Department of Labor – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Department of Labor is reopening the comment period on proposed amendments to six class exemptions from prohibited transaction rules set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code (the Code). The exemptions are Prohibited Transaction Exemptions (PTEs) 75-1, 80-83, 81-8, 95-60, 97- 41 and 2006-16. The proposed amendments relate to the use of credit ratings in the conditions of these class exemptions. Section 939A of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires the Department to remove any references to or requirements of reliance on credit ratings from its class exemptions and to substitute standards of creditworthiness as the Department determines to be appropriate. This reopening of the comment period provides interested persons with the opportunity to submit additional comments on the proposed amendments due to the passage of time since the proposal was originally published in 2013. All comments received to date on the proposed amendments will be included in the public record and need not be resubmitted. The proposed amendments to the class exemptions would affect participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans and IRAs, fiduciaries of the plans and IRAs, and financial institutions that engage in transactions with, or provide services to, the plans and IRAs.

OSHA solicits public comments concerning the proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements contained in the Standard on Permit-Required Confined Spaces.

This document is a request for information on issues related to certain reporting requirements under section 204 of Title II of Division BB of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) that are applicable to group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage. The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury (the Departments) are issuing this request for information to gather input from the public regarding implementation considerations for the data collection required under section 204 of Title II of Division BB of the CAA, and the associated impact on group health plans and health insurance issuers. As part of this request for information, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is also seeking input from the public regarding implementation considerations for the data collection required under section 204 of Title II of Division BB of the CAA as it pertains to Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) carriers (whether or not they are also health insurance issuers). The Departments and OPM also seek input on specific data elements, including the level of detail that is feasible to report for entities subject to the data collection requirements and the associated burdens and potential compliance costs. Public comments will inform the Departments' and OPM's implementation of section 204 through rulemaking and the establishment of processes to receive the required information.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is issuing an emergency temporary standard (ETS) to protect healthcare and healthcare support service workers from occupational exposure to COVID- 19 in settings where people with COVID-19 are reasonably expected to be present. During the period of the emergency standard, covered healthcare employers must develop and implement a COVID-19 plan to identify and control COVID-19 hazards in the workplace. Covered employers must also implement other requirements to reduce transmission of COVID-19 in their workplaces, related to the following: Patient screening and management; Standard and Transmission-Based Precautions; personal protective equipment (PPE), including facemasks or respirators; controls for aerosol-generating procedures; physical distancing of at least six feet, when feasible; physical barriers; cleaning and disinfection; ventilation; health screening and medical management; training; anti-retaliation; recordkeeping; and reporting. The standard encourages vaccination by requiring employers to provide reasonable time and paid leave for employee vaccinations and any side effects. It also encourages use of respirators, where respirators are used in lieu of required facemasks, by including a mini respiratory protection program that applies to such use. Finally, the standard exempts from coverage certain workplaces where all employees are fully vaccinated and individuals with possible COVID-19 are prohibited from entry; and it exempts from some of the requirements of the standard fully vaccinated employees in well-defined areas where there is no reasonable expectation that individuals with COVID-19 will be present.

This notice includes the summary of a petition for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the party listed below.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance request for comment to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This request helps to ensure that: Requested data can be provided in the desired format; reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized; collection instruments are clearly understood; and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is soliciting comments on the information collection for Independent Contractor Registration and Identification.

In this notice, OSHA announces the application of SGS North America, Inc., for expansion of recognition as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) and presents the agency's preliminary finding to grant the application.

This notice includes the summaries of three petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the party listed below.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of Labor (DOL) is soliciting public comments regarding this ODEP-sponsored information collection to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval.

This notice announces meetings of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (hereinafter the Committee). This notice provides information to members of the public who may be interested in attending the meetings or providing written comments related to the work of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

OSHA requests comments concerning the proposed extension of the information collection requirements specified by the Program Regulation for Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (the Regulation). The Regulation specifies procedures that organizations must follow to apply for, and to maintain, OSHA's recognition to test and certify equipment, products, or material for safe use in the workplace.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed revision of the ``Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses.'' A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the Addresses section of this notice.

On May 11, 2021, the Secretary selected 15 members to serve on the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH).

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), notice is hereby given of the next meeting of the Native American Employment and Training Council (Council), as constituted under WIOA.

This notice includes the summaries of three petitions for modification submitted to the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) by the party listed below.

This notice announces the second meeting of the State All Payer Claims Databases Advisory Committee (hereinafter the Committee). This notice provides information to members of the public who may be interested in attending the meeting or providing written comments related to the work of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

In this notice, OSHA announces the final decision to expand the scope of recognition for SGS North America, Inc., as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). Additionally, OSHA announces the addition of five test standards to the NRTL Program's List of Appropriate Test Standards.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a pre-clearance consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This program helps to ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is soliciting comments concerning the proposed reinstatement without change of the ``Current Population Survey (CPS) Displaced Worker, Job Tenure, and Occupational Mobility Supplement'' to be conducted in January 2022 and January 2024. A copy of the proposed information collection request (ICR) can be obtained by contacting the individual listed below in the addresses section of this notice.

OSHA is proposing changes to the Walking-Working Surfaces standards to clarify which handrail and stair rail system requirements apply to new stair rail systems.