NSC Transportation and Workplace Advocacy Priorities

Update to ChaptersSeptember 13, 2014

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Discussion Topics Workplace Advocacy

• Appropriations Priorities• Codification of VPP Program• OSHA Partnership Activities

Transportation Advocacy• Federal Highway Bill• State Advocacy

Grassroots Advocacy• Constituent Advocacy Program• Key Contact Program• How Chapters Can Help

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Capitol Hill Workplace Advocacy Priorities

• Fund NIOSH at FY 14 funding levels, including ERCs and AgFF program

• Fund OSHA at the President’s proposed FY 15 funding level• Fund OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs at a minimum

of $3 million• Codify OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs• Strengthen relationships with staff on key workplace safety

committees

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Appropriations Advocacy Activities• Meetings with committee staff• Meetings with elected officials on committees of

jurisdiction• Dear Colleague letters to chairmen and ranking

members of Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittees

• Group letters with other safety organizations• Grassroots outreach by NSC members & advocates• In-district meetings with NSC advocates

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FY 15 Appropriations Status• NIOSH

– Current Funding: $332.363– WH Request: $280.6 million (15.6% decrease); eliminates ERCs & Ag

Centers– Senate Bill: $332.4 million (stable funding); preserves current programs

• OSHA– Current Funding: $552.2 million– WH Request: $565 million (2.3% increase)– Senate Bill: $557.4 million (0.9% increase); includes report language

recommending continued support for the VPP program

• Current Status– Continuing resolution to fund government into November– Year-end omnibus appropriations bill likely

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Education and Research Centers• Alabama Education and Research Center (University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University,

and University of Alabama)• Northern California Education and Research Center (University of California, Berkeley; University of

California, Davis; and University of California, San Francisco)• Southern California Education and Research Center (University of California, Los Angeles and

University of California, Irvine)• Cincinnati Education and Research Center (University of Cincinnati) • Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center (University of Colorado Denver , Colorado

State University, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, and University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center)

• Harvard Education and Research Center• Illinois Education and Research Center (University of Illinois at Chicago) • Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety (University of Iowa) • Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center

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Education and Research Centers• Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center (University of Kentucky)• Michigan Education and Research Center (University of Michigan)• Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety (University of Minnesota) • New York /New Jersey Education and Research Center (Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Hunter

College School of Health Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, New York University, and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey)

• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health ERC (UNC at Chapel Hill)• Sunshine ERC (University of South Florida)• Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (University of Texas)• Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (University of Utah)• Northwest Center for Occupational Safety (University of Washington)

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Agriculture Forestry and Fishing Program Centers• National Children’s Center for Rural Agricultural Health and Safety (Marshfield Clinic, WI)• Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (University of Nebraska Medical Center)• Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health (University of Iowa)• High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (Colorado State University)• Northeast Center for Agricultural Health (Cooperstown, NY)• Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (University of Washington)• Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention (University of Kentucky)• Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention and Education (University of Texas

Health Science Center)• Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (University of Minnesota)• Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (UC Davis)

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Senate Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee MembersChairman Tom Harkin (D-IA)Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR)Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)Sen. John Tester (D-MT)Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)

Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS)Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN)Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL)Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE)Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)

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House Labor HHS Appropriations Subcommittee MembersChairman Jack Kingston (R-GA)Steve Womack (R-AR)Martha Robey (R-AL)Chris Stewart (R-UT)Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)David Joyce (R-OH)Andy Harris, MD (R-MD)

Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)Nita Lowey (D-NY)Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)Barbara Lee (D-CA)Mike Honda (D-CA)

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OSHA-NSC Alliance Agreement• Alliance agreement to be renewed for additional 5 years at

NSC Congress• Alliance Agreement Focus Areas

– Alliance agreement addresses motor vehicle safety, construction safety, temporary and contract workers, and injury and illness prevention programs

– Agreement will also focus on promotion of the Journey to Safety Excellence Campaign

– Participation in OSHA Construction Roundtable

• Business Case for I2P2 Fact Sheet • OSHA Sessions at NSC Congress

– Dr. Michaels to present at OSH Keynote– OSHA will participate in 5 technical sessions

• Most Interesting OSHA Cases• OSHA Current Activities Update• “Real World” Fit-Testing of Hearing Protection: Pros and Cons• Residential Fall Protection for Today and Tomorrow• Young Worker Fatality Case Studies: Focus on Prevention

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Transportation Advocacy

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NSC Priorities in Next Federal Highway Bill• Preserve Federal Incentive Grants

– Retain GDL incentive grant– Retain and improve distracted driving incentive grant

• NHTSA Report– NHTSA report on the legal and technical barriers to capturing data on cell

phone use while driving and to recommend ways to address these barriers

• DOT Rulemakings– FMCSA and PHMSA rulemakings requiring a total ban on all cell phone use for

commercial vehicle and hazardous material drivers.– NHTSA rulemaking requiring automakers to provide the option for drivers,

parents and employers to disable in-vehicle infotainment systems not related to the task of driving

