OSH Agencies in FY 2012 Funding Bill
As indicated in this news release from the House Appropriations Committee Chairman at http://appropriations.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=272984, Congress on December 16 passed into law the Conference Report on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of Fiscal Year 2012. The following outlines funding for the current year, FY 2012, and replaces the continuing resolutions that had provided funding for the year. Much more pressure on these agencies, especially NIOSH, is expected for the FY 2013 appropriations.
From Adele Abrams, ASSE’s Federal Representative –
The Following is a preliminary summary of the 2012 funding for safety and health agencies as included in the omnibus “package” approved by Congress late last week. The below numbers include the across the board 1.83% reduction included in a separate bill to pay for disaster aid.
OSHA: $555,501,817, compared to the 2011 total of $558,619,000. The conference agreement has increases for compliance assistance and whistleblower programs. The manager’s report includes a request that OSHA report to the Appropriations Committees within 90 days on its recordkeeping NEP. The agreement apparently prohibits finalization of the proposal regarding reporting of musculoskeletal injuries, but does not include two provisions from the House bill, regarding the Injury and Illness Prevention Program rule and changes in OSHA policy regarding fall protection for residential roofing.
MSHA: $367,155,800, compared to the 2011 total of $361,844,000.
The agreement apparently delays MSHA’s proposed rule on coal dust for up to 240 days, to allow time for GAO to study the data and evidence used to support the rule.
NIOSH: $288,253,626 which is a decrease from 2011, but does not include funding for the WTC, which is now separately funded. The bill retains funding for the ERCs and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Programs that the Administration had proposed eliminating.