House subcommittee proposes funding cuts for OSHA and MSHA

Updated Jul 3, 2015

OSHA inspectorAn appropriations subcommittee in the House of Representatives has proposed cuts for both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mining Safety and Health Administration.

The proposal to decrease funding came as the House Labor, Health and Human services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee shot down a proposal from President Barack Obama to boost the budgets for OSHA and MSHA in 2015, according to the National Law Review.

The Obama Administration wanted a 7.1-percent increase for OSHA and a 5.1-percent boost for MSHA, bringing their budgets in FY 2016 to $592 million and $394.9 million, respectively.

But the House subcommittee took the proposal and countered with one of their own: The committee shot back with cuts of 3.2 percent for OSHA and 1.3 percent for MSHA.

MSHA’s budget would drop to $371 million in 2016 from a budget of $375.9 million this year. OSHA, meanwhile, would have a budget of $535 million next year compared to the current level of $553 million.

Obama’s budget proposal made up for the OSHA and MSHA funding increases by cutting the budget of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health from $334.9 million to $283 million by slashing programs—the administration wants to get rid of NIOSH’s Education and Research Centers and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Program.

However, the House appropriations subcommittee responded by upping the budget for NIOSH to $341 million next year.

The draft appropriations bill was approved in June and sent to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration.