The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act seeks to establish minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by states and their political subdivisions. Congress declares that strong labor-management relationships are essential for public safety, national security, and effective response to emergencies, recognizing the vital role of first responders. The bill aims to encourage conciliation, mediation, and arbitration to foster agreements on pay, hours, and working conditions, while respecting existing state laws that already provide comparable or greater rights.

The Act defines a public safety officer as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or emergency medical services employee, excluding supervisory, management, or confidential employees. A public safety employer is any state or political subdivision employing such officers. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) is tasked with determining whether each state substantially provides for a set of core rights and responsibilities.

These core rights include the ability for public safety officers to form and join a labor organization, and for employers to recognize and bargain with such organizations. Officers must have the right to bargain over hours, wages, and terms and conditions of employment, and to utilize binding interest arbitration to resolve bargaining impasses. Furthermore, the bill ensures enforcement of these rights and any resulting contracts through state administrative agencies or courts.

If the FLRA determines that a state does not substantially provide these rights, that state will become subject to federal regulations and procedures established by the FLRA. The FLRA's role would then include determining appropriate bargaining units, supervising elections, resolving unfair labor practice complaints, and enforcing compliance. However, states are not deemed non-compliant if their laws exclude very small jurisdictions or do not require bargaining over pensions, retirement, or health benefits.

The bill explicitly prohibits public safety employers, officers, or labor organizations from engaging in lockouts, strikes, or any other organized job action that would measurably disrupt emergency services. Importantly, the Act does not preempt state laws that provide comparable or greater collective bargaining rights, nor does it invalidate existing collective bargaining agreements. It also clarifies that states are not required to rescind local ordinances that offer greater rights than those outlined in the Act.