Summary of H.R. 5680: Pay Our Public Shipyard Workers Act

Overview

The Pay Our Public Shipyard Workers Act is a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on October 3, 2025. The main purpose of the bill is to increase pay and benefits for workers employed at public shipyards operated by the U.S. Navy.

Key Provisions

The bill would make the following key changes:

1. Pay Increase: Require the Secretary of the Navy to increase the hourly wage rates for all civilian employees working at public shipyards by at least 20% above current levels.

2. Overtime Pay: Mandate that public shipyard workers receive 1.5 times their regular hourly rate for any hours worked over 40 per week.

3. Retirement Benefits: Enhance retirement benefits for public shipyard workers by increasing the government's contribution to their pension plans.

4. Healthcare Coverage: Provide all full-time public shipyard employees with comprehensive health insurance at no cost to the worker.

Affected Parties

The Pay Our Public Shipyard Workers Act would impact:

• Approximately 75,000 civilian employees working at the 8 major public shipyards operated by the U.S. Navy.
• The U.S. Navy, which would be required to adjust its budget and spending to accommodate the increased personnel costs.
• Taxpayers, who would likely see a rise in government expenditures to fund the higher wages and benefits.

Timeline and Procedure

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on October 3, 2025 and has been referred to the House Committee on Armed Services for further consideration. If passed by the House, it would then move to the Senate for a vote before potentially being signed into law by the President.

The bill's sponsors have indicated they hope to see it enacted before the end of the current Congressional session, though its prospects for passage remain uncertain given the potential budgetary implications.