State Communications

These communications reflect the volunteer-led efforts of ASSE members across the U.S. to impact decisions made by state governments impacting safety, health and environmental professionals, their practice and the safety and health of their communities.

  • ASSE Moving Ahead on Providing OSH Coverage to Florida's Public Sector Workers

    Florida’s ASSE members deserve all the credit in the world for succeeding last year at passing one of the more significant occupational safety and health (OSH) bills in recent years in any state or even at the federal level.  The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) recognized the achievement in its You Tube video at here.   At a time when there are few initiatives to advance safety and health, legislation by Senator Lynn and Representative Gibson that ASSE championed created a task force to determine how Florida can provide OSH coverage to its public sector workers.  The task force concluded that Florida can begin to do so.  ASSE is supporting the task force’s recommendations contained in its full report (PDF).

    In the 2009 session of the Florida Legislature, ASSE will work to see these recommendations passed into law.  ASSE has engaged the lobbyist who succeeded for us last year.  We have a group of dedicated Florida members who have been working on this issue from the beginning and who will lead the effort again this year.  Ed Granberry Jr. was instrumental in making sure ASSE pursued this issue.  Jim Smith is an ASSE Board member and is long committed to the issue.  Mark Friend of Embry-Riddle University as a member of the task force helped see these recommendations through.  And Frank Lakotich of Alabama, the new ARVP for Government Affairs for Region IV, is also bringing the Region’s support to the effort. 

    But we will need your help.  We expect this effort to be difficult.  There is no guarantee of success.  When you are asked to help in ways like contacting your state senator or representative, we would hope that you will take the time and effort to do so.  You can also write letters to the editor in your community, make sure your Chapter knows what is going on.  The more voices we can bring to this effort, the better chances we have.  Please watch for email announcements with more information and requests for help.     

    A first step in this effort was this response to a recent Florida Trend article (pdf) on “Dangerous Work.”

  • ASSE Urges Maryland to Include A10 Standards in Crane Rule -

    In rulemaking by the Maryland Division of Labor and Industry addressing crane safety, ASSE urged inclusion of references to a more complete set of appropriate A10 voluntary consensus standards by the Division. Letter (11/10/08)

  • Florida Governor Crist Commends ASSE for Public Sector OSH Effort - In a letter to ASSE through its Florida lobbyist, Keyna Cory, Florida Governor Charlie Crist commended ASSE for "having the foresight to bring this issue to the attention of the Legislature. Please be assured that the safety of Florida's public workers was considered in my decision to sign the bill." Governor Crist signed a bill into law on June 10 creating the State Public Task Force on Workplace Safety to develop findings and issue recommendations on innovative ways the state may effectively ensure that all departments and agencies and all county and municipal governments comply with specified standards of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, with the exception of standards pertaining to firefighters and fire departments.
  • ASSE’s Wisconsin Chapter has joined in the effort to toughen Wisconsin’s drunk driving laws in a letter to Wisconsin legislators and as reflected in an ASSE press release. ASSE members are calling for (1) making a second conviction for impaired driving criminal offense punishable with mandatory jail time; (2) making a third offense a instead of the current fifth offense; and (3) requiring repeat and first-time offenders with extraordinarily high blood alcohol content (.16 or higher) to install ignition interlock devices (IIDs) in all vehicles registered in their names. Letter to Wisconsin Legislators (6.20.08)
  • ASSE commends Florida legislators for introducing bills to create task force to determine how to provide occupational safety and health coverage to Florida public sector workers. (3/24/08)
  • ASSE brochure provides support for Florida member effort to pass legislation establishing a task force to determine how Florida can best provide its state, county and municipal workers with occupational safety and health protections. ASSE brochure (3/08)
  • ASSE’s Metropolitan Chapter in New York City wrote a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg expressing opposition to a bill to require regulation of environmental, health and radiological monitors. While not opposing the bill’s intent to avoid unnecessary fear of harm from threats, the bill, as written, would affect instruments ASSE members use on a daily basis. Metropolitan Chapter letter to Mayor Bloomberg (2.5.08) - link

