Sponsor
Andrew S. Biggs
Representative · R-AZ
Representative · R-AZ
The bill reduces federal regulatory costs and gives states and employers more flexibility, but at the cost of weaker national oversight and protections that raise worker safety risks, potential medical and economic harms, and enforcement gaps.
Employers—especially small businesses—would face lower OSHA compliance costs, fewer federal inspections, and reduced administrative time and potential fines.
State governments (in states with plans) would gain flexibility to set and tailor workplace safety approaches without federal OSHA oversight.
Taxpayers and the federal government could see reduced administrative and enforcement costs from a smaller federal workplace-safety role.
Workers in high-risk industries (construction, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation) would lose federal safety protections, increasing the risk of workplace injuries, long-term harm, and deaths.
Workers and their families would likely face higher medical bills and wage-loss costs from increased workplace injuries and illnesses, raising economic hardship.
In states without robust safety agencies, enforcement gaps would leave many workers without an effective regulator to investigate hazards or issue citations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Repeals the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and abolishes OSHA, removing the federal statute and agency that set and enforce workplace safety standards.
Official title: To abolish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and for other purposes.
Introduced January 3, 2025 by Andrew S. Biggs · Last progress January 3, 2025
Repeals the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and abolishes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), removing the principal federal statute and agency that set and enforced workplace safety and health standards. The law contains only a short title section and a single substantive repeal that terminates OSHA and the statutory duties established by the 1970 Act.