Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988
Public Law 100-347 · H.R. 1212 · 100th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jun 27, 1988 · Labor and Employment
Sponsor: Rep. John Williams (D-MT-1)
Cosponsors (182): Rep. Gus Hawkins, Rep. Jim Jeffords,
Passage votesYeaNay
- HouseRecorded vote: 251 yea, 120 nay251–120
- SenateRecorded vote: 68 yea, 24 nay68–24
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Employee Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 - Prohibits any employer from: (1) requiring or suggesting that an employee or prospective employee take a lie detector test; (2) using lie detector test results; or (3) taking employment action against an employee or prospective employee who refuses to take a lie detector test or institutes or testifies in a proceeding under or related to this Act.
Requires the Secretary to Labor (the Secretary) to prepare notices setting forth such prohibitions. Requires employers to post such notices.
Provides civil penalties for violations of this Act. Grants the Secretary authority to restrain violations of this Act.
Allows employees and prospective employees to bring civil actions against any employer who violates the provisions of this Act.
Exempts from coverage under this Act: (1) Federal, State, and local governments; (2) certain Federal contractors; (3) tests conducted pursuant to the performance of intelligence or counterintelligence functions or Federal security clearances; (4) certain security personnel and other security services; and (5) employers who are authorized to manufacture, distribute, or dispense controlled substances.
Provides a limited exemption under which an employer may request certain employees to submit to a polygraph test if the test is administered in connection with an ongoing investigation involving economic loss or injury to the employer's business, including theft, embezzlement, misappropriation, or an act of unlawful industrial espionage or sabotage. Specifies reporting requirements of the employer under such circumstances.
Declares that such limited exemption does not apply if an employee is discharged, dismissed, disciplined, or discriminated against in any manner on the basis of the results of one or more polygraph tests or the refusal to take a polygraph test, without additional supporting evidence.
Sets forth the rights of an examinee during a pretest phase, the actual testing phase, and the post-test phase.
Specifies the qualification of an examiner.
Prohibits the disclosure of information obtained from a polygraph test, except as provided by this Act.
Who voted for it
Every House member of the 100th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 258 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.
258 yea127 nay46 present or did not vote
Democrats who voted yea(198)
- Rep. Bill ClayD-MO-1
- Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. John ConyersD-MI-1- Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
- Rep. Gus SavageD-IL-2
- Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
- Rep. Don EdwardsD-CA-10
- Rep. Major OwensD-NY-12
- Rep. Louis StokesD-OH-21
- Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
- Rep. Henry GonzálezD-TX-20
- Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Ed TownsD-NY-11
Rep. Pete StarkD-CA-9- Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4- Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
- Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
- Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. John LewisD-GA-5- Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Nancy PelosiD-CA-5- Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Gary AckermanD-NY-7- Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7- Rep. Harold FordD-TN-9
- Rep. Kenneth GrayD-IL-22
- Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7- Rep. William FordD-MI-15
- Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
- Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
- Rep. Chester AtkinsD-MA-5
- Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5- Rep. Floyd FlakeD-NY-6
- Rep. William CoyneD-PA-14
- Rep. Anthony BeilensonD-CA-23
- Rep. Norman MinetaD-CA-13
- Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2- Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
- Rep. Thomas MantonD-NY-9
- Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Barbara BoxerD-CA-6
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7- Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
- Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24- Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
- Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
- Rep. Joseph KennedyD-MA-8
- Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
- Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
- Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
- Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
- Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
- Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
- Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
- Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
- Rep. Jack BrooksD-TX-9
- Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
- Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
- Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
- Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
- Rep. Albert EspyD-MS-2
- Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
- Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
Rep. Kweisi MfumeD-MD-7- Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
- Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
- Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
- Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10- Rep. Allan SwiftD-WA-2
- Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17- Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
- Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
- Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
- Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
- Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
- Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Benjamin CardinD-MD-3- Rep. Claude PepperD-FL-18
- Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
- Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
- Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
- Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
- Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
- Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
- Rep. Thomas SawyerD-OH-14
- Rep. James TraficantD-OH-17
- Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
- Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
- Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
- Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1- Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
- Rep. James JontzD-IN-5
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20- Rep. John BryantD-TX-5
- Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9- Rep. David NagleD-IA-3
- Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
- Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
- Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. Peter DeFazioD-OR-4
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12- Rep. George HochbruecknerD-NY-1
- Rep. Tom LantosD-CA-11
- Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6- Rep. Don BonkerD-WA-3
- Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
- Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
- Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
- Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
- Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
- Rep. James FlorioD-NJ-1
- Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
- Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
- Rep. Joseph BrennanD-ME-1
- Rep. Terry BruceD-IL-19
- Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
- Rep. Douglas WalgrenD-PA-18
- Rep. Charles DowdyD-MS-4
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9- Rep. Charles McMillenD-MD-4
- Rep. Jim BatesD-CA-44
- Rep. Les AuCoinD-OR-1
