Some safety violations could lead to felony charges
April 2, 2013
Felony charges for some violations and higher penalties for others are among the provisions in a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Patty Murry (D-Wash.). If enacted, Senate Bill 665 -- the Protecting America’s Workers Act (PAWA) – would make significant changes in the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
A Senate committee’s approval this week of an amendment to the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011 is either a victory for American families or a defeat for bipartisan cooperation – depending on who you ask.
Watchdog group OMBWatch reports anti-regulatory activists in both the House and the Senate have been hard at work, arousing little notice, attempting to dismantle or derail federal regulatory processes.
Prompted by last year’s deadly gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, Calif., lawmakers in Washington moved uncharacteristically quickly. The Senate Finance Committee in May unanimously passed the Pipeline Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2011 to toughen regulations. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, support for the legislation was so broad that Senate Democrats initiated steps to get it passed by unanimous consent.