Sponsors (19)
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Amends employer duty provision: modifies subsection (a)(1) language and adds a new subsection (c) making each exposed employee or person a separate violation.
Amends standards section to restructure subsection (a) into paragraph (1), expand referenced chapters to include chapter 6, require updates to national consensus standards within 2 years after an effective date (with exceptions), and adds subsection (h) prohibiting reduction of protection by new standards.
Amends inspection/recordkeeping provisions: requires posting information on protections under section 11(c); adds employer reporting requirements for deaths, hospitalizations, and annual electronic reporting; defines site-controlling employer and requires site logs; adds investigator preservation duties and mandatory investigations of significant incidents and incidents resulting in death.
Amends citations section to clarify continuing violations and prohibit issuing/modifying/settling citations without designation.
Amends the Act by inserting new section 9A (Victims' rights) after section 9, affecting rights under the Act generally.
Amends enforcement procedures: modifies section 10(c) and adds subsection (d) governing correction periods, stays, expedited stay hearings, and employee notification; adds subsection (e) deeming ALJ decisions final if Commission fails to act due to lack of quorum after specified periods.
Amends judicial review provisions by expanding references to include new subsections (c), (d), and (e) of section 10 for reviewability.
Multiple amendments to civil and criminal penalties: increases many penalty amounts, redesignates subsections, adds inflation adjustment provision, expands criminal penalties for violations causing death or serious bodily harm, and clarifies state/local prosecution authority.
Modifies the definition provisions in section 3 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 by (1) altering paragraph (5) (the definition of "employer") to remove the existing exclusion for the United States and States/political subdivisions and replace it with language expressly including the United States, States, and political subdivisions, and (2) adds a new definition for "authorized employee representative" at the end of section 3.
Amends subsection (b) of section 4 by redesignating existing paragraphs (2)-(4) as (5)-(7) and replacing paragraph (1) with new paragraphs that (a) authorize the Secretary to publish a Federal Register certification ceding jurisdiction to a Federal agency when that agency's standard and enforcement provide protection at least as effective as the Act and the Secretary’s enforcement, (b) require the Secretary, by regulation, to establish procedures allowing any person adversely affected by such a certification to petition to rescind it and to publish a decision on such petitions within 90 days, (c) address persons adversely affected by certifications or denials of petitions, and (d) state that nothing in the Act shall apply to working conditions covered by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
And 5 more affected sections...
Extends federal workplace safety coverage to include public employers (the United States, States, and political subdivisions), strengthens worker protections for reporting hazards and refusing unsafe work, and tightens enforcement and reporting rules for employers. It also updates State-plan oversight, expands NIOSH authority for training and grants, and phases in effective dates tied to State plan status.
Amends Section 3(5) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 by replacing the existing exclusion language and explicitly including public employers: the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State.
States that nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the application of section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
Adds a new subsection (15) to Section 3 defining “authorized employee representative” to mean any person or organization that represents at least one employee at an establishment, factory, plant, construction site, or other workplace, and explicitly includes a representative authorized by employees, a representative of employees, or any other representative of an employee under the Act.
In Section 4(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, redesignates paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively.
Replaces paragraph (1) of Section 4(b) with a provision authorizing the Secretary to publish a certification in the Federal Register ceding jurisdiction to a Federal agency when that agency’s standard and enforcement provide protection at least as effective as this Act. The notice must set forth the determination and reasons; the Secretary must seek to avoid duplication and conflicts; and the certification remains in effect until rescinded.
Workers: Employees (both private and public) will gain clearer protections for reporting hazards and refusing unsafe work, and may see more investigations and improved hazard response. Employers: Public and private employers face expanded reporting, recordkeeping, inspection exposure, and higher penalties, requiring new compliance actions and possible costs for safety programs. State governments: States with OSHA plans must revise plan rules and enforcement practices to conform to the new law, allocate staff and resources to implement changes, and may request a limited extension if legislatures are not in session. Federal agencies/OSHA/NIOSH: OSHA will have broader jurisdiction, investigation duties, and enforcement responsibilities; NIOSH will gain authority to administer training and grant programs, increasing its role in outreach and education. Nonprofit training providers: Eligible nonprofits may receive new grant funding to provide workplace safety education and materials. Overall, the bill increases worker protections and transparency but will raise administrative and compliance burdens for employers and State agencies; States may need to invest in plan updates and enforcement capacity, and employers will need to enhance reporting systems and training. The expansion to public employers and stronger Federal oversight could give rise to legal and federalism debates and transition costs during the phased implementation.
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced April 28, 2025 by Joe Courtney · Last progress April 28, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House