Washington — The White House is proposing a relatively modest budget increase for OSHA under the Department of Labor’s fiscal year 2025 budget request, released March 11.

The Biden administration is requesting a little more than $655 million for the agency. That would represent a roughly $23 million increase, or 3.7%, over the current continuing appropriations for FY 2024. Those figures could change if Congress passes DOL’s budget for FY 2024, which began Oct. 1.

Much of that proposed increase – around $18.6 million – would go toward enforcement and the addition of 14 inspectors. In contrast, the administration had requested a $106.3 million budget increase – $40 million for enforcement and 142 new inspectors – for FY 2024.

For FY 2024, the administration had sought to add 432 full-time equivalent employees, including 250 to “rebuild and strengthen OSHA’s enforcement program.” The FY 2025 request is for 18 new FTE employees.

For the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the White House is seeking a 4.8% budget increase, or nearly $19 million more than current funding levels (around $387.8 million). That proposed increase – to $406.5 million – includes $14.1 million more for enforcement and 13 new FTE employees. 

The Biden administration wanted a $50.2 million budget increase, or 13%, for MSHA in FY 2024, to approximately $438 million.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services’ budget in brief, the administration is seeking to keep NIOSH’s budget at $363 million.

DOL wants increased penalties for violators

In its budget in brief, DOL is seeking to “meaningfully [increase] penalties at the department for employers that violate workplace safety, health, wage and hour, and child labor laws.”

However, the budget documents don’t provide details such as proposed percentage increases for OSHA or MSHA. A virtually insurmountable hurdle: DOL would have to convince a divided Congress to change the statutes governing those penalties.

OSHA and MSHA penalties are adjusted for inflation each year, by law.

OSHA proposed rules expected in FY 2025

OSHA’s congressional budget justification states that the agency expects to publish three proposed rules in FY 2025. Those proposed rules will cover workplace violence, infectious diseases and tree care.