An employee who works, in a calendar
month, at least an average of 30 hours per week.
"Industry workers' rights coordinator" or "coordinator." The
coordinator appointed by the secretary under section 5(j).
"Part-time employee." An employee who works, in a calendar
month, less than an average of 30 hours per week.
"Public health emergency." One or more of the following
occurrences:
(1) Imminent threat of an illness or health condition
caused by epidemic or pandemic disease.
(2) A novel and highly fatal infectious agent or
biological toxin that poses a substantial risk of a
significant number of human fatalities or permanent or long-
term disability.
(3) A declaration by the Governor of disaster emergency
under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c) (relating to general authority of
Governor) issued because of an occurrence described in
paragraph (1) or (2).
(4) A Federal public health emergency declared by the
United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(5) A national public health emergency declared by the
President of the United States.
"Secretary." The Secretary of Labor and Industry of the
Commonwealth.
Section 3. Training provided by employer.
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(a) Health and safety information.--Upon hire, an employer
must provide to an employee in the language that the employee
speaks, if at least 5% of the employer's workforce speaks the
language, information on the following:
(1) Health risks directly associated with the duties of
employment, including repetitive strain injuries,
musculoskeletal disorders and respiratory hazards under 29
U.S.C. Ch. 15 (relating to occupational safety and health)
and related Federal regulations.
(2) The employee's right to seek medical care for
injuries that occur as a result of employment unde