Skip to main content
H.R. 3274 98th Congress House

Labor Management Racketeering Act of 1983

Official title: A bill to increase the penalties for violations of the Taft-Hartley Act, to prohibit persons, upon their convictions of certain crimes, from holding offices in… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to increase the penalties for violations of the Taft-Hartley Act, to prohibit persons, upon their convictions of certain crimes, from holding offices in or certain positions related to labor organizations and employee benefit plans, and to clarify certain responsibilities of the Department of Labor.

Introduced: June 9, 1983 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Crime and Law EnforcementCriminal investigationEmployee benefit plansFines (Penalties)
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Industrial relationsJurisdictionLabor law and legislationLabor union financesLabor union officials and employeesLabor unionsSentences (Criminal procedure)
This bill died when the 98th Congress ended
It never became law before the 98th Congress (1983–1984) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jun 17, 1983
Referred to Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations.
Jun 9, 1983
Referred to House Committee on Education and Labor.
Jun 9, 1983
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action June 17, 1983

Referred to Subcommittee on Labor-Management Relations.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Labor Management Racketeering Act of 1983 - Amends the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947 (Taft-Hartley Act) to increase penalties for specified violations of restrictions on financial transactions. Makes violations involving more than $1,000 felonies punishable by up to $15,000 fines and/or five years' imprisonment.

Adds intent to benefit a person not permitted to receive payments, loans, or delivery of money or other thing of value to a labor organization in payment of membership dues, to a joint labor-management trust fund, or to a plant, area, or industry-wide labor-management committee as an element of violations involving those transactions. Grants civil jurisdiction to U.S. district courts over suits brought by: (1) the United States alleging a violation involving those transactions; or (2) any person directly affected by violations of restrictions on financial transactions under such Act.

Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to revise prohibitions against persons guilty of criminal offenses holding specified offices or positions involving employee benefit plans, labor organizations, or labor relations consultation to employer organizations. Increases the types of positions from which an individual is barred upon conviction of enumerated crimes. Requires immediate removal of such individual upon conviction (rather than after appeal) of enumerated crimes and crimes relating to the position. Increases, from five years to ten years, the time during which a convicted individual is prohibited from holding such offices or positions, but permits a lesser period to be set by the sentencing court under specified circumstances. Prohibits any person from knowingly hiring, retaining, employing, or otherwise placing any other person to serve in a capacity in violation of such prohibitions. Raises, from one year to five years, the maximum time of imprisonment for violations of such prohibitions.

Provides that any salary payable but for such prohibitions shall be placed in escrow pending final disposition of any appeal.

Sets forth the responsibility of the Secretary of Labor to detect and investigate violations of ERISA and other provisions for protecting employee benefit rights, without precluding such detection and investigation by other appropriate Federal agencies.

Makes any conviction entered prior to the enactment of this Act effective on the date of such conviction if a right of appeal from such conviction is pending on the date of enactment of this Act. (i.e., Makes retroactive the provisions of the Act which bar convicted union officials from office immediately upon conviction).

 Related & companion bills 1
 Committees of jurisdiction 2
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3274: Labor Management Racketeering Act of 1983. 98th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3274/
MLA
"H.R. 3274: Labor Management Racketeering Act of 1983." 98th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3274/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3274, 98th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3274/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3274: Labor Management Racketeering Act of 1983](https://openamerica.io/bill/98-HR-3274/)
Report a problem