Senate Appropriations Committee approves DOL budget

Washington – The Senate Appropriations Committee on Sept. 20 approved the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (S. 1599) (.pdf file) for fiscal year 2012.

The bill would provide OSHA with $561.1 million – slightly more than the $558.6 million it received in both FY 2010 and FY 2011. OSHA is requesting (.pdf file) $583.4 million in funding for 2012. The amount of funding for state programs would stay about the same as last year ($104.4 million), as would funds dedicated to the Susan Harwood Training Grant Program ($10.7 million).

The Mine Safety and Health Administration would receive a bigger boost under the bill, with the committee recommending funding of $371.5 million for FY 2012 – up from $361 million in 2010 and 2011, but less than the $384.3 million the agency is requesting (.pdf file).

The House version of the bill has been postponed twice. At press time, no new date had been set.

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