Of the more than 7,500 state legislative measures currently in various stages of development, approximately 250 were important enough to warrant attention from the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), according to its director of government affairs, Aaron Trippler.

In his monthlyHappenings from the Hillupdate, Trippler identified legislative activity in three states as being of particular interest to AIHA members and other occupational health and safety professionals:
  • Michigan enacted legislation that would prevent state agencies from issuing a statewide ergonomics rule in the absence of a comparable standard at the federal level.
  • The Maryland legislature killed a bill that would have put in place several new definitions for the industrial hygiene profession. “These definitions would have put in place new non-accredited titles,” said Trippler. “AIHA national and the local sections opposed the bill.”
  • Arkansas enacted legislation that repeals the mold investigator licensing law. In its place the state has created an advisory board to take a closer look at the issue and determine what is needed.