[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 60 (Wednesday, March 31, 2021)]
[Unknown Section]
[Pages 16920-16923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-05476]
Vol. 86
Wednesday,
No. 60
March 31, 2021
Part XI
Department of Labor
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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda
Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 60 / Wednesday, March 31, 2021 / UA:
Reg Flex Agenda
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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.
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SUMMARY: The internet has become the means for disseminating the
entirety of the Department of Labor's semiannual regulatory agenda.
However, the Regulatory Flexibility Act requires publication of a
regulatory flexibility agenda in the Federal Register. This Federal
Register Notice contains the regulatory flexibility agenda.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laura M. Dawkins, 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.
This document of the Department of Labor was signed on December 16,
2020, by Eugene Scalia, Secretary of Labor. That document with the
original signature and date is maintained by the Department of Labor.
For administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements
of the Office of the Federal Register, the Department of Labor has
delegated authority to the undersigned RISC Federal Register Liaison
Officer to re-sign and submit the document in electronic format for
publication, as an official document of the Department of Labor. This
administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this
document upon publication in the Federal Register.
Terri Tolson-Young
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Regulatory Information Service
Center.
Wage and Hour Division--Final Rule Stage
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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279....................... Independent Contractor 1235-AA34
Status Under the Fair
Labor Standards Act (Reg
Plan Seq No. 66).
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References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
Employment and Training Administration--Proposed Rule Stage
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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280....................... Temporary Employment of H- 1205-AB93
2B Foreign Workers in
Certain Itinerant
Occupations in the United
States.
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Employee Benefits Security Administration--Final Rule Stage
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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281....................... Financial Factors in 1210-AB95
Selecting Plan
Investments (Reg Plan Seq
No. 69).
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References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
issue of the Federal Register.
Employee Benefits Security Administration--Completed Actions
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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282....................... Transparency in Coverage.. 1210-AB93
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration--Prerule Stage
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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283....................... Emergency Response........ 1218-AC91
284....................... Prevention of Workplace 1218-AD08
Violence in Health Care
and Social Assistance.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration--Proposed Rule Stage
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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285....................... Communication Tower Safety 1218-AC90
286....................... Tree Care Standard........ 1218-AD04
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration--Long-Term Actions
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Regulation
Sequence No. Title Identifier No.
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287....................... Infectious Diseases....... 1218-AC46
288....................... Process Safety Management 1218-AC82
and Prevention of Major
Chemical Accidents.
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Final Rule Stage
279. Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 66 in part II of this issue
of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1235-AA34
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Proposed Rule Stage
280. Temporary Employment of H-2B Foreign Workers in Certain Itinerant
Occupations in the United States
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
Legal Authority: 8 U.S.C. 1184; 8 U.S.C. 1103
Abstract: The United States Department of Labor's (DOL) 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 amending regulations regarding the H-
2B non-immigrant visa program at 20 CFR part 655, subpart A. The Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) will establish standards and procedures
for employers seeking to hire foreign temporary nonagricultural workers
for certain itinerant job opportunities, including entertainers and
carnivals and utility vegetation management.
Timetable:
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Action Date FR Cite
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NPRM................................ 09/00/21
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Brian Pasternak, Administrator, Office of Foreign
Labor Certification, Department of Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, FP Building, Washington, DC
20210, Phone: 202 513-7350.
RIN: 1205-AB93
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Final Rule Stage
281. Financial Factors in Selecting Plan Investments
Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 69 in part II of this issue
of the Federal Register.
RIN: 1210-AB95
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)
Completed Actions
282. Transparency in Coverage
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
Legal Authority: 42 U.S.C. 18031; 42 U.S.C. 300gg-15a; 29 U.S.C.
1185d
Abstract: This final rule would implement portions of Executive
Order 13877 (``Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American
Healthcare to Put Patients First'', June 24, 2019), which provides that
the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, the Treasury, and Labor
will facilitate access to information about expected health care costs
for patients before they receive care.
