Semiannual Agenda of Regulations, 18744-18748 [2024-05428]
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18744
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / UA: Reg Flex Agenda
document. This Federal Register Notice
corrects the February 9, 2024, document
and contains the Department’s
regulatory flexibility agenda.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
20 CFR Chs. I, IV, V, VI, VII, and IX
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
29 CFR Subtitle A and Chs. II, IV, V,
XVII, and XXV
30 CFR Ch. I
41 CFR Ch. 60
48 CFR Ch. 29
Semiannual Agenda of Regulations
Office of the Secretary, Labor.
ACTION: Semiannual Regulatory Agenda;
Correction.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Department of Labor
(Department or DOL) published the
regulatory flexibility agenda of its
semiannual regulatory agenda on
February 9, 2024 (89 FR 9696). The
listing of all of the Department’s
regulatory flexibility items were
inadvertently omitted from that
SUMMARY:
Albert T. Herrera, Director, Office of
Regulatory and Programmatic Policy,
Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue NW, Room S–
2312, Washington, DC 20210; (202) 693–
5959.
Note: Information pertaining to a
specific regulation can be obtained from
the agency contact listed for that
particular regulation.
Executive
Order 12866 requires the semiannual
publication of an agenda of regulations
that contains a listing of all the
regulations the Department of Labor
expects to have under active
consideration for promulgation,
proposal, or review during the coming
one-year period. The entirety of the
Department’s semiannual agenda is
available online at www.reginfo.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 602) requires DOL to publish in
the Federal Register a regulatory
flexibility agenda. The Department’s
regulatory flexibility agenda, published
with this notice, includes only those
rules on its semiannual agenda that are
likely to have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities; and those rules identified for
periodic review in keeping with the
requirements of section 610 of the
Regulatory Flexibility Act. Thus, the
regulatory flexibility agenda is a subset
of the Department’s semiannual
regulatory agenda. The Department’s
Regulatory Flexibility Agenda does not
include section 610 items at this time.
All interested members of the public
are invited and encouraged to let
departmental officials know how our
regulatory efforts can be improved and
are invited to participate in and
comment on the review or development
of the regulations listed on the
Department’s agenda.
Julie A. Su,
Acting Secretary of Labor.
WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION—PROPOSED RULE STAGE
Regulation
Identifier No.
Sequence No.
Title
382 ....................
Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and
Computer Employees (Reg Plan Seq No. 161).
1235–AA39
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this issue of the Federal Register.
WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION—FINAL RULE STAGE
Regulation
Identifier No.
Sequence No.
Title
383 ....................
Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (Reg Plan Seq
No. 163).
1235–AA43
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this issue of the Federal Register.
WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION—COMPLETED ACTIONS
Regulation
Identifier No.
Sequence No.
Title
384 ....................
Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations ..............................................................................
1235–AA40
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EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION—PROPOSED RULE STAGE
Regulation
Identifier No.
Sequence No.
Title
385 ....................
386 ....................
Temporary Employment of H–2B Foreign Workers in the United States .......................................................
Improving Protections For Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States (Reg Plan
Seq No. 164).
National Apprenticeship System Enhancements (Reg Plan Seq No. 165) ....................................................
Employer-Provided Survey Wage Methodology for the Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H–2B
Program.
387 ....................
388 ....................
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this issue of the Federal Register.
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1205–AB93
1205–AC12
1205–AC13
1205–AC15
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18745
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SECURITY ADMINISTRATION—PROPOSED RULE STAGE
Regulation
Identifier No.
Sequence No.
Title
389 ....................
Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary (Reg Plan Seq No. 167) ...............
1210–AC02
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this issue of the Federal Register.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION—PRERULE STAGE
Regulation
Identifier No.
Sequence No.
Title
390 ....................
391 ....................
Process Safety Management and Prevention of Major Chemical Accidents ..................................................
Prevention of Workplace Violence in Health Care and Social Assistance .....................................................
1218–AC82
1218–AD08
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION—PROPOSED RULE STAGE
Sequence No.
392
393
394
395
....................
....................
....................
....................
Regulation
Identifier No.
Title
Infectious Diseases (Reg Plan Seq No. 174) .................................................................................................
Communication Tower Safety ..........................................................................................................................
