PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jul 31, 2015
Protecting Orderly and Responsible Transit of Shipments Act of 2015 or the PORTS Act
This bill amends the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947 to extend to labor slowdowns occurring at U.S. ports the President's authority to appoint a board of inquiry into the issues involved.
State and territorial governors shall have authority to request the President to appoint a board of inquiry if a slowdown, or a threatened or an actual strike or lock-out, occurring at one or more U.S. ports will, if continued, imperil national or state health or safety.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
If the President does not appoint a board of inquiry within 10 days after receiving a request, the governor who made the request may appoint one to report on the dispute to the governor and the President, although without recommendations. Supplemental reports are also authorized. Boards of inquiry are limited to one that may appointed for each dispute during a 90-day period.
Governors may also petition for injunctions against such labor or management actions affecting ports in their states or territories.
The National Labor Relations Board, for each dispute, shall take not more than one secret ballot for the same employees in any 30-day period.
The Government Accountability Office shall study the West Coast ports slowdown to:
study the economic impact of the slowdowns and congestion caused by the negotiations on the nation as a whole as well as each port,
review steps taken by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) to resolve the dispute,
identify steps FMCS and the Administration could have taken sooner to facilitate an agreement, and
determine what legislative changes could strengthen these tools and result in more timely intervention.
People & committees
Rep. Reichert, David G. [R-WA-8] · R–WA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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