[Senate Hearing 117-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



 
  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
          RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023

                              ----------                              


                        WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2022

                                       U.S. Senate,
           Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met at 9:32 a.m. in room SD-138, Dirksen 
Senate Office Building, Hon. Patty Murray (chairwoman) 
presiding.
    Present: Senators Murray, Schatz, Baldwin, Blunt, Capito, 
Hyde-Smith, and Braun.

                          DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

STATEMENT OF HON. MARTIN J. WALSH, SECRETARY


               opening statement of senator patty murray


    Senator Murray. Good morning. The Senate Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, 
and Related Agencies will please come to order.
    Today, we are having a hearing on the Biden 
administration's fiscal year 2023 budget request for the 
Department of Labor.
    Senator Blunt and I will each have an opening statement. 
Then I will introduce our witness. And after his testimony 
Senators will each have 5 minutes for a round of questions.
    We are not able to have this hearing fully open to the 
public yet, or for media and for in-person attendance, but live 
video is available on our committee website. If you are in need 
of accommodations, including closed captioning, please reach 
out to the Committee, or the Office of Congressional 
Accessibility Services.
    Well, this is the last hearings we have scheduled for this 
subcommittee to discuss the President's budget for fiscal year 
2023; and of course the last hearing with Senator Blunt on the 
other side of the dais.
    And after all of the issues that we have worked through 
together, I can't think of a more fitting tribute to that 
partnership than a bill that continues that legacy of making 
meaningful bipartisan investments to help families in my Home 
State of Washington, in Missouri, and across the country.
    So I just want to say that my hope is, after today, we will 
be able to come together quickly in a bipartisan way, as we 
have so many times in the past, to turn to the hard work of 
writing our fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills, and getting 
in a good position to pass everything before the end of the 
year. Families are counting on us to get that done.
    I hope we can all agree it is critical to continue 
strengthening our economy, building off the progress we made 
thanks to the American Rescue Plan, and last year's 
appropriations bills.
    Under President Biden we have added around 8.7 million 
jobs. That is an all-time high. And unemployment is near all-
time lows at 3.6 percent. Meanwhile, the Pension Relief we 
passed has already given a lifeline to struggling businesses, 
and saved the pensions of tens of thousands of workers and 
retirees who were at risk of having their financial situation 
turned upside down.
    Now, that progress is good, but we still have a lot of work 
ahead to build a stronger, fairer economy that truly works for 
workers not just those at the very top and giant corporations.
    And right now inflation is a serious challenge that we need 
to get our arms around, so we need to bring down everyday costs 
for the basics, like groceries, and gas, and more, that so many 
families are struggling with today. That is why Democrats are 
working to lower the cost of prescription drugs and health 
coverage, and why I believe we need to lower the child care 
costs for families, and fix our broken child care system that 
is on the verge of collapse.
    We have to get it done through reconciliation before it is 
too late, because it is plain as day, the child care crisis is 
holding our economy back. It is keeping so many parents, 
especially moms, out of the workforce, and making it so much 
harder for businesses to find the workers that they need.
    I have put forward a plan that will lower child care costs 
for families across the country by thousands of a year, reach 
more than a million new children and their families, raise 
wages for child care workers and stabilize the sector, keeping 
providers' doors open, and making more options available to 
families, and ultimately to strengthen our entire economy. I am 
going to keep pushing with everything I have to get that done.
    Now, Secretary Walsh, I am glad you were able to hear 
directly from workers in my Home State of Washington about the 
challenges that they are facing when you visited a few months 
ago. And I am especially glad to see that President Biden's 
budget takes to heart so much of what the people in my State 
had to share with you.
    We have important work ahead to protect workers' rights, to 
raise wages, to make sure we have decent, safe, fair working 
conditions, and deliver high quality workforce development 
opportunities. And the increased funding for the Labor 
Department in this budget will help us get it done with many 
much needed investments.
    First, it would provide resources to help fix and 
strengthen our unemployment insurance systems, which so many 
people rely on when they hit hard times and are looking for 
their next job, and which this pandemic has shown, is broken in 
far too many ways. This should be a reliable lifeline for 
people so they can get back on their feet. But back in my State 
and in several others, our unemployment programs have been 
undermined by fraud, outdated technology, and massive data 
hacks.
    We have to do better for families, and that starts with 
providing the resources we need to actually update IT programs, 
and fix the system.
    This budget will also help people who are working to find 
good, high-paying jobs by increasing support for registered 
apprenticeships, and other high-quality workforce development 
programs so they can provide quality opportunities in even more 
industries and occupations. And reach more women, people of 
color, formerly incarcerated individuals, people with 
disabilities, and others who are too often left out, because 
you shouldn't have to have a college degree to make a decent 
living in this country.
    Of course, the Department must do more than provide workers 
new opportunities; we need to be bold in protecting their 
rights as well. That is why it is so important this budget 
invest in the worker protection agencies charged with ensuring 
employers respect workers' rights and follow Federal laws.
    Better enforcing these laws will help make sure workers are 
paid the wages they have earned, not shortchanged on overtime, 
or denied minimum wage, get the family and medical leave they 
are eligible for, and go to work in a safe and healthy 
workplace.
    For too long the number of investigators in the Wage and 
Hour Division has been declining. We actually just hit a 50-
year low. Too often, the division simply cannot investigate 
wage theft at huge, very well resourced corporations. So I 
think we need to level the playing field for workers to make 
sure they are getting a fair shake. And these resources will 
allow us to crack down on employers who don't pay employees the 
overtime pay they are owed, pay workers less than prevailing 
wages required under law and, otherwise, cheat employees out of 
the pay they earned.
    These investments will not just provide accountability to 
businesses; they will put money directly back in workers' 
pockets where it belongs.
    Meanwhile, increased resources for the International Labor 
Affairs Bureau will protect workers here at home from unfair 
competition when foreign companies do not play by the rules, 
ensuring our trading partners follow through on their 
commitment to workers' rights and keep our Nation competitive 
on the world stage.
    And increased investments in the Office of Federal Contract 
Compliance, will help ensure employers working for the 
government follow the law, including protecting against 
workplace discrimination and harassment. And when it comes to 
enforcing labor laws, this pandemic has put a harsh spotlight 
on how critical workplace health and safety laws are. We need 
the occupational Safety and Health Administration to do more to 
live up to its responsibility here.


                            workplace safety


    In 2020, our country lost an average of 15 people to 
workplace injuries every day. Everyday 15 loved ones never made 
it home. And workplace deaths like these are disproportionately 
workers of color. That is heartbreaking, we have to do better, 
which is why it is critical this budget bolsters support for 
OSHA's (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) mission 
to keep workers safe on the job, and protected from retaliation 
for calling out safety and health issues in the workplace.


                    permanent covid safety standard


    It is also why I am continuing to push OSHA to move quickly 
to finally issue a permanent COVID-19 standard for healthcare 
workers, and work on a permanent infectious disease standard as 
well. Healthcare workers have been on the frontline of this 
pandemic. They have worked tirelessly to save the lives of 
countless patients, but they have faced grave danger during 
this pandemic just trying to do their jobs.
    COVID-19 has killed over 5,000 nurses and healthcare 
professionals. We owe it to each, and every one of our 
healthcare heroes to keep them safe.
    So Mr. Secretary, I expect to see the Permanent COVID 
Safety Standard from the Department soon. We should have had 
one already. Workers cannot keep waiting. It is clear to me, 
and I think it is clear to everyone listening, that we have 
more work to do to support our workers and their families. So I 
am going to keep pushing to make sure families have a little 
less stress on their shoulders; and a little more money in 
their pockets.
    That means bringing down costs across the board on things 
like groceries, and gas, and healthcare, and child care, and 
everyday essentials. It means ensuring workers get paid a fair 
living wage, and are not cheated out of it, and go to work 
confident they will be coming home safely. It means making sure 
they can choose to care for themselves and their loved ones 
without losing the paycheck they need, and can learn new skills 
if they want to pursue a new career in a higher paying field.
    And it absolutely means ensuring we protect workers' 
rights, especially the right to join, or form, aunion, to 
collectively bargain for better benefits, better healthcare, 
better retirement plans, and higher wages.


                  budget priorities impacting workers


    I am glad to say this budget makes clear the Biden 
administration is also committed to these goals, and President 
Biden understands, as well as anyone, that working families are 
the heart of our country and the backbone of our economy.
    Democrats are focused on the economy, Mr. Secretary. We are 
focused on tackling inflation, lowering costs, and making sure 
working people get a fair shake and their fair share. So I look 
forward to working with you and the President to keep building 
an economy that puts those working people first.
    With that, I will turn it over to Senator Blunt for his 
remarks.