Emergency Response (Reg Plan Seq No. 175) .............................................................................................
Tree Care Standard .........................................................................................................................................
1218–AC46
1218–AC90
1218–AC91
1218–AD04
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this issue of the Federal Register.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Proposed Rule Stage
382. Defining and Delimiting the
Exemptions for Executive,
Administrative, Professional, Outside
Sales, and Computer Employees [1235–
AA39]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 161 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1235–AA39
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Final Rule Stage
383. Employee or Independent
Contractor Classification Under the
Fair Labor Standards Act [1235–AA43]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 163 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1235–AA43
1935 and 1964. The DBA requires the
payment of locally prevailing wages and
fringe benefits to laborers and
mechanics as determined by the
Department of Labor. The DBA applies
to direct Federal contracts and District
of Columbia contracts in excess of
$2,000 for the construction, alteration,
or repair of public buildings or public
works. Congress has included DBA
prevailing wage requirements in
numerous statutes (referred to as
Related Acts) under which Federal
agencies assist construction projects
through grants, loans, guarantees,
insurance, and other methods. Covered
contractors and subcontractors must pay
their laborers and mechanics employed
under the contract no less than the
locally prevailing wage rates and fringe
benefits as required by the applicable
wage determination. The Department
issued a final rule on August 23, 2023,
to update and modernize the regulations
implementing the Davis-Bacon and
Related Acts to provide greater clarity
and enhance their usefulness in the
modern economy.
Timetable:
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Action
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Completed Actions
384. Updating the Davis-Bacon and
Related Acts Regulations [1235–AA40]
Legal Authority: 40 U.S.C. 3141 et
seq.; 40 U.S.C. 3145
Abstract: The Davis-Bacon Act (DBA)
was enacted in 1931 and amended in
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Date
NPRM ..................
NPRM Comment
Period End.
Final Rule ............
Final Rule Effective.
FR Cite
03/18/22
05/17/22
87 FR 15698
08/23/23
10/23/23
88 FR 57526
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
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Agency Contact: Amy DeBisschop,
Director of the Division of Regulations,
Legislation, and Interpretation,
Department of Labor, Wage and Hour
Division, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,
FP Building, Room S–3502,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693–
0406.
RIN: 1235–AA40
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employment and Training
Administration (ETA)
Proposed Rule Stage
385. Temporary Employment of H–2B
Foreign Workers in the United States
[1205–AB93]
Legal Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1184; 8
U.S.C. 1103; sec. 655.0 issued under 8
U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E)(iii),
1101(a)(15)(H)(i) and (ii); 8 U.S.C.
1103(a)(6), 1182(m), (n) and (t), 1184(c),
(g), and (j), 1188, and 1288(c) and (d);
sec. 3(c)(1), Pub. L. 101–238; 103 Stat.
2099, 2102 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note); sec.
221(a), Pub. L. 101–649, 104 Stat. 4978,
5027 (8 U.S.C. 1184 note); sec. 303(a)(8),
Pub. L. 102–232, 105 Stat. 733, 1748 (8
U.S.C. 1101 note); sec. 323(c), Pub. L.
103–206, 107 Stat. 2428; sec. 412(e);
Pub. L. 105–277, 112 Stat. 2681 (8
U.S.C. 1182 note); sec. 2(d), Pub. L. 106–
95, 113 Stat. 1312, 1316 (8 U.S.C. 1182
note); 29 U.S.C. 49k; Pub. L. 107–296,
116 Stat. 2135, as amended; Pub. L.
109–423, 120 Stat. 2900; . . .
Abstract: The United States
Department of Labor’s (DOL)
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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / UA: Reg Flex Agenda
Employment and Training
Administration and Wage and Hour
Division, and the United States
Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services, are jointly
proposing to update the H–2B visa
program regulations at 20 CFR part 655,
subpart A, the related prevailing wage
regulations at 20 CFR 656, and 8 CFR
214 governing the certification of the
employment of H–2B non-immigrant
workers in temporary or seasonal nonagricultural employment and the
enforcement of the obligations
applicable to employers of such
nonimmigrant workers and U.S. workers
in corresponding employment.
Specifically, the Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking (NPRM) would update the
process by which employers seeking to
employ H–2B workers would obtain
temporary certification from DOL for
use in petitioning DHS to employ a
nonimmigrant worker in H–2B status.
