News
Trump Administration Proposes New Type of Apprenticeship
by Eric Morath
06.24.19 WASHINGTON-The Labor Department released its proposal Monday to create a new type of apprenticeship that would be run by business groups, colleges and other entities, rather than by the federal government. Releasing the proposed guidelines moves a step closer to finalizing President Trump's goal, laid out two years ago, of expanding access to apprenticeships by removing the Labor Department from day-to-day management of such programs. Apprenticeships, which combine on-the-job training and cl… Continue Reading
Bobby Scott asks GAO to examine Job Corps reversal
by Ian Kullgren
06.24.19 House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) today asked the Government Accountability Office to examine the Trump administration's abandoned plan to close nine Job Corps Centers. Although Scott praised the administration's decision to cancel the closures, he asked GAO to investigate whether the administration followed the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act and whether the initial announcement damaged recruiting and enrollment. Scott also sent a long list of questions to Labor Secre… Continue Reading
Congress members ask GAO to study fallout from death of DOL fiduciary rule
by Greg Lacurci
06.24.19 High-level Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives have asked a congressional watchdog to study the fallout from the now-defunct Department of Labor fiduciary rule, including the regulation's effect on a wide range of business practices and how those practices have changed since the rule was killed in court. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor… Continue Reading
Government Watchdog Asked to Examine DOL Fiduciary Rule Fallout
by Ted Godbout
06.24.19 FIDUCIARY RULES AND PRACTICES Marking the one-year anniversary of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' Order vacating the Department of Labor's fiduciary rule, key Democratic members of Congress have asked the Government Accountability Office to examine how the financial services industry has responded since then. In their letter to GAO, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), chairma… Continue Reading
Democrats Demanding Clarity on Fallout From the DOL Fiduciary Rule
by Patrick Donachie
06.24.19 Leading Democrats in Congress are asking the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate how the financial services industry responded to last year's ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to vacate the Department of Labor's 2016 fiduciary rule. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), chairman for the House Committee on Education and Labor, and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Ranking Member for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, co-signed a letter to GA… Continue Reading
Fiduciary rule's demise prompts call for review
by Brian Croce
06.21.19 Two leading Democrats want the Government Accountability Office to examine the impacts of a federal court vacating the Department of Labor's fiduciary rule last year. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, wrote Friday to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro with the request. "In the past year, DOL appears to have done little, if anything, to wa… Continue Reading
Regulators Resist Call For Action In Response To Black Lung Epidemic
by Howard Berkes and Huo Jingnan
06.21.19 The nation's top coal mine safety regulator told members of Congress on Thursday that existing safety regulations are sufficient to protect miners from toxic dust, despite calls for change amid an epidemic of advanced black lung disease among coal miners in Appalachia. Assistant Secretary of Labor David Zatezalo, testifying before the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee, said sampling from coal mines shows a 99 percent compliance rate with rules designed to limit workers' exposure to silic… Continue Reading
Congressional Panel Hears Black Lung Testimony, MSHA Chief Says No New Policy Needed
by Sydney Boles
06.21.19 A Congressional panel heard testimony and had some sharp questions Thursday about the epidemic of black lung disease among Appalachian miners. Labor leaders are calling on federal regulators to strengthen protections for miners and several lawmakers wanted to know why the country's top mine safety agency is not doing more in response to the dramatic increase in the preventable but deadly disease. Progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung disease, now afflicts roughly 2,50… Continue Reading
Regulators Resist Call For Action In Response To Black Lung Epidemic
by Howard Berkes
06.20.19 The nation's top coal mine safety regulator told members of Congress on Thursday that existing safety regulations are sufficient to protect miners from toxic dust, despite calls for change amid an epidemic of advanced black lung disease among coal miners in Appalachia. Assistant Secretary of Labor David Zatezalo, testifying before the House Workforce Protections Subcommittee, said sampling from coal mines shows a 99% compliance rate with rules designed to limit workers' exposure to silica, the … Continue Reading
Mine Safety Chief Urged to Cut Silica Limit to Stem Black Lung
by Sam Pearson
06.20.19 The Trump administration's top mine safety official declined to say if silica exposure limits should be lowered amid pressure from House Democrats to address rising levels of black lung disease in former coal miners. The issue was addressed June 20 at a hearing of the House Education and Labor Committee's Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, where Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a federal research agency, and… Continue Reading
Schools Underreporting Use Of Restraint And Seclusion, GAO Finds
by Michelle Diament
