AB 893

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law establishes the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board within the Department of Industrial Relations to adopt occupational health and safety standards to protect the welfare of employees. The Division of Occupational Safety and Health enforces occupational safety and health standards and orders. Existing law establishes the State Department of Public Health, within the California Health and Human Services Agency, and vests the department with certain duties, powers, functions, jurisdiction, and responsibilities over specified public health programs. Existing law, the Administrative Procedure Act, governs, among other things, the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations, including emergency regulations, by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. This bill would require the Division of Occupational Safety and Health or the State Department of Public Health, within 14 calendar days of the release of a federal recommendation that conflicts with an emergency regulation related to COVID-19 issued by the division or the department, to review the conflicting emergency regulation and make a determination to either amend the regulation or submit a report to the Legislature on the decision not to amend the regulation, as specified. The bill would require the division or department, before determining whether to amend the emergency regulation, to provide public notice and an opportunity for public comment. The bill would repeal these provisions 90 days after the termination of the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic declared by the Governor. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.