AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 8; Title 29 and Title 50, relative to workplace conditions.
HB0791 creates the “Workers’ Right to Live Act,” a new part in Tennessee’s labor code focused on workplace fatalities and employer accountability. The bill requires employers to report a workplace fatality to the state within 24 hours, directs the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to investigate the death within five business days, and requires public reporting of investigative findings within 90 days. The division must determine whether the death resulted from employer negligence, an unavoidable medical emergency, or a true accident without employer fault.
If a fatality is found to be caused by employer negligence, the bill imposes a minimum civil fine of $250,000 per fatality, with additional penalties based on severity and prior violations. It also creates a new state worker protection fund to receive penalty revenue and directs the Department of Economic and Community Development to include clawback provisions in future economic development agreements beginning July 1, 2025. Under those provisions, employers found negligent in a fatality may have to repay state incentives received in the prior three fiscal years, and employers with a pattern of negligence and multiple fatalities may be barred from receiving state incentives for at least five years.
The bill also requires the department to adopt rules implementing the new framework, including whistleblower protections for employees who report unsafe conditions. It amends Tennessee Code Annotated Titles 4, 8, 29, and 50 by adding reporting, investigation, penalty, and fund-management provisions related to workplace deaths and safety enforcement.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no documented legislative debate or voting pattern to gauge sentiment from the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears strongly pro-worker and enforcement-oriented, with a clear emphasis on deterrence, public accountability, and financial consequences for employers found responsible for preventable deaths.
The main point of contention likely would be the bill’s regulatory and financial burden on employers, especially the mandatory reporting deadline, high minimum fines, public findings, and incentive clawbacks tied to economic development agreements. Supporters would likely emphasize worker safety, transparency, and accountability, while opponents may argue that the bill could penalize employers harshly even in complex incidents and could affect business recruitment or retention incentives.
The bill would add a new workplace-fatality enforcement regime to Tennessee law, creating reporting deadlines, investigative procedures, public disclosure requirements, civil penalties, a dedicated worker protection fund, and whistleblower-related rulemaking authority. It would also affect economic development incentive agreements by requiring clawback provisions and allowing repayment of state incentives when a workplace fatality is found to result from employer negligence. The measure would primarily affect employers, the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Department of Economic and Community Development, and workers covered by state workplace safety laws.
No committee discussion or vote history is available, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from the official process. On its face, the bill reflects a strong pro-worker, safety-enforcement approach and is framed around accountability for preventable workplace deaths. The absence of recorded opposition or support in the provided materials means any broader sentiment can only be inferred from the bill’s structure, which is assertive and punitive toward negligent employers.
The likely areas of contention are the bill’s mandatory $250,000 minimum fine per fatality, the 24-hour reporting requirement, the public release of investigative findings, and the requirement that employers repay prior state incentives if negligence is found. Employers and business groups would likely object to the size of the penalties, the potential for reputational harm from public findings, and the effect on economic development agreements. Worker advocates would likely support the bill’s whistleblower protections, rapid investigations, and clawback provisions as necessary tools for accountability and deterrence.