The updates would also establish
standards and procedures for employers
seeking to hire foreign temporary nonagricultural workers for certain itinerant
job opportunities, including
entertainers, tree planting, and utility
vegetation management.
Timetable:
Action
Date
NPRM ..................
FR Cite
10/00/24
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Brian Pasternak,
Administrator, Department of Labor,
Employment and Training
Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW, Office of Foreign Labor
Certification; Room N–5311, FP
Building, Washington, DC 20210,
Phone: 202 693–8200, Email:
pasternak.brian@dol.gov.
RIN: 1205–AB93
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386. Improving Protections for Workers
in Temporary Agricultural Employment
in the United States [1205–AC12]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 164 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1205–AC12
387. National Apprenticeship System
Enhancements [1205–AC13]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 165 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1205–AC13
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388. • Employer-Provided Survey Wage
Methodology for the Temporary NonAgricultural Employment H–2B
Program [1205–AC15]
Legal Authority: 8 U.S.C.
1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b); 8 U.S.C. 1103(a)(6);
8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(1); Pub. L. 117–328, 12/
29/22, 136 Stat. 4459, Div. H, title I, sec.
110; Pub. L. 118–15, 9/30/23, 137 Stat.
71, Division A, sec. 101(8)
Abstract: The Immigration and
Nationality Act, as amended, requires
the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS), prior to the approval of H–2B
visa petitions, consult with the
Department of Labor (Department).
DHS’ regulation at 8 CFR 214.2(h)(6)
requires that employer must first apply
for a temporary labor certification from
the Department. Specifically, the
Department must certify that there is not
sufficient U.S. worker(s) able, available,
willing, and qualified at the time of an
application for a visa, and that the
employment of the H–2B workers will
not adversely affect the wages and
working conditions of similarly
employed U.S. workers. To ensure that
there is no adverse effect, DOL requires
employers to pay the prevailing wage to
H–2B workers and U.S. workers hired in
response to the required recruitment.
Employer-provided surveys are one of
the prevailing wage sources under the
H–2B regulations and has been the
subject of recent litigation. On
December 23, 2022, the U.S. District
Court for the District of Columbia held
the employer-provided survey provision
under the Wage Methodology for the
Temporary Non-Agricultural
Employment H–2B Program (2015 Wage
Rule) in, 20 CFR part 655 subpart A did
not satisfy the notice and comment
requirements under the Administrative
Procedure Act (APA). Mary Jane
Williams, et al. v. Martin J. Walsh, et al.
(Williams), Civil No. 1:21–cv–01150
(RC), 2022 WL 17904227 (D.D.C.
December 23, 2022). The Court
remanded the rule without vacatur and
ordered act[ion] with haste for further
consideration consistent with the
Court’s opinion. The Department is
proposing to issue a notice of proposed
rulemaking on the employer-provided
survey provision of the 2015 Wage Rule
to cure the procedural defect of the 2015
Wage Rule, pursuant to the decision in
Williams.
Timetable:
Action
Date
NPRM ..................
FR Cite
01/00/24
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
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Agency Contact: Brian Pasternak,
Administrator, Department of Labor,
Employment and Training
Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW, Office of Foreign Labor
Certification; Room N–5311, FP
Building, Washington, DC 20210,
Phone: 202 693–8200, Email:
pasternak.brian@dol.gov.
RIN: 1205–AC15
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employee Benefits Security
Administration (EBSA)
Proposed Rule Stage
389. Retirement Security Rule:
Definition of an Investment Advice
Fiduciary [1210–AC02]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 167 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1210–AC02
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
Prerule Stage
390. Process Safety Management and
Prevention of Major Chemical
Accidents [1218–AC82]
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655; 29
U.S.C. 657
Abstract: The Occupational Safety
and Health Administration (OSHA)
issued a Request for Information (RFI)
on December 9, 2013 (78 FR 73756). The
RFI identified issues related to
modernization of the Process Safety
Management standard and related
standards necessary to meet the goal of
preventing major chemical accidents.
OSHA completed SBREFA in August
2016. OSHA held a stakeholder meeting
on October 12, 2022, and kept the
docket open for comments until
November 14, 2022.
