text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Workers' Political Rights Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. LIMITATION ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPENDITURES BY LABOR 
                ORGANIZATIONS.
  
      (a) Contributions to All Political Committees Included.--Paragraph 
  (2) of section 316(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 
  U.S.C. 441b(b)(2)) is amended by inserting ``political committee,'' 
  after ``campaign committee,''.
      (b) Applicability of Requirements to Labor Organizations.--Section 
  316(b) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441b(b)) 
  is amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:
      ``(8)(A) Subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (2) shall not 
  apply to a labor organization unless the organization meets the 
  requirements of subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D).
      ``(B) The requirements of this subparagraph are met only if the 
  labor organization provides, at least once annually, to all employees 
  within the labor organization's bargaining unit or units (and to new 
  employees within 30 days after commencement of their employment) 
  written notification presented in a manner to inform any such 
  employee--
              ``(i) that an employee cannot be obligated to pay, through 
          union dues or any other mandatory payment to a labor 
          organization, for the political activities of the labor 
          organization, including, but not limited to, the maintenance 
          and operation of, or solicitation of contributions to, a 
          political committee, political communications to members, and 
          voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns;
              ``(ii) that no employee may be required actually to join 
          any labor organization, but if a collective bargaining 
          agreement covering an employee purports to require membership 
          or payment of dues or other fees to a labor organization as a 
          condition of employment, the employee may elect instead to pay 
          an agency fee to the labor organization;
              ``(iii) that the amount of the agency fee shall be limited 
          to the employee's pro rata share of the cost of the labor 
          organization's exclusive representation services to the 
          employee's collective bargaining unit, including collective 
          bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment;
              ``(iv) that an employee who elects to be a full member of 
          the labor organization and pay membership dues is entitled to a 
          reduction of those dues by the employee's pro rata share of the 
          total spending by the labor organization for political 
          activities;
              ``(v) that the cost of the labor organization's exclusive 
          representation services, and the amount of spending by such 
          organization for political activities, shall be computed on the 
          basis of such cost and spending for the immediately preceding 
          fiscal year of such organization; and
              ``(vi) of the amount of the labor organization's full 
          membership dues, initiation fees, and assessments for the 
          current year; the amount of the reduced membership dues, 
          subtracting the employee's pro rata share of the organization's 
          spending for political activities, for the current year; and 
          the amount of the agency fee for the current year.
      ``(C) The requirements of this subparagraph are met only if the 
  labor organization provides all represented employees an annual 
  examination by an independent certified public accountant of financial 
  statements supplied by such organization which attests that the 
  expenditures which the union claimed it made for certain expenses were 
  actually made for those expenses. Such examination shall be conducted 
  in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
      ``(D) The requirements of this subparagraph are met only if the 
  labor organization--
              ``(i) maintains procedures to promptly determine the costs 
          that may properly be charged to agency fee payors as costs of 
          exclusive representation, and explains such procedures in the 
          written notification required under subparagraph (B); and
              ``(ii) if any person challenges the costs which may be 
          properly charged as costs of exclusive representation--
                      ``(I) provides a mutually selected impartial 
                  decisionmaker to hear and decide such challenge 
                  pursuant to rules of discovery and evidence and subject 
                  to de novo review by the National Labor Relations Board 
                  or an applicable court; and
                      ``(II) places in escrow amounts reasonably in 
                  dispute pending the outcome of the challenge.
      ``(E)(i) A labor organization that does not satisfy the 
  requirements of subparagraphs (B), (C), and (D) shall finance any 
  expenditures specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), or (C) of paragraph 
  (2) only with funds legally collected under this Act for its separate 
  segregated fund.
      ``(ii) For purposes of this paragraph, subparagraph (A) of 
  paragraph (2) shall apply only with respect to communications expressly 
  advocating the election or defeat of any clearly identified candidate 
  for elective public office.''.
  
  SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
  
      The amendments made by section 2 shall apply to contributions and 
  expenditures made after the date of the enactment of this Act.
target: Workers' Political Rights Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to permit a labor organization to make political communications and establish and solicit contributions for a separate segregated political fund if it provides the employees it represents with written notification of specified information.
feat_title: Workers' Political Rights Act