To amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to ensure labels or other appropriate forms of warning are provided in English and in the language indicated by each employee exposed to the hazard as the primary language of such employee, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · June 13, 2024
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
The Language Access for Workers Act amends federal workplace safety rules to require that hazard labels and safety warnings be provided to workers in both English and in their primary language, tailored to their education level and literacy. The bill affects employers and workers with limited English proficiency, particularly those in agriculture and service industries, ensuring they can understand critical safety information on the job. The legislation directs the Department of Labor to update safety standards within 180 days and authorizes grants to eligible organizations like nonprofits, employers, and labor groups to provide translation services for employment contracts, manuals, training materials, and safety warnings. Grant recipients must submit annual reports on how many workers they assist and in what occupations, with the Labor Department forwarding these reports to Congress. The bill prioritizes funding for areas with large migrant worker populations and for agricultural and service industry workers.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.