                     statement of senator roy blunt


    Senator Blunt. Well, Thank you, Chair Murray. And good 
morning to everybody participating in the hearing; and welcome 
Secretary Walsh. I look forward to your testimony on the 
Department of Labor's fiscal year 2023 budget request.
    Last year when you testified before the subcommittee a 
principal topic, and certainly a topic I raised, was how the 
COVID-19 pandemic had put an unprecedented strain on our 
economy and on our workforce. At the time, I had serious 
concerns that our country would not return to our pre-pandemic 
unemployment levels, which had been the lowest since the late 
1960s.
    And while I am pleased that we are making real progress in 
lowering the unemployment rate, I am concerned about the very 
real economic and labor shifts that have occurred since the 
last time we had a hearing, and you were before this committee. 
I am talking of course about the economic impact of inflation, 
an invisible tax that takes its toll on every American, but it 
is particularly burdensome for those who can least afford it.
    Many of the increases in paychecks have been more than 
offset by increases in what you have to pay for, and it only 
takes a trip to the gas station or the grocery store to know, 
for most families, exactly what that means. In recent months 
that inflation number has been above 8 percent, the highest 
rate in over 40 years, and the Treasury Secretary recently 
testified before the Senate Finance Committee that inflation 
was here to stay for any foreseeable future.
    This administration's inflation forecast has already showed 
prices rising this year at nearly twice the pre-pandemic rate. 
And while we might disagree on the root causes of this historic 
inflation, that is really reversing those economic gains made 
in the past, I do believe we can agree that every American is 
feeling the impact.
    History has told us that we can't spend our way out of 
inflation. Instead we have to exercise fiscal responsibility 
and be prudent about determining what is truly needed to right 
the ship, and begin to head things in a different direction. 
Additionally, we are seeing major labor shifts that I think 
will impact the labor market for years to come, dubbed by some 
the ``Great Resignation'', we have watched record numbers of 
employees resign following the COVID-19 pandemic, and that was 
particularly apparent and evident in the young adult 
population.
    Simultaneously help-wanted signs are still visible almost 
everywhere across the country as businesses and employers 
continue to search for workers to fill the vacancies they have. 
There is no question that this is a turbulent moment in our 
country's history, particularly our economic history. But often 
during times like this, of economic and market uncertainty, we 
have the opportunity to rethink the way we have been doing 
things, and prioritize programs that provide the most benefit--
in the case of the Department of Labor--to workers and 
employers alike.
    This is why I was surprised to see the fiscal year 2023 
budget doubling down on new programs, and funding levels 
rejected just 3 months ago in the fiscal year 2022 bill.
    The fiscal year 2023 proposed budget for the Department of 
Labor totals $14.9 billion, an increase of almost $2 billion, 
and nearly 13 percent over the appropriations bill that we just 
passed. That is nearly triple the increase that was provided in 
that bill. I wouldn't expect to see that if I were you. And we 
want to be talking about what those priorities really are, 
funding such as $100 million for the POWER Plus initiative 
which will transition workers away from jobs in the fossil fuel 
industry, to what would be considered generally green jobs, is 
not included in the fiscal year 2022 final bill, and here it is 
that $100 million is right back in this budget request.
    Similarly, a Career Pathways for Youth Grants, a program 
that I began as Chairman in 2020, to ensure that young adults 
in this country have adequate knowledge, before they get there, 
of all the post-secondary options that they need to know about, 
to be informed about what their pathway really is.
    I agree with the Chairman's view that there are a lot of 
ways to get to a successful career, and a successful life that 
allows you to do the things that are best suited for the kind 
of life you want to lead, and we need to be sure that we are 
not just looking at one pathway. I think so much of education, 
secondary education has been focused on only one way forward 
for a long time, and that is why we try to fund, I think the 
funding was about $15 million, to look at career pathways early 
in the education process so that people in junior high school, 
middle school, and high school begin to get a sense of what 
kinds of jobs that are out there.
    I was surprised you didn't ask for the continuation of that 
program. Why is the funding for workers to transition out of 
their current stable career for jobs and industries that the 
administration prefers being prioritized, and looking at how 
the future labor force gets ready for the work that they would 
want to do, isn't?
    We need to ensure that our labor programs are nimble, and 
quite adequately and appropriately address unexpected workforce 
challenges. For example, while I supported funding for 
registered apprenticeships, the registered apprenticeship model 
is underutilized by industries that need it the most, such as 
healthcare, and IT, and cybersecurity, because it has just not 
been a very flexible model.
    And I hope we can work with you to find more flexibility in 
that whole concept of apprenticeships. I have said it before, 
and I will say it again, we need to create an environment for 
Americans to thrive, and we need to target our Federal 
resources to cultivating the workforce of the future.
    It is wrong for the Federal Government to dictate what that 
workforce should look like, and for bureaucrats in Washington 
to determine the speed in which we get there, that should be 
left up to States, and communities, and local economies. I 
believe we can work together to find consensus on the 
Department's budget.
    I look forward to working with you, Mr. Secretary, as well 
as Chair Murray, and our colleagues on the subcommittee, to 
once again, come up with a bill that prioritizes bipartisan 
initiatives, and innovation in the workforce system.
    As the Chair mentioned, this is my last likely hearing on 
the Labor Appropriations part of this budget, but we have had 
good success working together, finding ways to find a path 
forward. I certainly hope we can do that.
    I want to thank all my colleagues for their support over 
the time I have been on this committee, and particularly Chair 
Murray for the great working relationship we have had.
    Again, thank you for your time here today, Secretary Walsh. 
I look forward to working with you to strengthen our Nation's 
workforce, and create a more prosperous economy for all 
Americans.
    Thank you, Chairman.
                Prepared Statement of Senator Roy Blunt
    Thank you, Chair Murray. Good morning and welcome, Secretary Walsh. 
I look forward to your testimony on the Department of Labor's fiscal 
year 2023 budget request.
    Last year, when you testified before this Subcommittee, I spoke a 
great deal about how the COVID-19 pandemic put an unprecedented strain 
on our economy and its workforce.
    At the time, I had serious concerns that our nation wouldn't return 
to our pre-pandemic unemployment levels, which were the lowest since 
the late 1960s. While I am pleased that we are making progress in 
lowering the unemployment rate, I am concerned about the very real 
economic and labor shifts that have occurred since the last time you 
came before this Subcommittee.
    I'm talking about inflation, of course, which is an invisible tax 
that takes its toll on every American, but is particularly burdensome 
to those who truly can't afford it.
    In recent months, consumer inflation in the United States has 
trended above 8 percent, the highest rate in over 40 years, and the 
Treasury Secretary recently testified before the Senate Finance 
Committee that inflation was here to stay.
    This Administration's inflation forecast has already showed prices 
rising this year at nearly twice the pre-pandemic rate.
    While we may disagree on the root causes of this historic inflation 
that's reversing the economic gains made under the previous 
Administration, I do think we can agree that every American is feeling 
the impact.
    And history has told us that we cannot spend our way out of 
inflation; instead, we must exercise fiscal responsibility and be 
prudent about determining what is truly needed to right the ship.
    Additionally, we are seeing major labor shifts that I think will 
impact the labor market for years to come. Dubbed the ``Great 
Resignation,'' we've watched record numbers of employees resign 
following the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly amongst the young adult 
population.
    Simultaneously, ``help wanted'' signs are still visible across the 
country, as businesses and employers continue to search for workers to 
fill the vacancies.
    There's no question that this is a turbulent moment in our Nation's 
history--but often during economic and market uncertainty, we have an 
opportunity to rethink the status quo and prioritize programs that 
provide the most benefit to workers and employers alike.
    This is why I was surprised to see the fiscal year 2023 budget 
doubling down on new activities and funding levels that were rejected 
just 3 months ago in the fiscal year 2022 bill.
    The fiscal year 2023 budget for the Department of Labor totals 
$14.9 billion, an increase of $1.7 billion and nearly 13 percent over 
fiscal year 2022, which is nearly triple the increase that was provided 
in fiscal year 2022.
    Funding, such as $100 million for the POWER+ Initiative, which will 
transition workers away from jobs in the fossil fuel industry to what 
some consider ``green jobs'' was not included in our fiscal year 2022 
final bill, and yet it appears again in your budget request.
    Simultaneously, ``Career Pathways for Youth'' grants, a program 
that I began as Chairman in fiscal year 2020 to ensure the young adults 
in this country have adequate knowledge of all post-secondary options 
to make an informed decision about their career trajectory, was 
excluded from the budget request.
    Which begs the question: why is funding for workers to transition 
out of their current, stable careers for jobs in industries this 
Administration prefers prioritized over funding for informing the 
future of our workforce about all of their options?
    We need to ensure that our labor programs are nimble and can 
adequately and appropriately address unexpected workforce challenges.
    For example, while I supported funding for registered 
apprenticeships, the registered apprenticeship model is underutilized 
by industries that need it the most, such as healthcare, IT, and 
cybersecurity, due to its lack of flexibility.
    I've said it before and I'll say it again: we need to create an 
environment for Americans to thrive, and we need to target our Federal 
resources to cultivating the workforce of the future.
    It's wrong for the Federal Government to dictate what that 
workforce should look like, and for bureaucrats in Washington, DC to 
determine the speed at which we get there. That should be left up to 
states, to communities, and to local economies.
    I believe we can work toward consensus on the Department's budget.
    I'm looking forward to working with you, Mr. Secretary, as well as 
Chair Murray our colleagues on the Subcommittee to once again put forth 
a bill that prioritizes bipartisan initiatives and innovation in the 
workforce system for fiscal year 2023.
    Finally, I'd like to thank all of my colleagues for their support 
over the years on this Committee, especially Chair Murray.
    This is likely my last Labor/HHS hearing, and I'd like to take the 
opportunity to say that it has been a tremendous honor to serve with 
you on this Subcommittee on behalf of the great State of Missouri.
    Again, thank you for your time here today, Mr. Secretary. I look 
forward to working with you to strengthen our nation's workforce and 
create a more prosperous economy for all Americans.
    Thank you.

    Senator Murray. Thank you, Senator Blunt.
    With that, our witness today is Marty Walsh, Secretary of 
the Department of Labor. Secretary Walsh, thank you for joining 
us today. I look forward to your testimony. You may begin.

               SUMMARY STATEMENT OF HON. MARTIN J. WALSH

    Secretary Walsh. Thank you very much, Chairwoman Murray; 
and Ranking Member Blunt, thank you as well; members of the 
committee that are here today, and that will be coming in and 
out, I want to thank you for the opportunity to testify in 
front of you today.

                  STRENGTHENING THE AMERICAN WORKFORCE

    I am certainly pleased to outline the Biden-Harris 
administration's priority for the Department of Labor's fiscal 
year 2023 budget. My mission as Secretary, quite honestly, of 
Labor, is to empower all workers morning, noon, and night. 
Frontline workers who carried us through the worst days of the 
pandemic, the marginalized workers who face barriers to 
employment opportunities, the veterans who serve our Nation, 
the rural workers who we serve through targeted workforce 
grants. The Department of Labor, quite honestly, stands with 
all workers in every community to build stronger, more 
resilient, and a more inclusive economy.
    I am certainly proud of all that the Department has 
accomplished in the past year, and the folks that work with me 
every single day. We implemented key provisions of the 
President's American Rescue Plan, supporting healthcare, and 
pensions, and unemployment insurance. We protected workers from 
COVID-19 and heat exposure. We strengthened retirement 
security, and access to mental health services. We expanded 
career-training programs to connect more Americans to 
opportunities that they, quite honestly, need.
    Ranking Member Blunt talked a little bit about, you know, 
people resigning, putting those people back into better paying 
jobs, connecting more industry as well to skilled workers. We 
implemented the President's $15 an hour minimum wage for 
Federal contracts, legislation to stop surprise billing, 
medical billing, protections for Tip workers, we advanced 
government-wide initiatives to support workers organizing 
rights, climate action, and infrastructure implementation.
    In all of our work, we are committed to equity for the most 
vulnerable workers in communities all across America. And we 
have in this moment a unique opportunity to help all workers 
thrive. The President's plan has produced historic job recovery 
and Congress has made major investments in workers through the 
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

                          GOOD JOBS INITIATIVE

    In the Department of Labor the Good Jobs Initiative we are 
partnering across government to make sure these investments 
create good jobs and access to all. And I am committed to 
supporting the congressional efforts to invest in the workforce 
training, child care support, education, healthcare, and work 
things that, quite honestly, families depend upon.

                   WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

    The fiscal 2023 budget submission builds on these 
investments and renews our pledge to serve workers, job 
seekers, and retirees all across America. Workforce development 
is a vitally important area of opportunity, high quality job 
training lifts workers into the middle class, and increases 
equity in our economy, and these programs meet the talent needs 
of employers, and strengthens our supply chain. That is why the 
President's budget requests $303 million, we are looking to 
expand registered apprenticeships.
    I agree with you Senator Blunt, about creating 
opportunities into other industries, and we have been working 
on that, and that is really, what we need to do in America 
more. We have $100 million for career training and growing 
industry sectors, $100 million for community college 
partnerships with employers.
    I have visited community colleges in dozens of States 
across this country. I visited dozens of Job Corps centers 
around this country. And I see innovative programs designed in 
collaboration with employers working for students of all 
backgrounds. We need to invest in these partnerships and reach 
out to more employers, and we need to provide more workers with 
better opportunities for their future.
    This budget also increased funding for veterans through our 
Veterans Employment and Training Service Agency. It increases 
funding for our Women's Bureau to expand access for women's 
careers where they are under representative--represented, 
excuse me.

                     INVESTING IN WORKER PROTECTION

    This budget invests $2.2 billion in the Department's worker 
protection agencies. This work is more essential now than ever 
to rebuild our staffing levels, as you said Madam Chair, in 
your very first line. That includes OSHA's efforts to double 
the number of inspectors by the end of the President's first 
term. It will restore MSHA's (Mine Safety and Health 
Administration) capacity for enforcement in mine plant 
equipment reviews. It would restore staffing for unemployment 
benefit, and security administration to protect workers' 
health, retirements, and disabilities.
    It would increase funding for Wage and Hour to safeguard 
our wages for the most vulnerable workers. It would fund the 
Office of Federal Contract Compliance to ensure Federal 
contracting advances America's promise of fairness for all 
workers.
    This budget increases funding to the Office of Labor 
Solicitor to rebuild the entire Department's capacity to 
enforce the laws that are on the books; we also have requested 
the resources for the Bureau Of International Labor Affairs, 
ILAB, to ensure our training partners uphold their labor 
commitments so America's workers can compete on a level playing 
field.

                     UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE REFORM

    The budget fully funds and updates the State funding 
formula for unemployment insurance that will be the first 
comprehensive update in decades. It allows States to serve 
claimants more effectively. And our request includes $150 
million to strengthen the integrity of the system.
    Finally, the budget requests nearly $4 million to support 
the Good Jobs Initiative. This will enable us to advance the 
President's priorities of good jobs, and free and fair choice 
to join a union.

                   CONFRONTING INFLATIONARY PRESSURES

    And I just want to touch briefly, before I end my remarks, 
on inflation. Certainly, the President has talked to all the 
Cabinet. It is an all-of-government approach to bring down 
those pressures at the kitchen table, to bring down those 
pressures at the gas pump, to bring down those pressures at the 
grocery store.
    The President, his administration did not cause inflation, 
but we certainly are not running away from inflation because it 
impacts every single American person, and we need to do 
everything in our power to bring those pressures down. This is 
a worldwide challenge that is happening in other countries 
around the globe, but we need to focus on what we are doing 
here in America. So I look forward to talking about that a 
little later.
    I see all of what we do everywhere I travel, workers are 
showing up each and every day to move our communities and our 
Nation forward, and in return we must do everything we can to 
ensure the well-being and empower them with opportunity.
    I want to thank you, both, and all the committee members 
once again for the opportunity to testify today. I look forward 
to discussing our budget requests here with the committee and 
certainly any time that anyone needs to reach out to the 
Department of Labor, do feel free to call me. Thank you.
    [The statement follows:]
                 Prepared Statement of Martin J. Walsh
    Chair Murray, Ranking Member Blunt, and members of the 
Subcommittee, thank you for the invitation to testify today. I am 
pleased to appear before this Subcommittee and to outline the Biden 
Administration's vision and priorities for the Department of Labor in 
fiscal year (FY) 2023. I am honored and humbled to lead the Department 
in its critical work.
    My vision as the Secretary of Labor is to empower workers morning, 
noon, and night. This includes centering our work on the most 
vulnerable workers, those facing barriers to employment, misclassified 
workers, and workers in temporary jobs or other jobs that heighten 
their economic insecurity and vulnerability. The Department honors the 
nurses, doctors, first responders, farm workers, construction workers, 
communication workers, warehouse workers, grocery store workers, 
servers, teachers, childcare providers, and government workers who have 
carried us this far through the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department also 
acknowledges that many of the workers and families on the frontlines of 
the COVID-19 pandemic are among the lowest paid, and most marginalized. 
As Labor Secretary, I am focused on advancing equity, creating good 
jobs, and empowering workers to organize and successfully bargain with 
their employers. The Department stands shoulder to shoulder with all 
workers to build a better and brighter future.
                          dol accomplishments
    When I testified before this Committee last year, I was new to the 
Department of Labor. A little more than year later--I am proud of 
everything the Department has accomplished. We have issued standards 
and guidance and pursued strong enforcement strategies to keep workers 
in healthcare and other key industries safe and fight the spread of 
COVID-19. We extended and expanded unemployment relief for workers 
during the pandemic.
    During this past year, the Department has worked tirelessly to 
address acute and long-term supply chain issues, and issues affecting 
retirement, wages, tipped workers, workers' rights, and collective 
bargaining. In collaboration with the Department of Transportation, the 
Department recently announced a Trucking Action Plan to expand 
Registered Apprenticeship and to improve job quality in the industry 
overall through the ``Driving Good Jobs'' Initiative. The American 
Rescue Plan (ARP) authorized special financial assistance (SFA) through 
the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to help save severely 
underfunded multiemployer plans and enabled over three million 
participants and beneficiaries to continue to receive their pension 
benefits now and in the future. PBGC estimates that ARP will provide an 
estimated $94 billion in assistance to eligible plans that apply for 
SFA.
    The Department continued to strengthen enforcement by using every 
tool available in order to keep workers in America safe and healthy on 
the job and ensure that they receive the wages that they have earned. 
The Department's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has recovered over $230 
million in back wages for more than 190,000 workers, averaging $1,200 
in back wages per employee. The Department also issued final rules to 
restore protections for tipped workers, including protections that 
Chair Murray and Chair DeLauro were integral to enacting in 2018.
    The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) worked with 
the Departments of Health and Human Services and Treasury to implement 
the provisions of the No Surprises Act, preventing patients in need of 
care from being saddled with large, unexpected out-of-network medical 
bills. In 2021, EBSA recovered over $2.5 billion in retirement savings 
and healthcare benefits owed to workers. This is real money--money 
people earned and were owed--and the Department's staff returned it 
into people's pockets and retirement accounts.
    Additionally, despite unions' long history of fighting for higher 
wages and lifting up workers' voices, only 10.3 percent of the U.S. 
workforce is unionized, even as a full 52 percent of non-union workers 
say they want to join a union. The Biden-Harris Administration took 
action and established the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing 
and Empowerment. This first-of- its-kind government-wide effort is 
promoting policies, programs, and practices to help more workers 
organize and successfully bargain with their employers, and to lift up 
as models cooperative labor-management relations where unions and 
employers jointly solve problems advancing both workers and employers' 
interests, though we continue to urge Congress to pass the Protecting 
the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The Department also continues to 
support efforts to raise the minimum wage for workers in America. One 
significant step and progress is implementing President Biden's 
Executive Order raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour for 300,000 
workers on Federal contracts.
    We will continue to take steps to unleash the full power of the 
Department to continue addressing wage theft, keeping workers safe and 
healthy, and expanding access to good jobs for all.
                          commitment to equity
    Shortly after being sworn in, President Biden issued several 
groundbreaking executive orders to dismantle entrenched disparities in 
our laws and public policies: E.O. 13985 calls for the Federal 
Government to advance racial equity and support underserved communities 
through immediate and sustained action and E.O. 14035 charges Federal 
agencies with cultivating a workforce that draws from the full 
diversity of the Nation. The Department has been hard at work 
delivering on both of these mandates. The Department continues to 
strive to be a model workplace and make the Federal government a model 
employer. Indeed, our Chief Evaluation Office is leading efforts to 
evaluate how we can improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and 
accessibility across the Federal workforce. In addition, we are focused 
on understanding how well our programs, protections, and contracting 
opportunities reach different communities and what barriers to access 
they face, as well as what data we have or need to understand how the 
Department is serving different communities. We have taken a number of 
important steps across our rulemaking, grantmaking, and enforcement 
programs to better reach the most underserved and disadvantaged 
populations.
    Both with the funding already appropriated to us, and as outlined 
in our fiscal year 2023 budget request, these questions guide our 
efforts. For example, we recently announced the availability of $260 
million in American Rescue Plan funding available to states to promote 
equitable access to unemployment compensation programs. The fiscal year 
2023 Budget also includes $15.4 million in the Office of Disability 
Employment Policy to plan and implement Equitable Transition Model 
projects to develop the strategies we need to ensure youth with 
disabilities can get good jobs. These resources will help the 
Department tackle the inequities facing youth with disabilities, 
including youth who are experiencing homelessness, leaving foster care, 
or involved in the justice system.
    We have accomplished a lot over the past year, but we have a lot 
more we need to do. We see that even as the economy recovers from the 
pandemic, most of the job gains have gone to men. In the May jobs 
report, there are still 812,000 (1.1 percent) fewer employed adult 
women than there were pre-pandemic, whereas the number of employed 
adult men, at 81.4 million, has returned to the pre-pandemic level. 
Black women's unemployment rate (5.9 percent) is the highest among 
women by race and ethnicity. The intersection of racism and sexism 
means that Black women are experiencing a different, and more 
difficult, recovery not just because of the types of jobs they are 
likely to hold, but also because they are often treated differently 
within those jobs.
    We must embed equity into how we recruit, hire, and retain all 
workers, including leave and scheduling policies that support families. 
An economy that works only for some in our country means that economy 
is fundamentally broken. I welcome all of you to join me in these 
efforts.
                 investment in workers is long overdue
    Over the past year, Congress has made historic investments in 
workers--in the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system, in resources to 
better protect workers, and in the bipartisan infrastructure 
investments. The UI system, in particular the emergency unemployment 
compensation programs extended by the American Rescue Plan, provided 
life-saving benefits to American families throughout the COVID-19 
pandemic. During the pandemic, UI benefits helped over 53 million 
workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own and put some 
$870 billion back into the economy. These benefits helped Americans 
across the country stay in their homes and support their families and 
protected the economy from even more devastating consequences. Studies 
have shown that every $1 paid in UI benefits translates into $2 to 
boost the economy.
    However, the pandemic also highlighted that more can be done to 
ensure that workers have timely and equitable access to UI benefits and 
that fraudsters, particularly sophisticated international criminal 
rings, do not flood the UI system with false claims to wrongly acquire 
taxpayer funds while creating further delays and barriers for genuine 
claimants in need. With the $2 billion provided in the American Rescue 
Plan, the Department is making progress to modernize the UI system to 
be more timely, equitable, and safe. The Department has already 
provided significant funding to states to strengthen their UI identity 
verification systems, enhance their fraud detection and prevention 
strategies, and increase cybersecurity. We have made additional funds 
available to help workers learn about, apply for, and better navigate 
the UI system and to provide states with a comprehensive, multi-
disciplinary assessment of their UI systems and the resources to 
implement improvements identified in the assessment.
    The American Rescue Plan also provided $200 million for the 
Department's worker protection activities. The Department continues to 
provide outreach to essential COVID-19 frontline workers most 
vulnerable to violations of worker protection laws as well as 
compliance assistance to employers delivering essential services.
    Through your coordination and cooperation, Congress delivered a $1 
trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to build a better America. 
This represents an investment in well-paid, union and middle-class jobs 
for every single community in America. Our goal is to ensure these 
Federal resources are leveraged to create economic opportunities for 
workers in the communities in which they live. In support of this goal, 
in March of this year, the Department published a proposed rule to 
update and modernize the regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon and 
Related Acts, proposing changes that will be good for workers and good 
for building high-quality infrastructure and for a strong construction 
industry.
    The Administration is committed to working with Congress to enact 
the President's plan to lower healthcare, child care, energy, and other 
costs for families; reduce the deficit; and expand our economy's 
productive capacity. If enacted, the Department will use these 
resources to get our programs where they need to be to operate 
effectively and efficiently while transforming them to address what we 
value including worker empowerment, equity, program access, and the 
other areas of emphasis set out by this Administration. I am committed 
to doing what I can to help Congress get this important legislation 
passed.
    We appreciate Congress enacting additional funding in fiscal year 
2022 for investments in job training, apprenticeship programs, and 
protecting workers through the Department's worker protection agencies. 
Through the Good Jobs Initiative, we are coordinating the Department's 
on-going efforts to advance job quality for all workers, including 
people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, immigrants, veterans, 
people with disabilities, justice-involved individuals, and individuals 
in rural communities. Additionally, we are partnering across Federal 
agencies to enhance implementation of job quality and equity standards 
into Federal investments. This funding, together with the already-
appropriated resources through the American Rescue Plan, lays the 
groundwork for ensuring that all workers can participate and thrive in 
a growing economy.
                    fiscal year 2023 budget request
    The fiscal year 2023 President's Budget builds on these investments 
and renews DOL's pledge to help all workers and job seekers in 
America--particularly those from disadvantaged communities--access 
training and find pathways to high-quality jobs that can support a 
middle- class life.
    The Budget requests $303 million to expand Registered 
Apprenticeship (RA) opportunities while increasing access for 
historically underrepresented groups, including people of color and 
women, and diversifying the industry sectors involved. RA is a proven 
earn-and-learn model that raises participants' wages and is a reliable 
pathway to the middle class. This investment would provide critical 
funding to support capacity-building, including expanding and 
diversifying RA programs as well as expanding pre-apprenticeship 
programs to increase access to RA. Community colleges play a critical 
role in providing accessible, low-cost, and high-quality training. The 
Budget invests $100 million to build their capacity to work with the 
public workforce development system and employers to design and deliver 
high-quality training for in-demand jobs. The Budget also includes $100 
million for a new Sectoral Employment through Career Training for 
Occupational Readiness (SECTOR) program, which will support evidence-
based training programs focused on growing industries, enabling 
underserved and underrepresented workers to access good jobs and 
creating the skilled workforce the economy needs to thrive.
    The Budget advances the goal of developing pathways for diverse 
workers, including those from disadvantaged groups, to access training 
and career opportunities through increased investments in programs that 
serve justice-involved individuals, at-risk youth, and American Indian, 
Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian individuals. No economic recovery 
can be complete if some communities are left behind, and this Budget 
reflects the Department's commitment to helping all workers get back on 
their feet.
    The pandemic has been particularly damaging for women workers, 
specifically women of color and low-wage workers, many of whom have 
faced the loss of childcare while trying to protect the safety of 
themselves and their families and still put food on the table. The 
fiscal year 2023 Budget requests more than $25 million for the Women's 
Bureau, including additional funding to strengthen the Women in 
Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations program and expand the 
Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity program. This grant program is 
designed to support targeted education and outreach efforts by 
``trusted messengers'' and community intermediaries to ensure that 
marginalized workers--disproportionately women of color--avail 
themselves of critical and timely income supports and employment rights 
and benefits.
    Our nation's veterans, transitioning service members, and their 
spouses deserve every opportunity to successfully transition from 
active duty to civilian life, receive access to benefits and 
protections, and find good jobs with family-sustaining wages. The 
Budget provides funding for the Veterans' Employment and Training 
Service's core programs, which help improve skills and provide 
employment opportunities for veterans across the country. The Budget 
increases funding for VETS' Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program to 
more than $62 million, enabling the program to serve over 1,000 
additional veterans experiencing homelessness.
    Throughout the pandemic, workers have shown up for America, helping 
to keep the economy growing, hospitals operating, food in stores, and 
construction projects booming. In appreciation of the incredible 
dedication of workers in America, DOL must ensure workers are treated 
with dignity and respect in the workplace. The fiscal year 2023 Budget 
invests $2.2 billion in the Department's worker protection agencies.
    Staff losses at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
(OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) have left 
workers less safe on the job, particularly amid the increased threats 
to workplace health and safety created by the pandemic. The fiscal year 
2023 Budget provides resources to help OSHA rebuild its rulemaking and 
enforcement capacity, expand its whistleblower protection program, and 
increase its outreach and compliance assistance. This investment will 
support OSHA's efforts to double the number of inspectors by the end of 
President Biden's first term. The request also includes resources to 
restore MSHA's capabilities in enforcement to help ensure miners' 
health and safety amid a projected increase in workload stemming from 
the BIL.
    Losses to front-line enforcement, regulatory, and compliance 
assistance staff at the Employee Benefits Security Administration have 
similarly compromised the Agency's ability to ensure the solvency of 
self-funded health plans, the security of retirement benefits, the 
integrity of plan assets, the payment of promised benefits, the 
cybersecurity of plan accounts, and the integrity of health and 
disability plans. The requested fiscal year 2023 Budget would restore 
lost staff and enable the agency to protect workers' interest in their 
health, retirement, and disability benefits. The return on the 
taxpayer's investment is significant, as reflected in the $2.5 billion 
it recovered last year. The additional funds requested would contribute 
greatly to the benefit of the more than 158 million workers, retirees, 
and their families who depend on ERISA-covered plans for their medical 
benefits and for the security of their retirement in old age.
    Currently, WHD enforcement staffing is near historic lows, 
impacting the ability of the agency to enforce fundamental labor 
protections including minimum wage, overtime, and family and medical 
leave for 148 million workers across the country. In particular, 
retaliation against workers for coming forward with a complaint about 
their pay or the misclassification of employees as independent 
contractors robs workers of their rightful wages, benefits, and 
protections. The fiscal year 2023 Budget increases funding to the WHD 
by more than $56 million over the fiscal year 2022 enacted level. This 
funding increase will enable WHD to hire, train, and equip enforcement 
staff to better protect essential workers by safeguarding their pay and 
recovering back wages, with particular emphasis on the workers most 
vulnerable to wage violations and exploitive labor conditions.
    The Budget requests to increase funding for the Office of Federal 
Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) by nearly $39 million above the 
fiscal year 2022 enacted level, enabling it to fully enforce employment 
antidiscrimination requirements to ensure Federal contracting 
consistent with America's promise to all workers in America. Included 
in this increase is $3.2 million to enable OFCCP to meet the increased 
need for its services as a result of the BIL. This funding will allow 
OFCCP to build its capacity to remove systemic barriers that workers in 
underrepresented communities face to accessing good jobs in 
construction and other growth industries that the BIL will bolster.
    Critical to all these investments in protecting workers' pay, 
benefits, safety and health, and rights is rebuilding the Department's 
capacity to actually enforce the law. This can only be accomplished if 
the Office of the Solicitor is fully funded. SOL, the legal enforcement 
and support arm of the Department, has been kept approximately level-
funded since fiscal year 2013 despite increasing operational costs and 
rising demand for legal support in litigation, investigative 
assistance, advice, and regulatory work. As a result, SOL has lost over 
100 staff since 2013, resulting in a severe diminution in enforcement 
actions. The Budget recognizes that without adequate resources for SOL, 
DOL will not be able to achieve its mission in any area. To avoid this, 
the Budget increases funding to SOL by $52 million above the fiscal 
year 2022 enacted level to support a total of 740 FTE.
    The Budget also includes resources for the Department's Bureau of 
International Labor Affairs (ILAB) which safeguards dignity at work, 
both at home and abroad. ILAB ensures that our trading partners uphold 
their labor commitments so that America's workers can compete on a 
level playing field. Just this year, ILAB has been integral in 
supporting the first independent union elections at the General Motors 
plant in Silao, Mexico and the Tridonex auto parts facility in 
Matamoros, Mexico. We are proud to support these efforts to ensure that 
all workers can exercise their right to freedom of association and 
collective bargaining. Supporting workplace democracy across the world 
improves working conditions abroad, combats forced labor and child 
labor, improves livelihoods for vulnerable workers, and creates a 
fairer global economy for America's workers.
    President Biden has made the creation of good jobs with the free 
and fair choice to join a union a cornerstone of this Administration. 
Fulfilling this promise requires a comprehensive rethinking of 
everything in the Department's capacity to improve job quality 
throughout the country. The Budget requests nearly $4 million to 
support the Good Jobs Initiative, enabling the Department to provide 
additional training and technical assistance to agencies as they work 
to embed and promote good jobs principles in procurement, loans, and 
grants; engage employers on strategies and initiatives to improve job 
quality; and provide a centralized location of information and services 
on workers' rights under key workplace laws and on unions and 
collective bargaining for use by workers, unions, employers, 
researchers, other government agencies, and policymakers.
    While UI provided a lifeline for millions of families throughout 
the pandemic, the pandemic has also shined a light on the inadequacies 
in the UI system after decades of underinvestment. Overburdened and 
outdated state UI systems kept millions of workers from getting 
benefits quickly and left many unable to access the program. These 
painful delays and barriers fell disproportionately hard on workers of 
color and low-income workers. To address these shortcomings, the Budget 
makes investments to ensure states can better handle higher volumes of 
claims and be better prepared for future crises. The Budget fully funds 
and updates the formula for determining the amount states receive to 
administer UI, which will allow states to serve claimants more quickly 
and effectively. In addition, the Budget includes a $150 million 
investment to promote integrity in the UI system. This investment will 
provide funding to states for identity verification services while also 
supporting IT infrastructure updates to prevent fraud and improve the 
claimant experience.
    While these critical investments will make meaningful improvements 
to the UI system and help ensure families across the country can access 
this vital assistance when workers need it most, we must also keep in 
mind that no amount of financial investment will be able to, on its 
own, fix all of the issues in the UI system. That is why the Budget 
puts forward principles for UI reform. As the pandemic has made clear, 
regular UI benefits in most states are far too low, leaving families 
without the resources they need to make ends meet in times of economic 
crisis. Additionally, millions of workers who lost income due to the 
pandemic and recession were ineligible for UI benefits. And despite its 
important relief and stimulative effects, UI's reach across jobless 
workers remains uneven, with Black and Hispanic workers facing lower 
success rates for receiving benefits than white workers. The 
Administration and I are eager to work with Congress on broad changes 
to modernize the program as well as advance racial, geographic, and 
gender equity in the UI system.
                               conclusion
    As Labor Secretary, I've made it my priority to travel across the 
Nation. It's a personal mission of mine to amplify the voices of 
working people and share their stories on what they need, successes 
they have had, and how the Biden-Harris administration can support 
them. I was able to see how lead pipes impact communities like Harambee 
in Wisconsin, where the health of the children and everyone else 
depends on the success of a stalled lead pipe replacement project. I 
visited a public library in Dallas, Texas, that provides broadband 
Internet for residents to help more people get access to online 
resources. And across the country I have seen first-hand how union-led 
job sites can boost local economies by hiring locally.
    Despite all that we have been through, workers across the Nation 
are still showing up each and every day to help meet this moment. All 
of us have an opportunity to create an economy where everyone is 
respected, protected, and can thrive. The Department and the Biden-
Harris Administration recommits its efforts to build an economy and a 
labor market that is more just and equitable and create opportunity for 
all.
    Thank you for the opportunity to testify. I look forward to 
discussing our budget request with the committee, and I am happy to 
respond to any questions you may have.

    Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.
    Let me begin with something I referenced in my opening 
remarks, and that is that workers deserve to be safe at work. I 
am concerned because right now we still do not have a COVID-19 
workplace safety standard, and to me that is just really 
unacceptable, especially because last year, in a report by the 
Government Accountability Office on the Federal response to the 
pandemic, GAO (Government Accountability Office) made clear 
that OSHA inspectors were facing challenges with COVID-19 cases 
without a specific standard.

                DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RULEMAKING TIMELINES

    I have two questions for you. And let me start with the 
first. When will OSHA finalize a permanent COVID-19 standard 
for healthcare workers? And can you just give me a clear 
timeline here?
    Secretary Walsh. I believe it will be done in the next 3 to 
6 months. We are going through the process now, I do believe we 
are taking public comments, and we are moving through that 
final healthcare standard.
    Senator Murray. Three to 6 months from now?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Because it is a rule-making process, 
as you know the rule-making process, and I mean, I would love 
to speed it up, but unfortunately we have this, it is a process 
that is in place that we have to work on now.
    Senator Murray. Well, when will OSHA take the next steps on 
a Permanent Infectious Disease Standard, a process that was 
actually initiated more than a decade ago?
    Secretary Walsh. We are working on that as well right now. 
And I think that is in the same timeline. So OSHA made some 
priorities, and obviously we worked really hard on the rule-
making process that was struck down by the Supreme Court on 
Vax-or-Test situation. And then at the same time that set us 
back a little bit in the infectious disease, and we got back on 
track with this infectious disease now we will focus on that.
    And in my budget we are looking for a little more money on 
some of the rule-making processes, because we have lots of 
issues that we cannot get to because we can't unless we have 
the resources.
    Senator Murray. Okay. Mr. Secretary, funding in this 
budget, together with investments through the American Rescue 
Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, can really 
help us have an equitable recovery from the pandemic. But 
unfortunately, jobs that pay low wages and lack benefits have 
been, and actually continue to be, disproportionately filled by 
women, people of color, people living in poverty, people with 
disabilities, and the painful reality is our workforce 
development systems have long struggled to address these 
inequities, and too often leave out those same workers. And 
when we leave some people behind it actually holds us all back.

                ENSURING AN EQUITABLE ECONOMIC RECOVERY

    So tell me what specific steps you are taking to ensure our 
workforce development programs, including the registered 
apprenticeship program, are supporting all of our workers, 
including women, and people of color so we can build a stronger 
economy?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Well, thank you for that. Let me just 
first say that one of the things, when we think about the 
infrastructure investments and the Bipartisan Infrastructure 
Law, we are thinking about making sure that it is an equitable 
investment across the board. When I look at the unemployment 
numbers in America, 3.6 percent unemployment rate right now in 
America, in the White community 3.4 percent, in the Black 
community it is 6.2 percent, historically the Black 
unemployment number has always been historically double that of 
White--the White number all across the country.
    So when we think about making these investments when we 
think about these investments, and we don't have--the 
Department of Labor isn't responsible for making a lot of 
investments in the Infrastructure Bill, because most of that is 
in transportation, and in commerce, and in energy. But what we 
have done is we have created the--we haven't created--the Good 
Jobs Initiative is an umbrella of making sure that as we make 
these investments we are making these investments to 
communities who are not leaving people behind. Who are not 
leaving opportunities for women, who are not leaving 
opportunities for people of color, who are not leaving 
opportunities for Native American, Alaskan Indian, all of the 
different communities in our community quite honestly, that 
have been underrepresented for so long.
    So that is one of the--that is one of the ways that we are 
looking to the Good Jobs Initiative to make sure that this is 
an equitable investment in people's future.

                   EXPANDING APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

    We also, quite honestly, in the workforce development 
programs and grants, we are looking at expanding 
apprenticeships, and registered apprenticeship programs, we are 
doing more pre-apprenticeship programs to really create a 
pathway into different industries.
    When you take the issue of nursing, we are headed towards a 
crisis in nursing in America in the next 5 to 10 years if we 
don't address it today. We have 60,000 people, young people, on 
waiting lists to get into nursing programs in the country, and 
we have a shortage coming. So when you look at that, we have 
certainly an ability to create a talent pool to go into 
nursing, what we want to do is make sure we are making the 
right investments, to make sure to see what the shortfalls are 
in those different industries.
    We did it with the trucking--the trucking challenge, we had 
an issue at the ports with a lack of truck drivers. We sat down 
at the White House, myself, Secretary Buttigieg, we created a 
program, apprenticeship program, where any company in America 
could sign up with the Department of Labor for an 
apprenticeship and within 48 hours, we would turn that around 
and get that program running.
    We had over 100 companies right now in America that are 
currently having apprenticeships in trucking in America. We are 
working on building the future. We are looking at the numbers 
and the ages of truck drivers in America. Do they need to be 21 
to 25--it is okay.
    [Interruption].
    Senator Murray. Hold on. Just a minute, we apparently have 
a----
    Mr. Secretary, I believe the outside feed has stopped. We 
will continue with our hearing.
    You were talking about specific worker training skills, and 
I will just take a few seconds and just ask, worker training is 
critically important, but I am also concerned about those 
support services that allow somebody to go to work.
    Secretary Walsh. Yes.

                     CHILD CARE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

    Senator Murray. I am talking about child care, 
transportation, those kinds of barriers. Can you just address 
that really quickly how the Department plans----
    Secretary Walsh. Yes, real quick. I mean, I think in the 
child care space, and in the--that is one of the biggest 
challenges we have as a country. And when you think about, 
yesterday I testified in front of Ed and Labor, and child care 
was a big--great part of the conversation.
    And quite honestly, you know, I think as a country we have 
to look and see, and realign what we do with child care. The 
pandemic has been devastating to child care industries in the 
very beginning days of the pandemic, March of 2020. We saw many 
child care facilities have to shut down because the kids 
weren't going there and there was no revenue coming in.
    A lot of those agencies didn't recover. They had workers, 
particularly women of color, working in those areas that were 
making minimum wage, and very low wages, those workers left 
there and found other options for employment because they had 
to. And now as we think about the child care industry, 
rebuilding it, we have to really be really intentional about 
it.
    And I feel that when we talk about child care and, you 
know, it has to be an all-of-government approach, meaning the 
Federal, the State, the local, but also the private sector. We 
really have to think about--outside the box when it comes to 
child care. And also universal pre-kindergarten is an 
opportunity for us as well to think about any additional child 
care.
    So as we think about this, our office, the Women's Bureau 
is working very intently on this, and also through the Good 
Jobs Initiative we are looking at different ways of supporting 
communities across America.
    Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you very much. Senator Blunt.
    Senator Blunt. Thank you, Chair.

                     CAREER PATHWAYS FUNDING LEVELS

    Secretary, let us go back to my comment on Career Pathways. 
I think it is really important that people certainly, in high 
school, begin to get a sense of what jobs are out there: What 
the job satisfaction of those jobs is like, what the 
comparative salary level of those jobs is compared to other 
jobs, and let us be sure people have choices.
    In the Career Pathways account, we started that in fiscal 
year 2020. In the most recent bill, we provided $15 million, 
which was an increase of $5 million. Your Department last June 
gave the first awards under this program, were made through the 
2020 funding. As you start making--what are you going to do 
about this program? And how are you going to monitor the 
success of the awards you have already given?
    Secretary Walsh. Thank you very much. Well, first of all, 
Senator, you know, I certainly agree with you in Career 
Pathways being an important aspect to make sure we continue to 
fund in this budget, because many young people in America, as 
was said in, actually both of your opening statements, not 
everyone is on a pathway to a college, and we have to make sure 
we are creating pathways into different careers.
    This program was not dropped out of the budget, we didn't 
specifically call it out in the 2023 budget, we actually 
requested an increase of $226 million for the National 
Dislocated Reserve which funds these grants. So it is part of 
the National Dislocated funds, which funds these grants. And 
one other thing, to be more clarifying this, I will absolutely 
work with you in your office afterwards to make sure that this 
is very clear, that we understand that these pathways monies 
are still in the budget when we actually look for an increase.
    Senator Blunt. Well, let us do that, because your staff 
told us just a couple of days ago, you specifically didn't 
request money in this category. So let us talk about, not 
today, but let us follow up and talk about what we intend to do 
there, how we are going to monitor the grants that are already 
out there.

          INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION IN REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS

    And I think what the Chair and I have tried to focus on in 
the committee, has been being sure people have the information 
they need, and then the opportunities they need to pursue as 
quickly as they can the jobs they would like to have, rather 
than spending years after high school searching for the 
information that they could have gotten while they were in high 
school, or just after they got out of high school. And so we 
are going to continue to talk about that.
    On apprenticeships, generally, how do we ensure that all of 
the industries that want to participate in the registered 
apprenticeship program, have a chance to do that?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. We are reaching out right now, we are 
sitting down with stakeholders, and we are talking to industry 
about creating those pathways. I honestly feel in my heart that 
we are living in a unique moment in time, we are seeing people 
quit their jobs at high rates, we are seeing companies having a 
hard time finding people to go work for them. We are seeing 
young people that just can't connect to a good-paying job.
    And I think the best way, in my opinion, is looking at 
apprenticeships in different industries, in the healthcare 
sector, in the IT sector. You see it in the building trades, 
and you see it in trucking now, how it is working. We take that 
model that is working in those industries.

                BENEFITS OF PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

    I also want to add a component of pre-apprenticeship, so 
young people will have the opportunity. I was over in Germany a 
couple weeks ago, I was at Volkswagen, and I met with the 
leadership of the Volkswagen Company, and I saw the technology 
in there. But I met with about 20 young people between the ages 
of 16 and 18 years old that were apprentices, they were in an 
apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship at Volkswagen.
    And they were getting a stipend, but they were also 
learning on-the-job training, not necessarily how to use the 
machinery, but they were getting skills in coding, and how to 
use technology. And I asked them. You know, they go to school a 
couple days a week, and they are in the company a couple days a 
week. We need to start thinking of those models that we are 
seeing in Europe that have been so successful in 
apprenticeships, in Switzerland. So we are working on those.

                         MONITORING H-2B VISAS

    Senator Blunt. Okay. Good. On H-2B visas, the temporary 
workers, and this is a big issue in a lot of sectors of our 
economy, particularly the tourist sector. And if you don't have 
those part-time workers the full-time jobs go away. We need to 
be sure that people understand that. That there are seasonal 
jobs, where, if you don't have the seasonal workers ready to 
come in and take the seasonal jobs then the jobs for other 
people that are full-time, year-round jobs, go away because the 
whole process just doesn't work.
    That is particularly evident in tourism. In the last 
addition of workers, and I think the Department has expanded 
the program in a significant way to about 121,000 H-2B visas, 
but the last 35,000 of those were gone within five business 
days.
    How are we monitoring that? And would you help me express 
the importance of being sure those kinds of jobs are filled for 
people who work alongside part-time workers, and have full-time 
jobs they wouldn't have if those part-time workers weren't 
there?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Let me, first and foremost, I had a 
meeting with my office last week to talk about the H-2B 
program, about the distribution of the visas, because some of 
the Senators here at this table, and other members of the 
Congress and Senate, have called me, both Democrats and 
Republicans, about it.
    And the increase in interest in this program, in the 
thousands of companies that are now applying for these visas, 
have exceeded--that we have never seen as much business, or as 
much interest in this program.

              INCREASED TARGETING OF THE H-2B VISA PROGRAM

    So we are having conversations. I think what we need to do 
with the H-2B visa program, and we are doing some internal 
conversations, I think we need to have a real honest 
conversation about what the future of the program should look 
like. We expanded this year, in the first round of the H-2B 
visas, I want to say, 22,000 visas. In the second round, we 
added another 35,000. That is the largest allotment, 
additionally, of H-2B visas since the program was revamped in 
2000--I think--2013.
    And the need or the desire to be getting these programs 
just getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger. And what is 
happening is, a lot of companies that are filling out 
applications for these programs they are doing it wrong because 
they have never done it before, and they get disqualified. So 
all of the people that know what they are doing are getting 
their applications in, and they get these grants. That is one 
problem.
    The second problem is, and we had this conversation, as I 
said, the other day; we talked about the different industries 
in America. You have sugar down South. You have the crabbing 
industry on the coast. You have the fishing industry in Alaska. 
We are thinking about how do we make sure when we create these 
extra allotments, is there a way for us to be able to put some 
allotments aside, because if it comes out in April then the 
farmers might get all the H-2B visas, but you need something in 
September or October for a different harvest, or something like 
that.
    So we are looking at the program right now, on how to, how 
do we make this program, I wouldn't say more efficient, more 
successful. This program is needed. I am a supporter of the 
program, quite honestly, because in a lot of areas that it is 
really difficult to get workers in a short period of time. 
These companies, we asked these companies two things. One is to 
make sure there are strong labor protections for the workers 
that come from the southern border, number one--and Haiti, and 
some other places.
    And number two, we want to make sure that they do their due 
diligence in trying to hire local American workers prior to 
them getting H-2B visas. So we are asking them those two 
things. Make sure you make an honest effort to look for 
workers, number one. And number two, we ask them as well to 
make sure they treat their workers fairly.
    Senator Blunt. Good. I would be more than happy to work 
with you and your staff on this. It is a problem. It is a 
problem we have dealt with for a long time. I think the numbers 
you have put out there this year, are as aggressive on this 
program as anybody has ever been, but the work environment is 
different than any environment we have ever been in. And that 
is why it makes some sense. But I would love to work with you 
on it.
    Thank you, Chair.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Schatz.

      RESCINDING JOB CORPS EXEMPTION FROM THE SERVICE CONTRACT ACT

    Senator Schatz. Thank you, Chair and Vice Chair.
    Secretary, nice to see you again; and really enjoyed our 
conversation the other day. I know you are a big fan of the Job 
Corps. Hawaii Job Corps is one of the best in the Nation, 
regularly at capacity, and really delivering on the mission. I 
want to talk to you about the pay. DOL (Department of Labor) 
exempts Job Corps' contracts from the Service Contract Act, 
which means the Job Corps employees don't get prevailing wages 
and benefits.
    My understanding is that is an administrative authority 
that you have. You could waive that but you don't have the 
money, and so the question is pretty simple. Would the 
Department consider rescinding the exemption if Congress 
provides the resources to do so?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes.
    Senator Schatz. Good enough for me. And if so, can you 
provide the committee with the amount of funding that would be 
required to do so?
    Secretary Walsh. I will get that number for you. But I 
appreciate you asking that question. And I don't want to take 
too much of your time, but I think Job Corps is one of the most 
underutilized programs that we have in the Federal Government, 
that we could have 57,000 people a year that go to Job Corps, 
prepared for a job. And when a young person leaves Job Corps--
and I look forward to visiting your district and seeing the Job 
Corps there--they should be guaranteed a job when they graduate 
Job Corps.

           ONLINE PRESENCE OF DEPARTMENTAL TRAINING RESOURCES

    Senator Schatz. Thank you very much. And speaking of job 
placement, this is a sort of broader question. I want you to 
imagine, say, 10 years from now, 5 or 10 years from now, what 
does the Department of Labor's online presence, online training 
resources look like?
    You know, coming from State government, you know, more than 
a decade ago, the implementation of Federal workforce training 
programs is very siloed. We have got a Workforce Development 
Board that meets as a committee of the whole, with maybe more 
than 100 people, and they ratify their workforce development 
plan, mostly based on the fact that if they ratify it they get 
their revenue. And so there is not a lot of big-picture 
thinking.
    And I am wondering whether there is a way to turn the 
Department of Labor's website, and other online presence into a 
real resource for workers, so they can, not just find jobs 
because there are plenty of private sector platforms for that, 
but figure out what the, you know, college and career readiness 
pathways are, what kind of technical training you need.
    All of it is a labyrinth if you are new to the workforce, 
or if you are transitioning from one job to the other. And so 
this is a broader question. What does that website look like if 
you have all the resources in the world, in 10 years, so that 
it is really servicing people in a new economy?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. That is a great question. I think 
number one it is, in 10 years from now we get to expand our 
American job centers that do that work on the ground in cities 
and towns all across America, number one.
    Number two, if there is a worker in America that is looking 
to make a change in their career, or put themselves in a better 
situation, they should be able to click a few buttons, get to a 
resource guide on the Department of Labor that directs them to 
their State or their city, that has the ability, that there is 
a partnership with the Federal Government in creating a pathway 
into a good-paying job.
    So for example, if you live in, a small town in Hawaii and 
you are looking for a job, well the Department of Labor might 
not know who the employers are there, but we work collectively 
with the local government to make sure that that resource is 
there.

              LINKING INDIVIDUALS TO EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES

    It does two things: Number one, it would allow the person, 
the individual to be able to find the resources, but as 
important, it will allow employers to also find the people. So 
you would have to work with the employers as well, to make sure 
that they are part of the system, because the employers, if 
they feel that it is a good training opportunity, and the 
resources are being spent well in good workforce development, 
then we are helping employers grow.
    We saw this year in this country 4.7 million people go into 
entrepreneurship on their own, 20 percent increase in the past. 
Some of those folks are going to become companies, some of 
those folks are going to become big companies, some of those 
folks are going to be looking for employees. The best way to do 
that is having the resources. So I think it is about both sides 
tying the worker to the job, and the job to the worker.

                     WOMEN'S BUREAU ACCOMPLISHMENTS

    Senator Schatz. Thank you. A final question: I have 
skepticism about bureaus, and so I pushed on my staff about the 
Women's Bureau. I said, what has the Women's Bureau actually 
done for women? And they have done an extraordinary amount for 
women.
    Secretary Walsh. Yes.
    Senator Schatz. Helping with the Equal Pay Act, the FMLA 
(Family and Medical Leave Act), and they can also be credited 
for helping to ensure women were included in laws providing 
minimum wage and overtime. Do I have your commitment to 
continue to support the Women's Bureau so that it can build on 
the successes from the last century?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. When I first became Secretary of 
Labor, the first thing I did was I asked for an increase in 
budget for the Women's Bureau. When I was Mayor of Boston we 
had a Women's Commission in Boston, and I changed it from a 
commission to an office in the Bureau. We need to give the 
Women's Bureau more power in the Department of Labor, as well 
as the Veterans' Office as well.
    Senator Schatz. Final, just a comment. I want to thank you 
for your decision to include data on American Indians, Alaska 
Natives in the last monthly report. And look forward to working 
with you in this space. Thank you.
    Secretary Walsh. Thank you, and thank you for bringing that 
up, because I think I misspoke in the very beginning in my 
comment about the numbers. So thank you.
    Senator Schatz. Thank you.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Hyde-Smith.
    Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you, Madam Chairman and Ranking 
Member.
    And thank you for being here today, Mr. Secretary, and I 
certainly appreciate your help with my labor issue with the 
catfish processing plant in Mississippi. And one of the things 
I want to talk about, is this administration continues to blame 
President Putin for this inflation, and despite the price 
increases going through the roof, but the administration, in my 
opinion, got it wrong when they kept insisting that this is 
transitory.

           THE NATURE AND IMPACTS OF INFLATION ON EMPLOYMENT

    And, you know, we have--it has been proven that it is 
anything but transitory. But the Biden administration has 
expressed that the United States is prepared for this, and 
positioned to meet the challenges of this stagflation, given 
the local--the strong labor market, but employment levels are 
still way below pre-pandemic levels.
    So how can this possibly be true that we are positioned 
with the employment levels being so low, that we are positioned 
to overcome this?
    Secretary Walsh. Thank you very much, Senator. Let me just 
begin by, there is no question that inflation, we all know this 
is causing pain for families in America, rising energy costs, 
food prices, stretching budgets, all across the United States 
to very thin. But this is also an issue that Europe and U.K. 
are dealing with as well.
    So there is no question, there are two things that we 
cannot deny. Number one is, the economic challenges we have had 
over the last two-and-a-half years due to the pandemic, 
shutting America down, and tens of millions of Americans not 
going to work and, not having really a strong plan for that, 
because we weren't prepared for a pandemic. The last time there 
was a pandemic was a hundred years ago.

                   IMPACTS OF RUSSIA'S WAR ON UKRAINE

    And what Vladimir Putin is doing in Ukraine is an atrocity 
number one, and number two, absolutely is having stresses on 
the global economic crisis. I was with the President last week 
and we were talking about wheat. There is wheat in Ukraine that 
we can't get out of Ukraine, because Russia is blocking the 
exportation out of Ukraine. We have oil that we are taking from 
Russia, we have European countries that aren't taking oil. So 
we can't deny the fact that those challenges aren't adding to 
inflation.
    The President has been very clear on lowering the costs 
that families have in front of them. He is also focused on 
reducing the deficit. I am working myself, 8.7 million 
Americans have gone back to work since the end of the pandemic, 
since the beginning--not since the end of the pandemic--since 
the pandemic kind of began and is moving forward.

                     IMPROVING EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS

    We have the lowest unemployment since 1970, and we have 
identified, and I have identified that we do have a problem in 
our country with making sure we are creating pathways for 
people to connect into jobs. And that is why I have asked for 
the increase in this budget in workforce development programs, 
in job training programs, in community college programs, and 
also in apprenticeship programs, and creating better pathways 
for people.

                    CHALLENGES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

    Senator Hyde-Smith. How is the Labor Department adjusting 
or correcting its policies to address the issues of these small 
businesses that are having such a time trying to fill these 
positions, and related to the hardships placed on the American 
families?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Well, I am willing to talk to any 
businesses and communities around America, to talk about ideas. 
I spent a lot of my time--you know, as Labor Secretary I spent 
a good amount of time reaching out and talking to businesses, 
as well, in America. Probably as much--more time than I talked 
to, quite honestly, unions in America.
    Because I find it is really important to understand the 
challenges that businesses, particularly small businesses are 
having in our country. And small businesses, the biggest 
challenge is--well they have a lot of challenges right now, 
particularly with the pandemic, but their challenges now are 
trying to find workers that want to work in those different 
industries. So we absolutely will. If these industries, that 
you, or companies, you want me to talk to, I would love to.
    Senator Hyde-Smith. And I agree obviously, that the Russian 
invasion has had a lot to do with this, but I also 
wholeheartedly believe that shutting down the Keystone Pipeline 
is what started it before the invasion. And employer retention, 
particularly in the manufacturing and the warehousing sectors, 
is a highly significant issue and quite a problem in the 
workforce today, obviously.

       CREATING JOBS THROUGH MODERNIZING HIGH TURNOVER INDUSTRIES

    But more and more companies find it hard to hire and retain 
workers for roles that normally have high turnovers, that are 
repetitive task jobs, and it seems that the opportunity to 
utilize technology could be a solution to fill these positions, 
while also creating a higher skilled position for the 
programming and operations of such things as collaborative 
robots.
    And I believe this concept could be a game changer to 
reduce turnover while increasing higher wages and the workers 
for these positions, that so many people have difficulty 
dealing with. But it is just, you know, with the manufacturing 
that they are in, does the Department share this view? And will 
you provide any insight into the Department's focus in this 
area?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Certainly the President is very 
supportive of creating more, and it is expanding manufacturing 
in America. And I know I can't lobby for legislation, but I 
would hope that we can get the Bipartisan Innovation Act 
through Congress, so that we can continue to make investments 
in American workers, in manufacturing. Some of that will be 
industrial manufacturing, and some of that will be technology 
in manufacturing.
    And I think that we have such a great opportunity in front 
of us. I don't want to say. I said this yesterday and I 
probably shouldn't say it today, but I think that this 
Bipartisan Innovation Act is actually one of the biggest pieces 
of legislation for the future of our economy, and for the 
future of our workforce moving forward.
    Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you. And my time is up.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Baldwin.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you, Madam Chair.
    Welcome, Secretary Walsh. I know our Chair asked you 
earlier about the importance of child care in terms of getting 
people back to work, but I have a more specific question to ask 
you about.

       INVESTING IN EDUCATIONAL AND CHILD CARE TRAINING PROGRAMS

    Wisconsin is using a Department of Labor grant to test out 
an apprenticeship program that would train workers who enter 
the early childhood education and child care workforce.
    Expanding this type of apprenticeship in my mind could have 
a real multiplier effect. So not only would it address severe 
shortages in the child care workforce and industry, but by 
increasing the supply of available providers, it would free up 
more parents to be able to look at full-time work. And by 
filling open positions we might even reduce inflation by 
helping businesses increase their production.
    So how can the Department encourage investment in child 
care apprenticeship programs to reduce the workforce shortages, 
and increase the output of our economy?
    Secretary Walsh. First of all, thank you for the question. 
And I am encouraged to see what is happening in Wisconsin, to 
see how that works. And I think that having programs like that 
around the country, to check is really important. This budget 
request that we are asking for is $303 million for 
apprenticeships to further expand and modernize diversified, 
registered apprenticeships, by investing in high-quality youth 
and pre-apprenticeship models.
    So you are doing it in Wisconsin, we are doing it here with 
the trucking challenge here in Washington, and around the 
country, quite honestly. We are looking at other areas, we are 
looking at healthcare, we are looking at IT. There is no 
question. When you think about the child care industry, number 
one, the challenges they have.
    Number one, they have a challenge with funding, and the 
funding is not consistent in every State, sometimes the States 
fund it, sometimes the cities fund it, the Federal Government 
is funding it to some degree. That is one challenge.
    The second challenge is recruiting and retaining talent, 
and having that pipeline, that young-person pipeline, or that 
pipeline into that industry where people can get paid while 
they are learning, on-the-job training, is going to be really 
important, number two.
    Number three, the President filed the bill that really 
deals with the cost of child care. I think that the latest 
bill, if I am not mistaken, is a family earns $150,000 
collectively; they pay no more than 7 percent of their salary 
for child care. That is another important aspect of it, making 
it affordable for families at the kitchen table.
    And the last thing, which is the first thing that you 
talked about, it really is not just about training people into 
this industry, but making sure we are paying them, and treating 
them fairly, because the long-term sustainability of the child 
care industry is key, the long-term sustainability of our 
economy is key, and they go hand in hand.

                   STATUS OF WORKPLACE VIOLENCE RULE

    Senator Baldwin. Thank you. Last month I introduced the 
Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers 
Act. It would require OSHA to set an enforceable standard to 
require healthcare employers to establish plans to prevent 
workplace violence.
    Incidents of workplace violence have increased 
significantly during the pandemic, but were high for healthcare 
workers and social workers prior to the beginning of the 
pandemic. And frankly, our healthcare heroes have been put 
through hell, and certainly deserve better from all of us.
    The need for action was made even more tragically clear by 
a deadly shooting at a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, just a few 
weeks ago. So I know this item has been on OSHA's regulatory 
agenda. I wonder if you can update me and the committee on the 
status of the Workplace Violence Rule.
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Thank you. First of all, no one, as 
you know, should lose their life on the job for whatever 
reason, or even be concerned about losing their life on the 
job. And I know the administration strongly supports the 
passage of your bill, which is really important. In the 
meantime, OSHA has also worked extremely hard and has 
successfully prosecuted several important workplace violence 
cases under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. So we have 
done that. OSHA continues to issue citations in this space. So 
thank you for that.
    And the last thing is, and I said earlier to the 
Chairwoman, I believe that we are on pace, hopefully, to get 
some final rule in the next 3 to 6 months.

           RACIAL DISPARITIES IN STATE UNEMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS

    Senator Baldwin. Okay. Final question; this week a GAO 
report examining State's execution of the Pandemic Unemployment 
Assistance Program found significant racial disparities in the 
rate of approval. The report recommended that as a part of 
efforts to modernize the unemployment system that Department of 
Labor examine the potential causes of racial and ethnic 
disparities.
    Will you commit to making that examination as recommended 
by GAO? And do you have any insights at this point?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes, no. Absolutely, you know, the 
Department is focused right now on both fixing, and the short- 
and long-term issues with the unemployment system. You know, we 
have announced the availability of more than $750 million in 
grants, funding for States. We have Tiger Teams that are out 
working--we are working on improving identity--improvement to 
the identity verification tools within the UI (Unemployment 
Insurance) program, we are working on equity grants, we are 
piloting programs.
    I actually feel, I feel really good where we are right now 
in this process, because we have both States, Democrat and 
Republican Governor States that are very active with us in the 
UI reform. So I feel good where it is at. Eventually--I mean I 
asked for an increase in funding this year, but eventually 
States are going to have to really step up if they really want 
to make their systems equitable across the board. When I say 
``step up'', I mean making investments by stepping up.
    Senator Baldwin. Thank you.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. I see Senator Braun has joined 
us. Are you ready to go? Or do you want 5 minutes? Senator 
Braun, if you want to go ahead.
    Senator Braun. Thank you, Madam Chair. Good to be talking 
to you again.

            MAINSTREET AND GIG ECONOMY WORKFORCE CHALLENGES

    I just attended, earlier today, the National Federation of 
Independent Business Owners, and I and another Congresswoman, 
we were answering questions that they have. And many there are 
concerned, in general, about Main Street businesses. My wife 
has had one since 1978 and they are downtown. Some of the stuff 
that happened through COVID, a lot of those businesses got shut 
down, and many of them are grappling with all the issues we 
hear every day, a lot of pre-COVID, workforce, workforce, 
workforce.
    There is a particular part of the economy though, the gig 
economy. And independent contractors, Main Street business 
owners that so many of them, to me, are so analogous to blue-
collar workers, because they actually live out of these 
businesses, and I have always been a proponent in running my 
own business for 37 years: high wages, great benefits, safe 
workplace, no turnover. And I think that, generally, Main 
Street America, smaller businesses do all of that.
    Let us focus on the gig economy, particularly independent 
contractors. It seems like, and they think that the current 
administration is trying to, you know, take their way of life 
away. You know, they looked at the PRO Act, they look at some 
of the things that are being done.
    I would like your general comment on: Why we would look at 
them any differently from the good, blue-collar worker that 
most of us employ for those same reasons? Why would we want to 
do anything that would diminish their way of living because to 
me, they are that?

                    DEFINING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS

    Secretary Walsh. No. Thank you, Senator. And you know, in a 
lot of cases independent contractors, people who are 
independently employed do great work, and they are part of our 
economy, and they are part of our--in some cases part of our 
main streets. We see it in trucking, and we see it in different 
industries.
    The concern that I have always had when it comes to 
independent contracting, is folks that are under the 
understanding that they are hired as employees, and then they 
are paid with a 1099, and they are not--they are not 
technically--they are actually an employee of a company.
    And I think that there are many different definitions of 
the concerns that people have in that, and that is kind of 
where, when I say this, I will speak for myself personally, 
that I have always gotten concerned. An example of that is a 
restaurant where somebody gets hired as a dishwasher, and then 
all of a sudden they are being paid with a 1099, and they have 
no repercussion at all.
    They are really not an independent contractor, they are a 
dishwasher who works for a company. And we have been able--the 
Department of Labor, over the years, has gone back and claimed 
lost wages for people that have been characterized, or 
described in those different areas.
    But when you talk about Main Street, I hear what you are 
saying. I mean, my formal role, obviously, you know, we had a 
lot of businesses, that people might have had a flower shop, or 
they had something that they were in themselves, their own 
worker, they were independent, they kind of did their own 
thing, or they were a planner, or things like that. I 
understand that.

                 BUSINESS OWNERS WITHIN THE GIG ECONOMY

    Senator Braun. So let us focus more closely on gig economy 
then, because I don't think you should game the system by 
issuing 1099s when, technically, that individual is an 
employee. That to me is maybe skirting the rules.
    But let us focus on gig economy. These are individual 
business owners. And they are worried too that they are going 
to be drawn into that independent contractor issue, and then 
lose their independence, their livelihood, because they would 
not be of that same category you are talking to. They are 
running their own businesses, and generally a business of one.
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. In the gig economy, I mean, I have 
spent a lot--I don't want to say a lot of time--I have spent a 
fair amount of time in talking to the gig economy companies 
here in America, both the leadership of the companies, the 
advocacy groups that are pro-gig economy companies. And some of 
the other side that that isn't a pro-gig economy.
    And I know that in a lot of States, California passed the 
Ballot Initiative, Washington State passed a law, and in 
Massachusetts, yesterday the Massachusetts Supreme Court just 
threw the ballot question for the gig economy for the Uber and 
Lyfts off the ballot. So basically saying, you have to come up 
with legislation.
    So I know a lot of these conversations are happening in 
other places. I actually had a conversation last week--I will 
be real quick on this and actually provide another question--
with Germany, talking about what they did with the gig economy 
in Germany. So just asking, what was the path forward there? So 
we have not taken any action as a Department, but I am still 
talking to all these groups.
    Senator Braun. Well, very good, because I think that in our 
unique economy, you have got anywhere from huge corporations 
that, to me, shoulder the biggest responsibility, and where 
unions definitely come into play, because of the counterweight 
against that much financial power, make sure that we don't take 
Main Street America in all of its individualism, you know, kind 
of swept into a category that they are not part of.
    Because you never know when that individual, that gig 
business, that small business on Main Street becomes a larger 
business. And to realize most of them make their living out of 
that. They are not growing it with return on equity in mind.
    Secretary Walsh. And if you want to let the independent 
group that you spoke to today, they are more than welcome, I 
would love to sit and talk to them.
    Senator Braun. Thank you.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. Senator Capito.
    Senator Capito. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
    Thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being with us here today, and 
thank you also for the visit that we had in March. I enjoyed 
our conversation. And we talked about apprenticeships there. So 
I would like to ask a question.