Timetable:
Action
Request for Information (RFI).
RFI Comment Period Extended.
RFI Comment Period Extended
End.
Initiate SBREFA ..
SBREFA Report
Completed.
Stakeholder Meeting.
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Date
FR Cite
12/09/13
78 FR 73756
03/07/14
79 FR 13006
03/31/14
06/08/15
08/01/16
10/12/22
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / UA: Reg Flex Agenda
Action
Date
Analyze Comments.
FR Cite
11/00/23
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson,
Director, Directorate of Standards and
Guidance, Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW, FP Building, Room N–
3718, Washington, DC 20210, Phone:
202 693–1950, Email: levinson.andrew@
dol.gov.
RIN: 1218–AC82
391. Prevention of Workplace Violence
in Health Care and Social Assistance
[1218–AD08]
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655(b); 5
U.S.C. 609
Abstract: The Request for Information
(RFI) (published on December 7, 2016,
81 FR 88147)) provides OSHA’s history
with the issue of workplace violence in
health care and social assistance,
including a discussion of the Guidelines
that were initially published in 1996, a
2014 update to the Guidelines, the
agency’s use of 5(a)(1) in enforcement
cases in health care. The RFI solicited
information primarily from health care
employers, workers and other subject
matter experts on impacts of violence,
prevention strategies, and other
information that will be useful to the
agency. OSHA was petitioned for a
standard preventing workplace violence
in health care by a broad coalition of
labor unions, and in a separate petition
by the National Nurses United. On
January 10, 2017, OSHA granted the
petitions. OSHA is preparing for
SBREFA.
Timetable:
Action
Date
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Request for Information (RFI).
RFI Comment Period End.
Initiate SBREFA ..
Complete
SBREFA.
Analyze SBREFA
Report.
12/07/16
FR Cite
81 FR 88147
04/06/17
12/29/22
05/01/23
12/00/23
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson,
Director, Directorate of Standards and
Guidance, Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health
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Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW, FP Building, Room N–
3718, Washington, DC 20210, Phone:
202 693–1950, Email: levinson.andrew@
dol.gov.
RIN: 1218–AD08
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA)
Proposed Rule Stage
392. Infectious Diseases [1218–AC46]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 174 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1218–AC46
393. Communication Tower Safety
[1218–AC90]
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655(b); 5
U.S.C. 609
Abstract: While the number of
employees engaged in the
communication tower industry remains
small, the fatality rate is very high. Over
the past 20 years, this industry has
experienced an average fatality rate that
greatly exceeds that of the construction
industry. Due to recent FCC spectrum
auctions and innovations in cellular
technology, there will be a very high
level of construction activity taking
place on communication towers over
the next few years. A similar increase in
the number of construction projects
needed to support cellular phone
coverage triggered a spike in fatality and
injury rates years ago. Based on
information collected from an April
2015 Request for Information (RFI),
OSHA concluded that current OSHA
requirements such as those for fall
protection and personnel hoisting, may
not adequately cover all hazards of
communication tower construction and
maintenance activities. OSHA will use
information collected from a Small
Business Regulatory Enforcement
Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel to identify
effective work practices and advances in
engineering technology that would best
address industry safety and health
concerns. The Panel carefully
considered the issue of the expansion of
the rule beyond just communication
towers. OSHA will continue to consider
also covering structures that have
telecommunications equipment on or
attached to them (e.g., buildings,
rooftops, water towers, billboards).
Timetable:
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Action
Request for Information (RFI).
RFI Comment Period End.
Initiate SBREFA ..
Initiate SBREFA ..
Complete
SBREFA.
NPRM ..................
Date
04/15/15
18747
FR Cite
80 FR 20185
06/15/15
01/04/17
05/31/18
10/11/18
03/00/24
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Scott Ketcham,
Director, Directorate of Construction,
Department of Labor, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, 200
Constitution Avenue NW, Room N–
3468, FP Building, Washington, DC
20210, Phone: 202 693–2020, Fax: 202
693–1689, Email: ketcham.scott@
dol.gov.
RIN: 1218–AC90
394. Emergency Response [1218–AC91]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq.
No. 175 in part II of this issue of the
Federal Register.