Rep. Bart GordonD-TN-6- Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3- Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
- Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
- Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1- Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
- Rep. Douglas OwensD-UT-2
Rep. Louise SlaughterD-NY-30- Rep. David SkaggsD-CO-2
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4- Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
- Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND- Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
- Rep. Robert ClementD-TN-5
- Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
- Rep. Tom BevillD-AL-4
- Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
- Rep. James ClarkeD-NC-11
- Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. David PriceD-NC-4- Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
- Rep. James BilbrayD-NV-1
- Rep. Buddy MacKayD-FL-6
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4- Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
- Rep. Ben CampbellD-CO-3
- Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
- Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
- Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
- Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-1
Rep. John SprattD-SC-5- Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Tim JohnsonD-SD-1- Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
- Rep. James HayesD-LA-7
- Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
- Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
- Rep. Martin LancasterD-NC-3
- Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
- Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
- Rep. William LipinskiD-IL-5
- Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
- Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
- Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
- Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
- Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
- Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-10
- Rep. Richard StallingsD-ID-2
- Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
- Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
- Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
- Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
- Rep. Claude HarrisD-AL-7
- Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
- Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
- Rep. Tommy RobinsonD-AR-2
- Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
- Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Republicans who voted yea(60)
- Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
- Rep. Constance MorellaR-MD-8
- Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
- Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
- Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
- Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
- Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
- Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Christopher ShaysR-CT-4- Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
- Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-7
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2- Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
- Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
- Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
- Rep. John MillerR-WA-1
- Rep. Patricia SaikiR-HI-1
- Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
- Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
- Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
- Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
- Rep. Arthur RavenelR-SC-1
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16- Rep. Thomas RidgeR-PA-21
- Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
- Rep. John RowlandR-CT-5
- Rep. Amo HoughtonR-NY-34
- Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
- Rep. Curt WeldonR-PA-7
- Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
- Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. Jim SaxtonR-NJ-13- Rep. Bill SchuetteR-MI-10
- Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
- Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
- Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
- Rep. Frederick GrandyR-IA-6
- Rep. James CourterR-NJ-12
- Rep. William GoodlingR-PA-19
- Rep. Joseph DioGuardiR-NY-20
- Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
- Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6- Rep. Helen BentleyR-MD-2
- Rep. Earl ColemanR-MO-6
- Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
- Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-14
- Rep. Paul HenryR-MI-5
- Rep. John WeberR-MN-2
Rep. Fred UptonR-MI-4- Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
- Rep. Jack DavisR-IL-4
- Rep. William DickinsonR-AL-2
- Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-20
Rep. Elton GalleglyR-CA-21
Rep. Judd GreggR-NH-2- Rep. Eldon BoulterR-TX-13
- Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Data notes
The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 642 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Education and Workforce Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee; Employment Opportunities Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 30 actions.
- Jun 27, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-347.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 15, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jun 9, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 68-24. Record Vote No: 173.Senate roll call 173
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in Senate: Senate agreed to conference report by Yea-Nay Vote. 68-24. Record Vote No: 173.Senate roll call 173
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report considered in Senate. By Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 6, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: message on House action held at the desk in Senate.
- Jun 1, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 251 - 120 (Record Vote No: 159).House roll call 159
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report agreed to in House: House Agreed to Conference Report by Yea-Nay Vote: 251 - 120 (Record Vote No: 159).House roll call 159
- May 26, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference papers: Senate report and managers' statement held at the desk in Senate.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference Report 100-659 Filed in House.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference report filed: Conference Report 100-659 Filed in House.
- May 17, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Conference committee actions: Conferees agreed to file conference report.
- Mar 22, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Request for Conference and Speaker Appointed Conferees: Hawkins, Martinez, Williams, Jeffords, Gunderson.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 4, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate insists on its amendments, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Kennedy; Metzenbaum; Matsunaga; Hatch; Stafford.
- Mar 3, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 1904 with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 69-27. Record Vote No: 43.Senate roll call 43
- Nov 4, 1987FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Yea-Nay Vote: 254 - 158 (Record Vote No: 414).House roll call 414
- FloorFloor · House Agreed to Amendments Adopted by the Committee of the Whole.
- FloorFloor · Rule Passed House.
- Jul 9, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Education and Workforce Committee
- Jun 10, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Education and Workforce Committee
- Apr 30, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- Mar 4, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Employment Opportunities Subcommittee of the House Education and Workforce Committee
- Feb 24, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Education and Workforce Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.