Scored 8/10 on whether it helps or hurts everyday people.
The Unsafe Workplaces Bill
Tennessee bill raises fines for unsafe workplaces
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 50, Chapter 3, Part 4, relative to occupational safety and health penalties.
Good for everyday people ·
This bill would increase the maximum fines that companies must pay when they break workplace safety rules, matching the higher limits set by the federal government.
Our take
What we think, in plain words.
Right now, Tennessee caps the fines for workplace safety violations at $7,000 for regular rule-breaking and $70,000 for repeated or intentional offenses. These limits are much lower than what the federal government allows. This bill would raise Tennessee's caps to match the federal maximums. That means companies that put their workers in danger would face much steeper penalties. It is a big win for workers because higher fines make it harder for bad employers to just treat safety tickets as the normal cost of doing business.
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The facts
What the bill actually says, no spin.
- Removes the old $7,000 limit for regular workplace safety violations.
- Removes the old $70,000 limit for repeated or intentional safety violations.
- Ties the state's maximum fines directly to the federal safety limits.
- Forces companies to pay more if they put their employees in danger.
In the news
Scanning the news for this bill…
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Sources
Read it yourself: the official bill and records.
This bill is in the Tennessee Bill Book 2026
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