2007

  • ASSE Testifies for A10.4 Standard in Wisconsin - On October 29, Dave Heidorn, Manager of Gov’t Affairs and Policy, testified for ASSE at a Wisconsin Department of Commerce hearing on proposed rulemaking to implement Wisconsin's recent elevator licensing law. At issue was language included in the proposed rules that go against recently passed Wisconsin law requiring licensed individuals to install elevators. The proposed rules would exempt personnel and material hoists and home elevators from this requirement, as reflected in the language included below. The ANSI/ASSE A10.4 standard addressing personnel hoists would require trained installers consistent with current Wisconsin law. (10/29/07)
  • ASSE opposes Wisconsin's AB358 and LRB2803/1 - If enacted, Wisconsin construction workers will be lifted in hoists instead of elevators, ignoring construction safety standards adopted by the American National Institute (ANSI) - Representative Terry Moulton (6/15/07)
  • ASSE expressed opposition to a House bill in Florida that would make it illegal for employers to set safety rules barring guns and other legal items concealed in a car in a company parking lot. (4/17/07)
  • ASSE’s Region IV Takes a Stand on Mold Assessor Qualifications (4/06/07)
  • ASSE Fights to Protect Employers Right to Set Safety Rules in Florida (4/06/07)
  • ASSE opposes lack of occupational safety and health coverage for Florida workers - January 11, 2006 Daytona Beach, Florida incident involved the death of two workers and serious injury to a third while removing a steel roof over a storage tank containing flammable menthanol at the Bethune Point Wastewater Plant, owned and operated by the City of Daytona Beach - Steven A. Geller (3/13/07)
  • ASSE expresses support for SB465, a bill that would give employers protection against unintended consequences of Oregon's efforts to make marijuana available to individuals with medical needs - Peter Courtney (2/26/07)
  • Comments on State of Georgia House Bill HB 43 (2/15/07)
  • Comments on State of Georgia Senate Bill SB 43 (2/15/07)

 

2006

 

2005

 

2004

 

2003

  • Inclusion of ASSE in SB 896 (8/21/03) - click here
  • Illinois Senator Sullivan thanks email (6/5/03) - click here
  • Illinois Senator Garrett thanks email (6/5/03) - click here
  • Illinois Chairman Clayborne thanks email (6/5/03) - click here
  • Recognizing Appropriate Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals in HJR 12 (5/23/03) - click here
  • Recognizing Appropriate Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals in SB 2746 (4/9/03) - click here
  • Committee on Health Care's Consideration of HB 1659 (4/8/03) - click here
  • Recognizing Appropriate Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals in SB 896 (4/8/03) - click here
  • Recognizing Appropriate Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals in AB 4387 (4/8/03) - click here
  • Including Appropriate Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals in SB 185 (4/8/03) - click here
  • Including Appropriate Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals in HB 1856 (4/8/03) - click here
  • Committee on Health Care's Consideration of HB 1659 (4/8/03) - click here
  • Comments on HB 1659 (4/4/03) - click here

 

2002

  • ASSE Letter - Puerto Rico Certification/Licensing Issues (8/02) - click here
  • Reply to Assistant Secretary of Labor on Quecreek Mine Accident (8/19/02)- click here
  • ASSE Speaks Out - Mount Hood Community College (8/2002) - click here

 

2001

 

2000

  • Texas Registry Request (12/2000) - click here
  • National Registry and the Pennsylvania Act #44 Regulation (9/11/00) click here.
  • Frank Wente Appointed to CAL/OSHA Advisory Committee 6/2000 - click here.
  • National Professional Recognition Issues 5/2000 - click here.
  • New Jersey Professional Recognition Issues 5/2000 - click here.
  • Empire State Chapter Appropriations Letter 5/2000 - click here.
  • ASSE Columbia-Willamette Chapter Comment on the OSHA Proposed Ergonomics Standard (2/22/00) - click here.
  • California ASSE Chapters and The Work at Home Issue (1/00) - click here
  • Position Statement on the Model Title Protection Act for Safety Professionals&nbsp- click here.
  • Model Legislation Safety Professional Title Protection Act&nbsp- click here.

 

1999

  • ASSE Members Work for Governmental Affairs Victory in New Jersey (11/99)&nbsp- click here.
  • Ohio H.B.#87(6/24/99) - click here.
  • Oregon Senate Bill #556(7/6/99) - click here.
  • Massachusetts Professional Recognition Initiative (5/99) - click here.
  • Southwest Chapter American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Support of ASSE National Appropriations Statement (6/30/99)- click here