# Plain Language Summary: REVERSE OSHA Mandates Act

This bill would eliminate the federal government's ability to quickly issue emergency workplace safety rules during urgent health crises. Currently, when OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) identifies an immediate danger to workers, the Secretary of Labor can issue an emergency temporary standard that takes effect right away while going through the normal rule-making process. This bill would remove that emergency power entirely, meaning any new workplace safety rules would have to go through the standard lengthy approval process, which typically takes months or years.

The bill also adds a specific restriction: OSHA would be prohibited from requiring employees to take any medications, vaccines, or biological products as a condition of employment. This appears to be a direct response to OSHA's COVID-19 vaccine mandate that was issued in 2021, which required large employers to ensure workers were vaccinated or tested regularly. By passing this bill, Congress would be saying that even if a future health emergency occurs, OSHA cannot use its authority to mandate medical treatments for workers.

The practical effect would be significant during health emergencies. If a new disease outbreak threatened workers, the government would have to follow slower procedures to create safety standards, potentially leaving workers unprotected during the critical early stages of a crisis. Additionally, employers would never again be able to be required by federal workplace safety rules to implement vaccination or medication requirements, even if public health experts determined such measures were necessary to prevent worker illness or death.

REVERSE OSHA Mandates Act

Reversing Every Vaccine Emergency Requirement and Stopping Employee OSHA Mandates Act or the REVERSE OSHA Mandates Act This bill limits the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to regulate workplace safety and health matters. Specifically, the bill repeals OSHA's authority to issue emergency temporary standards related to workplace safety and health. The bill further specifies that OSHA may not, under its authority to regulate workplace safety and health, require the administration of any drug, vaccine, or other biological product to an employee.