             DIVERSITY OF SUPPORTED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS

    We have some excellent apprenticeship programs in our 
State. And I recently visited one at Marshall University's, at 
the Manufacturing Tech Accelerator at the Robert C. Byrd 
Institute at Marshall. And it is providing participants with 
the skills they need to succeed in entry-level positions in 
manufacturing, you complete 2,000 hours of paid, on-the-job 
training from a participating employer, and the apprentices 
will qualify for a certificate to be a manufacturing 
technician.
    I met a veteran there who had obtained this certification 
after retiring fully from his career in the military, and he is 
also now, excitingly, in the process of attaining a patent for 
an efficient manufacturing process that he created just months 
ago; a very impressive story.
    So after visiting RCBI (Robert C. Byrd Institute), and 
after our conversation, I am wondering about your approach at 
Labor on apprenticeships, whether it is organized labors, or 
some such as the apprenticeships that are being offered through 
this program. And you know, would you say you support a wide 
range of these? And how are you approaching this at the 
Department?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. I absolutely--thank you first and 
foremost for having me in your district. I support a wide range 
of apprenticeships in different industries. I think the model 
of the building trades is the gold standard, $2 billion a year 
investment, all by companies, and there is no Federal 
investment, or State investment. There are small grants around 
for different programs, but the majority of those programs get 
funded.
    And you are talking about high quality training going on 
there. That is one model we could use. I think that there is an 
opportunity for us in this country to really have the ability 
to partner with community colleges, workforce development 
programs. I had the urban league in my office yesterday, we 
talked a little bit about diversity, and inclusion.
    So you know, I have answered this question a couple times 
today about apprenticeships, but I hope by this--next year's 
hearing when I am here, we are able to point to several dozen 
apprenticeship programs that we are kicking off in the country, 
whether it is in healthcare, IT, early child's care, different 
industries that we can actually make a difference in.
    Senator Capito. Great. We all look forward to that 
announcement. And certainly, as we see workforce shortages in 
just about everything; this is, I think, going to be extremely 
important because, not just the skill sets developed, but the 
time that it takes in certain instances, I think we can maybe 
short-cut some of the time to get a trained individual on the 
job.

            IMPROVING SAFETY IN THE AMERICAN MINING INDUSTRY

    I am very proud that I supported the nomination of 
Christopher Williamson to be the Assistant Secretary for the 
Mine Safety and Health Administration, or MSHA, as we call it 
at home. He is a proud son of Williamson, West Virginia, and we 
are happy that he is there. I don't know what initiatives he or 
you plan to take in the mine safety obviously.
    Secretary Walsh. Yes.
    Senator Capito. It is extremely important. I will tell you 
that our mines are operating at much higher capacity than they 
have in the past year or so, because of the increased demand, 
because of the geopolitical situation we see around the world, 
we are happy about that. We are not happy about the 
geopolitical situation, we are happy we got more miners to 
work.
    So in the MSHA area, what are you guys looking at and how 
can we be helpful?
    Secretary Walsh. Well, one thing we are looking at is we 
have seen an increase in fatalities this year, in mining. And a 
couple months ago we had the major miners on a call, we did a 
call with them, to talk about sharing best practices on safety, 
something I did when I was the Mayor of Boston whenever we had 
high shootings in Boston, we brought all the stakeholders to 
the table. We did the same thing with the mining industry.
    We are asking for an increase in mine safety work in this 
budget. Chris is doing a great job, you know, his feet are wet. 
He didn't have--there wasn't much of a learning curve there, he 
knew the issue. And certainly they are working hard, and we do 
need to--we get some money from the American Rescue Plan, and 
we need some additional funding on the mine safety.
    We are actually seeing an increase in mining, maybe not 
coal mining but we are seeing an increase in mining in America 
as well, metal mines, and things like that. So we need to make 
sure we stay on top of it.
    Senator Capito. Right.
    Secretary Walsh. And any time we acknowledge that these are 
tragedies happening, we are on top of it.
    Senator Capito. Good. And I know a lot of those can occur 
in a lot of different--they may not be at the face of the mine, 
in the instance of the coal mining, a lot of them are vehicular 
accidents; and things like that, on the work site. So anything 
we can do to make them safer, and keep them healthy is 
important.

                 YOUTHBUILD GRANT PROGRAM DEPENDABILITY

    The last thing, I am just going to kind of put this on your 
radar screen. I have always been interested in YouthBuild, I 
have visited--the Randolph County Housing Authority has a 
YouthBuild program that they have had for years. And then for 
some reason last year, no funding. And so it was kind of 
disruptive.
    If you could help me, kind of figure out--they did get 
their funding for this year, so we are very pleased about that. 
But we wanted to have the continuity that you need in a program 
like that. So if we could work with your office to try to 
figure out how to make sure they have an iron-clad application 
that they can continue this program.
    Secretary Walsh. Absolutely. I have been of supporter of 
YouthBuild for 25 years. When I was a legislator in 
Massachusetts we used to support it, and I know that YouthBuild 
got a--I think it was a $24 million dollar grant this year on 
YouthBuild, but also clean energy; so some of the transition as 
well.
    Senator Capito. Good. All right. Thank you.
    Secretary Walsh. Thank you. Thank you, Senator.
    Senator Murray. Thank you very much.

              WORKER PROTECTION OVERSIGHT AND ENFORCEMENT

    Mr. Secretary, I really hugely appreciate the President's 
strong investment in DOL's proposed budget for the Wage and 
Hour Division. As you know, the Federal minimum wage has been 
frozen since 2009, at the rate of $7.25 cents per hour. Yet, 
even at that low rate some employers are denying their workers 
that unacceptably low wage, or their overtime, or both. And it 
really is our job to protect those workers and make sure they 
are properly paid for their work.
    But right now I know the agency does not have the resources 
to do their job when corporations flout the law. Can you talk a 
little bit about how the requested increase in Wage and Hour 
will allow you to improve the oversight on that?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. There is no question about it. You 
know, when I came in here a year ago, March, as the Secretary 
of Labor, one of the first things I did was looking at the 
different departments and agencies to see how we are doing with 
carrying out the work. At that time you, and Congress, and the 
Senate, had just passed the American Rescue Plan, and the money 
was being--hadn't quite been diverted yet to the different 
agencies. And we found that there was a real, real shortfall in 
enforcement and in the ability for these different departments, 
Wage and Hour, and OSHA, and other places, to do their job.
    I don't view Wage and Hour, OSHA, and MSHA, I will use 
those three as example, as just an agency to go out and give 
corporations in America a hard time. I would love to get to the 
point where we can do education as well with companies, and 
what it means to pay people forward. But we were not there yet.
    So what this additional revenue would do, would allow us 
the opportunity to protect more American workers, and making 
sure that workers that are owed money, who did the job, worked 
for companies, and were undercut by somebody, that they pay 
their workers fairly. That is all we are asking for here.
    So that is, kind of, what would allow us the opportunity to 
do more, more enforcement of workers' rights, and making sure--
and we are talking about workers who worked the work.
    Senator Murray. Yes.
    Secretary Walsh. We are not talking about people who didn't 
do the job. We are talking about people who actually worked the 
work, did the 30 hours, the 40 hours, the 8 hours, whatever it 
was, and didn't get paid, because their employer decided: I am 
not going to pay you.

              STRENGTHENING YOUTH OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

    Senator Murray. Right. Okay. Thank you. And finally, I just 
want to talk to you because I am--about our young people who 
are disconnected from educational workforce opportunities right 
now. I know that more than a million fewer students are 
enrolled in college now, compared to before the pandemic, and 
the decline of community colleges, also really significant.
    And high school graduation rates decreased in nearly half 
of all the States this past year, reversing really decades of 
progress. So work-based learning experiences are really 
integral to keeping young people connected to their school, and 
high quality workforce development programs can help 
successfully re-engage those young people who have, or are 
considering leaving school before graduation, and put them on 
pathways to success.
    Talk to us about how you are working to strengthen the 
links between education and workforce development systems to 
re-engage these young people.
    Secretary Walsh. I am going to just, for an observation, 
your relationship with Senator Blunt; we need more of that when 
we talk about how we are going to move our economy forward, how 
we are going to move our workforce forward. We need to be 
collectively working as Democrats and Republicans, to really 
make sure we are making investments in job training, workforce 
development apprenticeships.
    We can look at one side of the aisle, and as you just said, 
people not going to college, and dropping out of high school, 
and not having opportunity, as a challenge, and a difficult and 
sad challenge for America, but you can also look at the other 
side of the coin, it is an opportunity. How do we get to those 
young people? How do we connect them to the workforce 
development apprenticeships, job training opportunities that 
are out there?
    As I go around this country, I visited 36 States. I have 
visited probably 82 cities. I go to community colleges 
everywhere, and I am in different neighborhoods, I am talking 
to--I am talking to businesses, and leaders, and what is out 
there, whether it is electric boat in Connecticut, or it is 
Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. These are public.
    And then private industry, there are so many opportunities 
out there for people in America, we need to really make sure 
that we are connecting young people to jobs, and we need to 
make sure that, not just connect them to jobs, we need to go 
out and find the young people.

                      JOB CORPS OUTREACH POTENTIAL

    We see it in Job Corps. Our Job Corps centers pre-pandemic 
had 57,000 young people in it, 57,000 people. Today we have--I 
think there is 20,000 online, 12,000 in person, we are getting 
there but we are not there. We have lost a lot. So we have to 
be more intentional, going out and recruiting, and finding 
young people, and finding people to let them know what is 
available. A lot of people, Senator Schatz talked about online 
presence.
    Senator Murray. Mm-hmm.
    Secretary Walsh. A lot of people, including myself, didn't 
know that we had American job Centers in America. I had two in 
the City of Boston, I had no idea they were there. We have to 
do a better job of explaining what those programs are.
    Senator Murray. Okay. Thank you. Senator Blunt.
    Senator Blunt. Thank you, Chair. I have a couple more 
questions, Secretary. One is looking at the proposed budget, 
and back to the topic of inflation. Sometimes the budget 
reflects big increases in programs on all of the veterans' 
programs at the Department of Labor. The increase was less than 
2 percent. There were a couple of programs where actually 
programs were reduced like State grants and transition 
assistance.

           VETERANS' PROGRAMS STRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT LEVEL

    What are you going to do about these veterans' programs 
that have a less than 2 percent increase in a more than 8 
percent inflation world?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes, no. One thing, that we are not 
cutting the veterans' budget, we are increasing the veterans' 
budget. The veterans, we work very closely----
    Senator Blunt. Well, I am not suggesting you are not 
increasing----
    Secretary Walsh. No, no. I am not saying you did that. I am 
not saying you do that. Sorry.
    Senator Blunt. This is a question of how much you are 
increasing if these programs lose attraction, particularly the 
couple of programs you are cutting. But I am, overall, 
interested in all of these programs that don't increase, but 
increase by less than 2 percent. Other programs in the 
Department increase by a lot. I mean you are asking for a 13 
percent increase in the overall budget, but the existing 
veterans' programs all grow by less than 2 percent. That is my 
question.
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Well, we are asking--yes, thank you. 
So I am just trying to get my notes here. We are asking for a 
5.6 percent increase in our veterans' budget, the bottom line. 
And part of that is because the veterans' Department is when I 
talk about apprenticeship programs, we are including the 
veterans in the apprenticeship program.
    When I talk about workforce development and job training 
investments, we are including the veterans in that program as 
well. So it is not a----
    [Sneeze].
    Secretary Walsh. God bless you. It is not a directed line 
item in the Workforce Development for veterans, but we have 
veterans included in those conversations, and in that money. So 
when we think about like the trucking challenge, we have 
reached out--we did a trucking challenge, the Department of 
Labor made an investment because you gave us money, a little 
bit of discretionary funds to create this program. We did.
    The first place we reached out to is the veterans, to get 
veterans into the program. So we are integrating our veterans' 
office into everything that we are doing. So the veterans' 
money is specifically for vets, for them to do the outreach, 
and do all the work that they do, and then all the other money 
that we have, whether it is workforce development, job 
training, all this, the veterans are part of that as well.
    Senator Blunt. I want to say to that, Secretary, there is a 
reason that we had the veterans set aside in some of these 
areas. And I think when we did that the idea that: Well, the 
veterans are included in everything else, would not have been a 
very satisfactory answer, as you are trying to focus on 
veterans specifically. But we can talk about that some more.

