Michael Enzi Voluntary Protection Program Act

Key Points

• This bill officially authorizes a Labor Department program that rewards businesses for maintaining high safety standards. It encourages companies to work voluntarily with the government to find and fix workplace hazards before anyone gets hurt.
• To join, a business must prove it has a strong safety plan and allows its employees to help manage safety. Once accepted, the worksite is exempt from routine, surprise inspections by the government, though officials can still investigate if a serious accident occurs.
• If a safety expert visits a participating site and finds a problem, the company generally will not receive a fine immediately. Instead, they are given 90 days to fix the hazard to remain in good standing with the program.
• The Labor Department would be required to modernize its computer systems within two years. This will make it easier for businesses to submit safety reports, perform self-evaluations, and complete applications online.
• The bill ensures the program stays funded by requiring the government to spend at least 5% of its workplace safety budget on these voluntary partnerships every year.

Impact Analysis

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