RIN: 1218–AC91
395. Tree Care Standard [1218–AD04]
Legal Authority: Not Yet Determined
Abstract: There is no OSHA standard
for tree care operations; the agency
currently applies a patchwork of
standards to address the serious hazards
in this industry. The tree care industry
previously petitioned the agency for
rulemaking and OSHA issued an
ANPRM (September 2008). OSHA
completed a Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA)
panel in May 2020, collecting
information from affected small entities
on a potential standard, including the
scope of the standard, effective work
practices, and arboricultural specific
uses of equipment to guide OSHA in
developing a rule that would best
address industry safety and health
concerns. Tree care continues to be a
high-hazard industry.
Timetable:
Action
Stakeholder Meeting.
Initiate SBREFA ..
Complete
SBREFA.
NPRM ..................
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07/13/16
01/10/20
05/22/20
01/00/24
FR Cite
18748
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / UA: Reg Flex Agenda
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis
Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson,
Director, Directorate of Standards and
Guidance, Department of Labor,
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 200 Constitution
Avenue NW, FP Building, Room N–
3718, Washington, DC 20210, Phone:
202 693–1950, Email: levinson.andrew@
dol.gov.
RIN: 1218–AD04
[FR Doc. 2024–05428 Filed 3–13–24; 8:45 am]
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 51 (Thursday, March 14, 2024)]
[Unknown Section]
[Pages 18744-18748]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05428]
[[Page 18743]]
Vol. 89
Thursday,
No. 51
March 14, 2024
Part III
Department of Labor
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Semiannual Regulatory Agenda; Correction
Federal Register / Vol. 89 , No. 51 / Thursday, March 14, 2024 / UA:
Reg Flex Agenda
[[Page 18744]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of the Secretary
20 CFR Chs. I, IV, V, VI, VII, and IX
29 CFR Subtitle A and Chs. II, IV, V, XVII, and XXV
30 CFR Ch. I
41 CFR Ch. 60
48 CFR Ch. 29
Semiannual Agenda of Regulations
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Labor.
ACTION: Semiannual Regulatory Agenda; Correction.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Labor (Department or DOL) published the
regulatory flexibility agenda of its semiannual regulatory agenda on
February 9, 2024 (89 FR 9696). The listing of all of the Department's
regulatory flexibility items were inadvertently omitted from that
document. This Federal Register Notice corrects the February 9, 2024,
document and contains the Department's regulatory flexibility agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Albert T. Herrera, Director, Office of
Regulatory and Programmatic Policy, Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room
S-2312, Washington, DC 20210; (202) 693-5959.
Note: Information pertaining to a specific regulation can be
obtained from the agency contact listed for that particular regulation.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Executive Order 12866 requires the
semiannual publication of an agenda of regulations that contains a
listing of all the regulations the Department of Labor expects to have
under active consideration for promulgation, proposal, or review during
the coming one-year period. The entirety of the Department's semiannual
agenda is available online at www.reginfo.gov.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602) requires DOL to
publish in the Federal Register a regulatory flexibility agenda. The
Department's regulatory flexibility agenda, published with this notice,
includes only those rules on its semiannual agenda that are likely to
have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small
entities; and those rules identified for periodic review in keeping
with the requirements of section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act.
Thus, the regulatory flexibility agenda is a subset of the Department's
semiannual regulatory agenda. The Department's Regulatory Flexibility
Agenda does not include section 610 items at this time.
All interested members of the public are invited and encouraged to
let departmental officials know how our regulatory efforts can be
improved and are invited to participate in and comment on the review or
development of the regulations listed on the Department's agenda.
Julie A. Su,
Acting Secretary of Labor.
Wage and Hour Division--Proposed Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
382....................... Defining and Delimiting 1235-AA39
the Exemptions for
Executive,
Administrative,
Professional, Outside
Sales, and Computer
Employees (Reg Plan Seq
No. 161).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
Wage and Hour Division--Final Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
383....................... Employee or Independent 1235-AA43
Contractor Classification
Under the Fair Labor
Standards Act (Reg Plan
Seq No. 163).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
Wage and Hour Division--Completed Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
384....................... Updating the Davis-Bacon 1235-AA40
and Related Acts
Regulations.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Employment and Training Administration--Proposed Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
385....................... Temporary Employment of H- 1205-AB93
2B Foreign Workers in the
United States.
