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Extends coverage under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to include public employers — that is, the federal government, States, and their political subdivisions — so public-sector workplaces become subject to OSHA requirements. It preserves the current application of existing law referenced in section 18 and sets two effective dates: most provisions take effect 90 days after enactment, while workplaces in States or localities without an approved State plan have up to 36 months before the federal coverage applies.
Amends section 3(5) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 652(5)) by removing the phrase beginning with "but does not include" through the end of the sentence and replacing it with language that expressly includes the United States, a State, or a political subdivision of a State in coverage.
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 (29 U.S.C. 667).
Sets the general effective date for this Act and its amendments to be 90 days after the date of enactment.
Provides an exception: for a workplace of a State or political subdivision of a State that does not have a State plan approved under section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 667), the Act and its amendments take effect 36 months after the date of enactment.
Who is affected and how:
State and local governments: Must ensure their public workplaces comply with federal OSHA standards once coverage applies. States that lack an approved State OSHA plan face a 36-month transition period before federal enforcement starts; during that time they may need to draft or update policies and safety programs or seek plan approval. Costs for training, recordkeeping, equipment upgrades, and administrative work may fall to state and local budgets.
Federal agencies and the federal government: Are explicitly included as public employers and will be subject to the Act's requirements in the same way as other covered employers.
Public institutions and employees (school districts, municipal utilities, public hospitals, etc.): Day-to-day workplace safety rules, hazard mitigation, and recordkeeping will follow OSHA requirements; employees may see improved enforcement of safety standards and potentially reduced workplace injuries.
Enforcement and administrative bodies: OSHA (and State-plan agencies where applicable) will need to plan for inspection, outreach, and enforcement activities for newly covered public-sector workplaces. For jurisdictions without State plans, federal OSHA will need to scale up outreach and enforcement capacity over the 36-month lead time.
Budgetary consequences: Because the bill does not provide dedicated funding to States or localities, compliance costs are likely to be borne from existing public budgets. That creates an unfunded mandate risk and could prompt States to seek federal grants or to pursue or expand State-plan approval to retain more local control over enforcement.
Legal and political considerations: Extending federal OSHA coverage to public employers can raise state-sovereignty and preemption concerns in some jurisdictions. The delayed effective date for places without State plans is intended to reduce immediate disruption, but legal challenges or political opposition could still occur in States that prefer to keep public-employer regulation at the State level.
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced May 1, 2025 by Chris Deluzio · Last progress May 1, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House