Timetable:
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Action Date FR Cite
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NPRM................................ 11/27/19 84 FR 65464
NPRM Comment Period End............. 01/29/20
Final Rule.......................... 11/20/20 85 FR 72158
Final Rule Effective................ 01/11/21
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Amber Rivers, Director, Office of Health Plan
Standards and Compliance Assistance, Department of Labor, Employee
Benefits Security Administration, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20210, Phone: 202 693-8335.
RIN: 1210-AB93
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Prerule Stage
283. Emergency Response
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
Legal Authority: 29 U.S.C. 655(b); 29 U.S.C. 657; 5 U.S.C. 609
Abstract: OSHA currently regulates aspects of emergency response
and preparedness; some of these standards were promulgated decades ago,
and
none were designed as comprehensive emergency response standards.
Consequently, they do not address the full range of hazards or concerns
currently facing emergency responders, and other workers providing
skilled support, nor do they reflect major changes in performance
specifications for protective clothing and equipment. The agency
acknowledged that current OSHA standards also do not reflect all the
major developments in safety and health practices that have already
been accepted by the emergency response community and incorporated into
industry consensus standards. OSHA is considering updating these
standards with information gathered through an RFI and public meetings.
Timetable:
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Action Date FR Cite
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Stakeholder Meetings................ 07/30/14
Convene NACOSH Workgroup............ 09/09/15
NACOSH Review of Workgroup Report... 12/14/16
Initiate SBREFA..................... 02/00/21
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Deputy 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-AC91
284. Prevention of Workplace Violence in Health Care and Social
Assistance
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
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.
Timetable:
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Action Date FR Cite
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Request for Information (RFI)....... 12/07/16 81 FR 88147
RFI Comment Period End.............. 04/06/17
Initiate SBREFA..................... 12/00/20
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Deputy 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-AD08
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Proposed Rule Stage
285. Communication Tower Safety
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
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 2016 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 Date FR Cite
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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................................ 07/00/21
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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
286. Tree Care Standard
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
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:
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Action Date FR Cite
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Stakeholder Meeting................. 07/13/16
Initiate SBREFA..................... 01/10/20
Complete SBREFA..................... 05/22/20
NPRM................................ 10/00/21
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Deputy 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-AD04
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Long-Term Actions
287. Infectious Diseases
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
Legal Authority: 5 U.S.C. 533; 29 U.S.C. 657 and 658; 29 U.S.C.
660; 29 U.S.C. 666; 29 U.S.C. 669; 29 U.S.C. 673
Abstract: Employees in health care and other high-risk environments
face long-standing infectious disease hazards such as tuberculosis
(TB), varicella disease (chickenpox, shingles), and measles, as well as
new and emerging infectious disease threats, such as Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and
pandemic influenza. Health care workers and workers in related
occupations, or who are exposed in other high-risk environments, are at
increased risk of contracting TB, SARS, Methicillin-Resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), COVID-19, and other infectious diseases
that can be transmitted through a variety of exposure routes. OSHA is
examining regulatory alternatives for control measures to protect
employees from infectious disease exposures to pathogens that can cause
significant disease. Workplaces where such control measures might be
necessary include: Health care, emergency response, correctional
facilities, homeless shelters, drug treatment programs, and other
occupational settings where employees can be at increased risk of
exposure to potentially infectious people. A standard could also apply
to laboratories, which handle materials that may be a source of
pathogens, and to pathologists, coroners' offices, medical examiners,
and mortuaries.
Timetable:
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Action Date FR Cite
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Request for Information (RFI)....... 05/06/10 75 FR 24835
RFI Comment Period End.............. 08/04/10
Analyze Comments.................... 12/30/10
Stakeholder Meetings................ 07/05/11 76 FR 39041
Initiate SBREFA..................... 06/04/14
Complete SBREFA..................... 12/22/14
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NPRM................................ To Be Determined
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Deputy 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-AC46
288. Process Safety Management and Prevention of Major Chemical
Accidents
E.O. 13771 Designation: Regulatory.
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.
Timetable:
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Action Date FR Cite
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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
Next Action Undetermined............
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Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
Agency Contact: Andrew Levinson, Deputy 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
[FR Doc. 2021-05476 Filed 3-30-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-HL-P
