Senate committee advances bill banning PPE paycheck deductions, requires restroom access at large meatpacking plants

Senators on the Colorado Senate Business, Labor & Technology Committee advanced Senate Bill 160 after workers and union representatives described instances where employees at meatpacking plants were charged for required protective equipment and sometimes denied reasonable restroom breaks.

“Employers are already required to pay under OSHA rule 19‑10‑132 subsection H,” Majority Leader Senator Rodriguez said, introducing the bill and describing its two parts: a prohibition on payroll deductions for required personal protective equipment and a requirement that large meatpacking employers (500 or more employees) provide reasonable access to restrooms during shifts. “This bill simply prohibits payroll deductions in a manner consistent with OSHA rule … which has been in place since 2008 in Colorado law.”

The bill’s restroom provision targets large meatpacking employers and creates a limited enforcement mechanism intended to encourage compliance rather than punish ordinary adherence. “We’re really trying to ensure that we are putting forward a limited and reasonable fine structure,” Senator Gonzalez said, describing the penalty framework as capped at a per‑employee weekly limit.

Union witnesses and workers who testified described repeated on‑the‑job examples that sponsors said the bill aims to fix. Chelly Moyes, a UFCW Local 7 representative at the JBS Greeley facility, told the committee she had “seen countless situations where workers have been forced to work with either damaged or without the equipment” and reported cases where workers were disciplined or threatened after leaving the line to use the restroom. Claire Poundstone read testimony for Carmelo Garcia Ramirez, who said his employer deducted more than $1,000 in pay over several pay periods for replacement PPE that he said he did not lose or damage.

Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff and current Georgetown fellow, told the committee that meatpacking is among the nation’s most dangerous industries and that OSHA’s limited inspection capacity increases the need for state‑level clarity. “By prohibiting payroll deductions, you’ll be protecting the safety of meatpacking workers from companies skirting existing safety regs,” she said.

During questioning, Senator Liston asked whether an employer must replace equipment lost through employee fault. Rodriguez and Gonzalez said the bill follows existing OSHA principles: employers must furnish required PPE and may pursue traditional remedies if an employee maliciously damages or deliberately misuses equipment, but payroll deductions for required PPE would be prohibited.

Senator Henriksen moved the bill to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation; the committee polled and recorded unanimous support. Sponsor comments and multiple worker accounts were the latest step as the bill moves to the Senate calendar for further consideration.