386....................... Improving Protections For 1205-AC12
Workers in Temporary
Agricultural Employment
in the United States (Reg
Plan Seq No. 164).
387....................... National Apprenticeship 1205-AC13
System Enhancements (Reg
Plan Seq No. 165).
388....................... Employer-Provided Survey 1205-AC15
Wage Methodology for the
Temporary Non-
Agricultural Employment H-
2B Program.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
[[Page 18745]]
Employee Benefits Security Administration--Proposed Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
389....................... Retirement Security Rule: 1210-AC02
Definition of an
Investment Advice
Fiduciary (Reg Plan Seq
No. 167).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration--Prerule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
390....................... Process Safety Management 1218-AC82
and Prevention of Major
Chemical Accidents.
391....................... Prevention of Workplace 1218-AD08
Violence in Health Care
and Social Assistance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Occupational Safety and Health Administration--Proposed Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
392....................... Infectious Diseases (Reg 1218-AC46
Plan Seq No. 174).
393....................... Communication Tower Safety 1218-AC90
394....................... Emergency Response (Reg 1218-AC91
Plan Seq No. 175).
395....................... Tree Care Standard........ 1218-AD04
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Proposed Rule Stage
382. Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive,
Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees
[1235-AA39]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 161 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1235-AA39
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Final Rule Stage
383. Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair
Labor Standards Act [1235-AA43]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 163 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1235-AA43
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Completed Actions
384. Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations [1235-AA40]
Legal Authority: 40 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.; 40 U.S.C. 3145
Abstract: The Davis-Bacon Act (DBA) was enacted in 1931 and amended
in 1935 and 1964. The DBA requires the payment of locally prevailing
wages and fringe benefits to laborers and mechanics as determined by
the Department of Labor. The DBA applies to direct Federal contracts
and District of Columbia contracts in excess of $2,000 for the
construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings or public
works. Congress has included DBA prevailing wage requirements in
numerous statutes (referred to as Related Acts) under which Federal
agencies assist construction projects through grants, loans,
guarantees, insurance, and other methods. Covered contractors and
subcontractors must pay their laborers and mechanics employed under the
contract no less than the locally prevailing wage rates and fringe
benefits as required by the applicable wage determination. The
Department issued a final rule on August 23, 2023, to update and
modernize the regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts
to provide greater clarity and enhance their usefulness in the modern
economy.
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................ 03/18/22 87 FR 15698
NPRM Comment Period End............. 05/17/22 .......................
Final Rule.......................... 08/23/23 88 FR 57526
Final Rule Effective................ 10/23/23 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Amy DeBisschop, Director of the Division of
Regulations, Legislation, and Interpretation, Department of Labor, Wage
and Hour Division, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building, Room S-
3502, Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-0406.
RIN: 1235-AA40
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Proposed Rule Stage
385. Temporary Employment of H-2B Foreign Workers in the United States
[1205-AB93]
Legal Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1184; 8 U.S.C. 1103; sec. 655.0 issued
under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(E)(iii), 1101(a)(15)(H)(i) and (ii); 8
U.S.C. 1103(a)(6), 1182(m), (n) and (t), 1184(c), (g), and (j), 1188,
and 1288(c) and (d); sec. 3(c)(1), Pub. L. 101-238; 103 Stat. 2099,
2102 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note); sec. 221(a), Pub. L. 101-649, 104 Stat.
4978, 5027 (8 U.S.C. 1184 note); sec. 303(a)(8), Pub. L. 102-232, 105
Stat. 733, 1748 (8 U.S.C. 1101 note); sec. 323(c), Pub. L. 103-206, 107
Stat. 2428; sec. 412(e); Pub. L. 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681 (8 U.S.C. 1182
note); sec. 2(d), Pub. L. 106-95, 113 Stat. 1312, 1316 (8 U.S.C. 1182
note); 29 U.S.C. 49k; Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135, as amended; Pub.
L. 109-423, 120 Stat. 2900; . . .
Abstract: The United States Department of Labor's (DOL)
[[Page 18746]]
Employment and Training Administration and Wage and Hour Division, and
the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services, are jointly proposing to update
the H-2B visa program regulations at 20 CFR part 655, subpart A, the
related prevailing wage regulations at 20 CFR 656, and 8 CFR 214
governing the certification of the employment of H-2B non-immigrant
workers in temporary or seasonal non-agricultural employment and the
enforcement of the obligations applicable to employers of such
nonimmigrant workers and U.S. workers in corresponding employment.
