OSHA Fine "Catch Up" Provision Included as Part of 2015 Bipartisan Budget Act

Among the things included in November 2015's Bipartisan Budget Act is Section 701, which is referenced as the "Federal Civil Penalties Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015." In short, the purported purpose is to "catch up" OSHA fines for inflation over the last 25 years. That will translate into an as much as 80% increase for OSHA fines. The initial adjustments are currently slated for August 1, 2016, and OSHA is expected to publish related rules for public comment early this year. Job safety is its own incentive of course, but this new provision adds an additional layer of economic incentives as well.