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Status of Federal Highway Bill

• Administration released its reauthorization proposal in April• Likely to be small changes to existing safety grant programs• Congress passed stopgap measure extending current highway bill

(MAP-21) and Highway Trust Fund through May 2015• Next Congress will take action in Spring 2015 to draft new highway

bill or provide for further extension of MAP-21

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Senate Commerce Committee Members

Chairman John Rockefeller (D-WV)Barbara Boxer (D-CA)Bill Nelson (D-FL)Maria Cantwell (D-WA)Mark Pryor (D-AR)Claire McCaskill (D-MO)Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)Mark Begich (D-AK)Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)Brian Schatz (D-HI)Edward Markey (D-MA)Cory Booker (D-NJ)John Walsh (D-MT)

Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD)

Roger Wicker (R-MS)Roy Blunt (R-MO)Marco Rubio (R-FL)Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)Dean Heller (R-NV)Daniel Coats (R-IN)Tim Scott (R-SC)Ted Cruz (R-TX)Deb Fischer (R-NE)Ron Johnson (R-WI)

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House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Republican MembersChairman Bill Shuster, PennsylvaniaDon Young, Alaska*Tom Petri, Wisconsin*Howard Coble, North Carolina*John Duncan, Tennessee*John Mica, Florida*Frank LoBiondo, New Jersey*Gary Miller, California*Sam Graves, Missouri*Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia*Candice Miller, MichiganDuncan Hunter, California*Eric Crawford, Arkansas*Lou Barletta, Pennsylvania*Blake Farenthold, Texas*Larry Bucshon, Indiana*Bob Gibbs, Ohio*

Patrick Meehan, PennsylvaniaRichard Hanna, New York*Daniel Webster, FloridaSteve Southerland, Florida*Jeff Denham, CaliforniaReid Ribble, Wisconsin*Thomas Massie, KentuckySteve Daines, Montana*Tom Rice, South Carolina*Markayne Mullin, Oklahoma*Roger Williams, Texas*Mark Meadows, North CarolinaScott Perry, Pennsylvania*Rodney Davis, Illinois*Mark Sanford, South CarolinaDavid Jolly, Florida

* indicates membership in the Highways and Transit Subcommittee

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House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Democratic MembersRanking Member Peter DeFazio, Oregon*Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC*Jerrold Nadler, New York*Corrine Brown, FloridaEddie Bernice Johnson, Texas*Elijah Cummings, MarylandRick Larsen, WashingtonMichael Capuano, Massachusetts*Timothy Bishop, New YorkMichael Michaud, Maine*Grace Napolitano, California*Daniel Lipinski, IllinoisTimothy Walz, Minnesota*Steve Cohen, Tennessee*Albio Sires, New Jersey*Donna Edwards, Maryland*

John Garamendi, CaliforniaAndre Carson, IndianaJanice Hahn, California*Richard Nolan, Minnesota*Ann Kirkpatrick, Arizona*Dina Titus, Nevada*Sean Maloney, New York*Elizabeth Esty, Connecticut*Lois Frankel, Florida*Cheri Bustos, Illinois*

* indicates membership in the Highways and Transit Subcommittee

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State Advocacy

Ohio– In 2013, legislation was introduced to improve Ohio’s GDL system.– Bill passed committee in the House, pending vote on House floor– NSC is leading an advocacy coalition to build legislative support for the bill

Texas– Legislature only in session every other year– In 2011, Gov. Rick Perry vetoed a bill banning texting for all drivers– In 2013, texting ban passed the House but died in committee in Senate– NSC will push for a primary texting ban in the 2015 legislative session

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Grassroots Advocacy

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Importance of Constituent AdvocacyChapters (and politics) are Local!

• Elected officials are held accountable by their constituents• NSC staff can serve as issue experts, but legislators attach the most

weight to the opinions of their constituents• Chapters have local reach and can speak to the specific impact a

policy will have on an elected official’s district

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Key Contact Program Survey

nsc.org/keycontact

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Advocacy Alerts

• Please subscribe to advocacy alerts, and participate by taking action on them

• Promote advocacy alerts on your chapter website, via social media and in your newsletters

• You can choose to receive action alerts in up to four areas of interest– Distracted Driving– Prescription Drug Abuse– Teen Driving– Workplace Safety

nsc.org/alerts

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Additional Ways Chapters Can Help

• Meet with and build relationships with your federal and state elected officials in support of Council advocacy priorities

• Promote key contact survey (nsc.org/keycontact) and grassroots advocacy alerts (nsc.org/alerts) in your newsletters, via social media, and on your website

• Identify ERC graduates who would be willing to advocate in support of funding for the program

• Make us aware of any member companies who would be willing to advocate for our advocacy priorities

• Build relationships with/partner with OSHA local area offices• Help Government Affairs staff identify ways we can better assist your

participation in advocacy efforts

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Questions?

Luke GeorgeSenior Government Relations Manager

202.974.2480Luke.George@nsc.org