Specifically, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) would update the
process by which employers seeking to employ H-2B workers would obtain
temporary certification from DOL for use in petitioning DHS to employ a
nonimmigrant worker in H-2B status. The updates would also establish
standards and procedures for employers seeking to hire foreign
temporary non-agricultural workers for certain itinerant job
opportunities, including entertainers, tree planting, and utility
vegetation management.
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................ 10/00/24 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Brian Pasternak, Administrator, Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue
NW, Office of Foreign Labor Certification; Room N-5311, FP Building,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-8200, Email:
[email protected].
RIN: 1205-AB93
386. Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural
Employment in the United States [1205-AC12]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 164 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1205-AC12
387. National Apprenticeship System Enhancements [1205-AC13]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 165 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1205-AC13
388. Employer-Provided Survey Wage Methodology for the
Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program [1205-AC15]
Legal Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(ii)(b); 8 U.S.C.
1103(a)(6); 8 U.S.C. 1184(c)(1); Pub. L. 117-328, 12/29/22, 136 Stat.
4459, Div. H, title I, sec. 110; Pub. L. 118-15, 9/30/23, 137 Stat. 71,
Division A, sec. 101(8)
Abstract: The Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, requires
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), prior to the approval of H-
2B visa petitions, consult with the Department of Labor (Department).
DHS' regulation at 8 CFR 214.2(h)(6) requires that employer must first
apply for a temporary labor certification from the Department.
Specifically, the Department must certify that there is not sufficient
U.S. worker(s) able, available, willing, and qualified at the time of
an application for a visa, and that the employment of the H-2B workers
will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly
employed U.S. workers. To ensure that there is no adverse effect, DOL
requires employers to pay the prevailing wage to H-2B workers and U.S.
workers hired in response to the required recruitment. Employer-
provided surveys are one of the prevailing wage sources under the H-2B
regulations and has been the subject of recent litigation. On December
23, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held the
employer-provided survey provision under the Wage Methodology for the
Temporary Non-Agricultural Employment H-2B Program (2015 Wage Rule) in,
20 CFR part 655 subpart A did not satisfy the notice and comment
requirements under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Mary Jane
Williams, et al. v. Martin J. Walsh, et al. (Williams), Civil No. 1:21-
cv-01150 (RC), 2022 WL 17904227 (D.D.C. December 23, 2022). The Court
remanded the rule without vacatur and ordered act[ion] with haste for
further consideration consistent with the Court's opinion. The
Department is proposing to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on the
employer-provided survey provision of the 2015 Wage Rule to cure the
procedural defect of the 2015 Wage Rule, pursuant to the decision in
Williams.
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................ 01/00/24 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Brian Pasternak, Administrator, Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue
NW, Office of Foreign Labor Certification; Room N-5311, FP Building,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-8200, Email:
[email protected].
RIN: 1205-AC15
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Proposed Rule Stage
389. Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice
Fiduciary [1210-AC02]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 167 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1210-AC02
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Prerule Stage
390. Process Safety Management and Prevention of Major Chemical
Accidents [1218-AC82]
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655; 29 U.S.C. 657
Abstract: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
issued a Request for Information (RFI) on December 9, 2013 (78 FR
73756). The RFI identified issues related to modernization of the
Process Safety Management standard and related standards necessary to
meet the goal of preventing major chemical accidents. OSHA completed
SBREFA in August 2016. OSHA held a stakeholder meeting on October 12,
2022, and kept the docket open for comments until November 14, 2022.
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Request for Information (RFI)....... 12/09/13 78 FR 73756
RFI Comment Period Extended......... 03/07/14 79 FR 13006
RFI Comment Period Extended End..... 03/31/14 .......................
Initiate SBREFA..................... 06/08/15 .......................
SBREFA Report Completed............. 08/01/16 .......................
Stakeholder Meeting................. 10/12/22 .......................
[[Page 18747]]
Analyze Comments.................... 11/00/23 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Director, Directorate of Standards
and Guidance, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building, Room N-3718,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-1950, Email:
[email protected].
