Labor Intensive

Certain workplace regulations could be repealed soon

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing to rewrite or repeal over 60 "obsolete" workplace safety regulations, according to multiple news reports published this week. These changes reportedly aim to reduce the burdensome rules imposed under previous administrations and are part of a broader effort to deregulate the workplace. The proposals include:

• Minimum wage exemptions for home health care workers, potentially allowing them to be paid below the federal minimum wage.

• Workplace safety rollbacks that limit the government's ability to penalize employers for injuries or fatalities in inherently risky activities.

• Changes to OSHA's enforcement mechanisms to limit enforcement in professional activities that are inherently risky, such as sports and entertainment.

Meanwhile, at the DOE...The Department of Energy (DOE) announced July 23 that the Loan Programs Office (LPO) has terminated its conditional commitment for the Grain Belt Express Phase 1 project, a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line intended to connect wind and solar capacity across Kansas and Missouri.

After a thorough review of the project’s financials, DOE said it "found that the conditions necessary to issue the guarantee are unlikely to be met and it is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting this project."

DOE also said its department is "conducting a review of every applicant and borrower – including the nearly $100 billion in closed loans and conditional commitments LPO made between Election Day 2024 to Inauguration Day 2025 – to ensure every single taxpayer dollar is being used to advance the best interest of the American people."