06.19.19 U.S. Department of Education data on how frequently restraint and seclusion are used in the nation's schools is incomplete and inaccurate, government investigators say. Numbers reported through the agency's civil rights data collection drastically undercount schools' use of the practices, which disproportionately affect students with disabilities, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released this week. GAO indicated that the Education Department needs to take "immediate action… Continue Reading
As Congressional Panel Focuses On Black Lung, Miners Health Advocates Urge Stronger Health Protections
by Sydney Boles
06.19.19 A Congressional panel heard testimony and had some sharp questions Thursday about the epidemic of black lung disease among Appalachian miners. Labor leaders are calling on federal regulators to strengthen protections for miners and several lawmakers wanted to know why the country's top mine safety agency is not doing more in response to the dramatic increase in the preventable but deadly disease. Progressive massive fibrosis, the most severe form of black lung disease, now afflicts roughly 2,50… Continue Reading
Top Trump health official warned against controversial ObamaCare changes in private memo
by Peter Sullivan
06.14.19 A top Trump administration health official warned against controversial changes that could undermine ObamaCare in a private memo last year that was released by House Democrats on Friday. One of the three changes was later finalized by the administration, despite the warning from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma in the memo. And the other two have not yet been proposed but remain under consideration. House Democrats said Friday the fact that the administratio… Continue Reading
With nurses watching, lawmakers push OSHA on anti-workplace violence
by Mark Gruenberg
06.13.19 WASHINGTON-With National Nurses United members in the crowd monitoring them, the Democratic-run House Education and Labor Committee voted on party lines to push the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to, within a year, unveil a rule to force hospitals and nursing homes to create and implement programs to reduce workplace violence. The measure, HR1309, was one of three pro-worker bills the panel approved on June 11, all by party-line votes. All three measures also overc… Continue Reading
Lawmakers take another crack at solving multi-employer pension plan problems
by Mark Gruenberg
06.12.19 WASHINGTON-Heeding the pleas of workers and unions who could see their pensions go down the drain in the next six years, the Democratic-run House Education and Labor Committee approved HR397, to fix multi-employer pension plans' problems. The 26-18 vote on June 11 was on party lines. If eventually approved, the measure would help those financially ailing plans with 30-year repayable federal loans to shore up their assets and value, at affordable interest rates. The loans would come from a trust… Continue Reading
Healthcare violence bill advances
by Elizabeth Newman
06.11.19 Legislation that would require employers to have a prevention plan for workplace violence has moved forward after being marked up in committee. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (HR 1309), sponsored by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), was voted out of the House Committee on Education and Labor on Tuesday. Workplaces covered under the bill include skilled nursing facilities, hospice, hospitals, residential treatment facilities, group homes and federal hea… Continue Reading
Bill requiring OSHA to develop health care violence standard advances
by Gloria Gonzalez
06.11.19 The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor adopted a bill to require the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to promulgate a standard to prevent workplace violence in the health care and social services industry on a 26-18 vote. H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, aims to address the issue of workplace violence against health care and social service workers, who experience violent incidents at dispro… Continue Reading
Congressman Scott is Trying to Defend Free or Reduced-Price School Lunches
by Michael Pope
06.06.19 One Virginia congressman is fighting against the Trump administration's efforts to limit free or reduced-price lunches in public schools. Congressman Bobby Scott of Newport News is pushing back against a Trump administration proposal to limit the availability of free or reduced-price lunches. Here's Scott, who's chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, questioning Department of Agriculture official Brandon Lipps about the proposal. Scott asked, "Did I understand that you mentioned the… Continue Reading
Education chairman seeks data on student achievement in the wake of disasters
by Nicole Gaudiano
06.05.19 The chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee Wednesday called on the Education Department to provide information "as soon as possible" on the effect of natural disasters on student achievement after a top education official testified that the department isn't examining that data yet. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) made his request to Frank Brogan, the department's assistant secretary for K-12 education, during a subcommittee hearing on the department's role in responding to disasters. … Continue Reading
Trahan, Scott support legislation to ensure pensions will not be lost
by Jeff Malachowski
05.29.19 MARLBOROUGH - U.S. Reps. Lori Trahan and Bobby Scott of Virginia reiterated their support Wednesday for legislation that ensures retirees receive the pension benefits they earned. Trahan and Scott, both Democrats, held a roundtable discussion with union leaders at the Service Employees International Union Local 509 headquarters in Marlborough. The two legislators called the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act - also known as the Butch Lewis Act - an important step to addressing the mu… Continue Reading