RIN: 1218-AC82
391. Prevention of Workplace Violence in Health Care and Social
Assistance [1218-AD08]
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655(b); 5 U.S.C. 609
Abstract: The Request for Information (RFI) (published on December
7, 2016, 81 FR 88147)) provides OSHA's history with the issue of
workplace violence in health care and social assistance, including a
discussion of the Guidelines that were initially published in 1996, a
2014 update to the Guidelines, the agency's use of 5(a)(1) in
enforcement cases in health care. The RFI solicited information
primarily from health care employers, workers and other subject matter
experts on impacts of violence, prevention strategies, and other
information that will be useful to the agency. OSHA was petitioned for
a standard preventing workplace violence in health care by a broad
coalition of labor unions, and in a separate petition by the National
Nurses United. On January 10, 2017, OSHA granted the petitions. OSHA is
preparing for SBREFA.
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Request for Information (RFI)....... 12/07/16 81 FR 88147
RFI Comment Period End.............. 04/06/17 .......................
Initiate SBREFA..................... 12/29/22 .......................
Complete SBREFA..................... 05/01/23 .......................
Analyze SBREFA Report............... 12/00/23 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Director, Directorate of Standards
and Guidance, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building, Room N-3718,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-1950, Email:
[email protected].
RIN: 1218-AD08
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Proposed Rule Stage
392. Infectious Diseases [1218-AC46]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 174 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1218-AC46
393. Communication Tower Safety [1218-AC90]
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655(b); 5 U.S.C. 609
Abstract: While the number of employees engaged in the
communication tower industry remains small, the fatality rate is very
high. Over the past 20 years, this industry has experienced an average
fatality rate that greatly exceeds that of the construction industry.
Due to recent FCC spectrum auctions and innovations in cellular
technology, there will be a very high level of construction activity
taking place on communication towers over the next few years. A similar
increase in the number of construction projects needed to support
cellular phone coverage triggered a spike in fatality and injury rates
years ago. Based on information collected from an April 2015 Request
for Information (RFI), OSHA concluded that current OSHA requirements
such as those for fall protection and personnel hoisting, may not
adequately cover all hazards of communication tower construction and
maintenance activities. OSHA will use information collected from a
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel to
identify effective work practices and advances in engineering
technology that would best address industry safety and health concerns.
The Panel carefully considered the issue of the expansion of the rule
beyond just communication towers. OSHA will continue to consider also
covering structures that have telecommunications equipment on or
attached to them (e.g., buildings, rooftops, water towers, billboards).
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Request for Information (RFI)....... 04/15/15 80 FR 20185
RFI Comment Period End.............. 06/15/15 .......................
Initiate SBREFA..................... 01/04/17 .......................
Initiate SBREFA..................... 05/31/18 .......................
Complete SBREFA..................... 10/11/18 .......................
NPRM................................ 03/00/24 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Scott Ketcham, Director, Directorate of
Construction, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N-3468, FP Building,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-2020, Fax: 202 693-1689, Email:
[email protected].
RIN: 1218-AC90
394. Emergency Response [1218-AC91]
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 175 in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1218-AC91
395. Tree Care Standard [1218-AD04]
Legal Authority: Not Yet Determined
Abstract: There is no OSHA standard for tree care operations; the
agency currently applies a patchwork of standards to address the
serious hazards in this industry. The tree care industry previously
petitioned the agency for rulemaking and OSHA issued an ANPRM
(September 2008). OSHA completed a Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA) panel in May 2020, collecting
information from affected small entities on a potential standard,
including the scope of the standard, effective work practices, and
arboricultural specific uses of equipment to guide OSHA in developing a
rule that would best address industry safety and health concerns. Tree
care continues to be a high-hazard industry.
Timetable:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Action Date FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stakeholder Meeting................. 07/13/16 .......................
Initiate SBREFA..................... 01/10/20 .......................
Complete SBREFA..................... 05/22/20 .......................
NPRM................................ 01/00/24 .......................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 18748]]
Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Director, Directorate of Standards
and Guidance, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building, Room N-3718,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-1950, Email:
[email protected].
RIN: 1218-AD04
[FR Doc. 2024-05428 Filed 3-13-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-HL-P
