The Spring 2024 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, released by the Administration on July 5, 2024, outlines planned regulatory activities for the next six months. These agendas and announced initiatives offer insight into potential legislative changes from various federal agencies, reflecting the Administration’s priorities and future goals across different sectors.
Key highlights from the agenda include:
- Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA): Final rules for powered industrial trucks (August 2024) and personal protective equipment in construction (September 2024), with proposals on infectious diseases (November 2024), workplace violence in health care (December 2024), tree care standards (December 2024), and lockout/tag out changes (December 2024).
- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP): The proposal to modernize affirmative action and non-discrimination obligations for federal contractors has been delayed to May 2025.
- National Labor Relations Board (NLRB): Finalizing the “election protection” rule in September 2024.
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Proposing a rule on collecting pay data for enforcing Title VII and the Equal Pay Act in January 2025.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): Finalizing H-1B modernization and employment authorization document (EAD) extension rules by December 2024, and proposing updates on adjustment of status and non-immigrant worker regulations by August 2024 and January 2025, respectively.
Next Steps
The regulatory agendas are merely proposals of actions that may or may not materialize and could result in adjusted implementation timelines, so immediate action by employers is not required. However, understanding the potential direction of these agencies can be valuable for employers, allowing them to track developments and consider the impact on their business operations if any proposals are enacted. Employers also have the opportunity to influence proposed legislation by explaining its potential impact on their business or raising important questions during the Department of Labor’s comment period.
Employers should stay informed by monitoring future communications from these federal agencies to understand their focus and priorities.
HR Works will continue to monitor these topics and provide more information as needed.