                      AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDING

    And my other question is, the Department, in the American 
Rescue Plan, received $2.2 billion in March as part of that, 
less than 5 percent of that has been spent, $94 million has 
been spent, $335 million has been obligated. So less than 5 
percent has been spent, less than 20 percent, or so, has been 
obligated. What are you planning to do with that $2.2 billion?
    Secretary Walsh. I was just trying to--we are still 
spending it, and I was told behind me, we are still spending 
it.
    [Laughter].
    Secretary Walsh. I will have to get that out----
    Senator Blunt. That is a better answer, than we are not 
going to spend it. What are you planning?
    Secretary Walsh. Yes. Well, if you give me money I am going 
to spend it.
    Let me get back to you, specifically, on what it is, where 
we are going, and the reasons for it. Some of the--we are 
having challenges with hiring, we are having challenges with 
different pieces. Let me look into that, and get back to you 
with a better answer.
    Senator Blunt. Well, I would think some of the overall--
this big increase you asked for in the overall budget, maybe 
there are some ways to justify this $2.2 billion to fill some 
of those gaps. But I look forward to talking to you about your 
plans on that money specifically.
    Secretary Walsh. Absolutely, and we also don't want to 
spend the money just for the sake of spending the money.
    Senator Blunt. Well, I agree with that.
    Secretary Walsh. You know, these are taxpayers' dollars, 
and we want to make sure we spend it correctly.
    Senator Blunt. Yes. Thank you, Secretary. Thank you, 
Chairman.
    Senator Murray. Thank you. That will end our hearing today.
    Secretary Walsh, thank you for a very thoughtful discussion 
about how we can support our working families, and build an 
economy that does work for everyone.

                     ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS

    For any Senators who wish to ask additional questions, 
questions for the record will be due June 24 at 5 p.m., the 
hearing record will remain open until then for members who wish 
to submit additional materials for the record.
    [The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but 
were submitted to the Department for response subsequent to the 
hearing:]
              Questions Submitted to Hon. Martin J. Walsh
              Questions Submitted by Senator Patty Murray
             transparency of employers' anti-union spending
    Question. I have been heartened by successful votes to unionize 
across the country, even despite corporations union busting and 
launching expensive disinformation campaigns. The Department plays an 
important role in providing transparency on this type of spending, 
which is chronically underreported.
    What are your plans to boost transparency of employer spending on 
anti-union messaging in the workplace?
    Answer. The resources included in the President's Budget would 
strengthen Office of Labor-Management Standards' (OLMS) review of 
reports that employers and consultants file with the Department under 
the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA). The 
resources would complement current efforts and ensure that OLMS will 
continue to achieve its priority to adequately enforce the long-
neglected employer and consultant reporting requirements. OLMS would 
enforce the LMRDA's reporting requirements on employers and their labor 
relations consultants in the same way it enforces reporting 
requirements governing labor organizations. The agency would review 
employer and consultant reports for completeness and accuracy and open 
investigations if compliance assistance efforts do not remedy any 
problems identified. The agency would also develop a methodology to 
identify employers and consultants who have engaged in reportable 
activity but failed to file a report, and open investigations as 
appropriate. As a result, whether the entity filing a given report is 
an employer, a labor consultant, or a labor organization, the agency 
will evaluate and investigate evidence that suggests they have not 
disclosed reportable activity. These undertakings will be standard 
investigations of anti-union expenditures and activities and, as with 
our Compliance Audit Program, will be conducted with the same level of 
scrutiny as audits of labor unions.
    OLMS is taking other, more immediate steps to ensure meaningful 
enforcement of employer and consultant persuader reporting activities. 
OLMS is making employer and consultant reports more visible and easily 
accessible on the OLMS website. OLMS staff are educating the public and 
directing individuals with knowledge of unreported activity to contact 
an OLMS tip line.
    The Department is also posting blogs, compliance assistance 
publications, and other materials to advance its efforts to obtain full 
compliance.
            infectious disease notice of proposed rulemaking
    Question. During the hearing, we discussed the need for the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration to move quickly to 
finalize the permanent COVID-19 standard for healthcare workers and a 
permanent standard for infectious diseases. Secretary Walsh indicated 
the healthcare standard would be done within three to 6 months, while 
the next steps for infectious diseases would be done on the same 
timeline. The Spring 2022 Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory 
Actions released on June 21, 2022 identifies September 2022 for 
issuance of the final rule for the healthcare COVID-19 standard and May 
2023 for the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the infectious 
diseases standard.
    Please describe your actions and plans for issuing the NPRM on 
infectious diseases closer to the timeline you identified during the 
hearing.
    Answer. OSHA's current priority is issuing a final COVID-19 
standard. Unfortunately, COVID is still a threat to working people and 
we are focused on keeping our healthcare workers safe. We expect to 
finalize the COVID-19 standard in September of 2022 and will then turn 
our full attention to the infectious disease NPRM.
    COVID has shown us that we need a permanent infectious disease 
standard that will address all infectious disease hazards, including 
future pandemics. At this time, OSHA expects to publish an infectious 
disease NPRM in May of 2023. This is an aggressive timeline and 
somewhat dependent on our COVID work because the team of people working 
on the COVID standard also work on the infectious disease standard.
    Question. How has the Department used available funding from the 
American Rescue plan for this important work?
    Answer. Funding from the American Rescue Plan has been an extremely 
valuable resource for us to fund work on the COVID-19 and infectious 
disease standards in several ways. We are spending ARP money on staff 
time for economists, health scientists, industrial hygienists, and 
epidemiologists, as well as on legal assistance. We also utilize 
contracts to further the Agency's work. Contractors perform research, 
review literature, and engage in analysis.
    Question. How will the Department use available balances of such 
funding to accelerate promulgation of the NPRM?
    Answer. The Department will continue to use ARP funding to pay for 
staff such as economists, health scientists, industrial hygienists, and 
epidemiologists, as well as legal assistance. We will also use ARP 
funding for contracts to further our work so that we can move as 
quickly as possible on the NPRM.
                 protecting agricultural sector workers
    Question. The number of Wage and Hour investigations in agriculture 
fell to 1,000 in fiscal year 2021.
    This level is down by more than one-third from a decade ago. 
``Labor Exploitation and Trafficking of Agricultural Workers During the 
Pandemic'' (https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/
Polaris_Labor_Exploitation_and_
Trafficking_of_Agricultural--Workers_During_the_Pandemic.pdf) finds 
that labor trafficking victimization of H-2A Visa holders increased by 
70 percent comparing a 6-month period prior to the COVID pandemic and 
during the pandemic. The report further noted that nearly two-thirds of 
such trafficking victims suffered threats of reporting to immigration 
and excessive hours, while one-third suffered the withholding of 
earnings.
    Please describe the Department's actions and plans to protect 
workers in our agricultural sector.
    Answer. Farmworkers are among the lowest paid and most vulnerable 
workers in the country.
    Many of these workers are excluded from Federal collective 
bargaining protections under the National Labor Relations Act and from 
overtime protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a result, 
farmworkers are uniquely susceptible to wage theft, unlawful 
retaliation, and human trafficking.
    For farmworkers with H-2A visas, these vulnerabilities are 
compounded by the fact that they are reliant on the employer for 
housing, transportation, access to food, and their temporary status in 
the country. While the number of workers with H-2A visas has grown from 
160,000 in fiscal year 2017 to more than 250,000 in fiscal year 2021, 
even without a corresponding increase in enforcement appropriations, 
the Department has continued to prioritize agricultural workers in its 
enforcement and outreach.
    The Department is committed to ensuring that the rights of 
farmworkers are protected. In fiscal year 2021, the Wage and Hour 
Division (WHD) recovered over $8.4 million for over 10,000 workers in 
the agricultural industry. To continue to achieve the greatest impact 
possible, WHD has launched a national initiative to focus enforcement 
and outreach efforts on the agricultural industry. When egregious 
violations are found, WHD uses every tool at its disposal, including 
program debarment, to protect workers and ensure that employers are 
held accountable.
    Through its investigations, WHD is uniquely positioned to detect 
potential human trafficking indicators, to make referrals to criminal 
law enforcement agencies, and to calculate restitution for victims when 
requested by the Department of Justice. WHD continues to support the 
updated U.S. National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking by 
committing resources, collaborating with criminal enforcement agencies, 
and providing outreach to combat labor trafficking. Wage and Hour is 
also a U & T-visa certifying agency, and its efforts significantly 
assist qualifying victims of these crimes who are seeking immigration 
relief from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
    WHD also plans to continue to strengthen its partnerships with 
employers, worker advocates, and community-based organizations. Since 
the beginning of this Administration, WHD has sponsored and 
participated in 787 outreach events focusing on H-2A compliance with 
agricultural workers and their advocates, as well as with employers, 
agents, recruiters, and partner agencies engaged in the H-2A program. 
Educating employers increases compliance while partnering with workers' 
trusted allies makes workers feel more comfortable filing complaints 
and participating in investigations.
    Finally, the Department is currently engaged in rulemaking to 
modernize the administration of the H-2A program and to increase 
protections for workers and has announced that it will engage in 
further rulemaking to promote worker voices and worker protections.
    Question. How will the budget proposal support implementation of 
these plans in fiscal year 2023?
    Answer. Over the course of the past year, WHD has been working to 
rebuild its enforcement workforce and target its hiring in the 
geographic areas where its services are most needed. As a priority 
industry, employment in agriculture is taken into consideration when 
allocating personnel to be hired. The fiscal year 2023 budget will 
support hiring in district offices that focus on agricultural 
investigations, including district offices in Alabama, California, 
Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas. These hiring 
efforts will enable WHD to continue to focus on essential outreach and 
enforcement in agricultural areas.
    Question. What steps will you take to ensure that unclaimed back 
wages collected, including for visa holders, are paid to those harmed 
workers?
    Answer. WHD's efforts to put wages back in workers' pockets 
transforms lives. In fiscal year 2021, WHD assessed an average of 
$1,211.70 for over 190,000 employees due wages, which can mean the 
difference in being able to meet the rent or pay a childcare bill. 
Returning these wages to workers is essential to the agency's mission, 
and WHD leverages partnerships with community-based organizations and 
foreign consulates while also engaging in innovative outreach 
strategies to ensure that back wages are paid to vulnerable workers.
    WHD has been working with worker advocates, unions, and foreign 
consulates to build trust and increase workers' access to the agency. 
These partners have been vital to the agency's efforts to locate 
workers and maintain relationships with workers over the length of the 
investigations. For example, WHD worked with community-based 
organizations in Pennsylvania to hold a back-wage clinic for unlocated 
mushroom farmworkers. The clinic resulted in the distribution of 
$68,377 in back wages to 66 workers that WHD had previously been unable 
to contact.
    Similarly, consulate partnerships amplify WHD's outreach and 
connect the agency with immigrant communities. As a trusted source of 
information and assistance, they help WHD reach more workers and 
deliver on the protections the law provides. They also play a vital 
role in locating workers due back wages after they have left their 
employment in the U.S.
    Finally, WHD has developed an online search tool, Workers Owed 
Wages (WOW) that allows workers to enter information to find out if 
back wages are being held on their behalf.\1\ The tool provides a quick 
and easy way for employees to find out if they are owed money and 
receive it. From January 2022 through June 2022, the WOW search tool 
facilitated the disbursement of over $2 million to workers owed wages. 
The WOW system is currently available in English and Spanish.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/wow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Question. Please describe any barriers to back wage payments being 
made and plans to overcome them, including any needed legislative 
changes.
    Answer. Immigrant and low-wage workers face several obstacles in 
recovering wages that are owed to them. These workers are often 
difficult to locate because they move frequently or may return to their 
home countries. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that 
investigations, particularly agricultural investigations, are often 
long and complex and may include litigation, making it more likely that 
workers have moved or changed contact information between the time that 
the investigation was initiated and the time that back wages are 
recovered. Further, low-wage and vulnerable workers may fear 
retaliation for coming forward and claiming the wages that are owed to 
them.
    There are some statutory barriers as well, such as the current 
statutory requirement for any back wages to be sent to Treasury if they 
are not able to be delivered to the worker within 3 years. DOL believes 
that altering that requirement in some form could be beneficial to 
returning back wages to workers and is available to provide technical 
assistance and further briefing on the matter.
                evaluation of ofccp contractor selection
    Question. The President's budget proposes $147 million, an increase 
of $39 million, for the important work of the Office of Federal 
Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
    How does the OFCCP plan to evaluate and continue to improve its 
supply and service scheduling list for selection of contractors with 
the greatest risk factors for noncompliance with equal opportunity and 
affirmative action requirements?
    Answer. OFCCP is deploying its resources more strategically by 
strengthening its process for scheduling Federal contractors for 
compliance reviews. The agency is incorporating broader sets of data 
and information to identify risk factors for noncompliance and better 
align its selection process with enforcement priorities. OFCCP 
schedules employers for evaluation using a ``general administrative 
plan . . . derived from neutral sources,'' which includes various labor 
economic data and analytical procedures.\2\ This can include, for 
example, a focus on industries or sectors with high prior labor and 
employment law violation rates or particular geographic regions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ See United Space Alliance, LLC v. Solis, 824 F. Supp. 2d 68, 91 
(D.D.C. 2011) (citing Marshall v. Barlow's, Inc., 436 U.S. 307, 320, 
321 (1978)).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In May 2022, OFCCP issued a new supply and service scheduling list 
of Federal contractors and subcontractors. Using neutral criteria, 
OFCCP developed and implemented a statistical methodology to conduct 
predictive modeling for the purpose of selecting Federal contractors 
and subcontractors. This model incorporated an analysis of EEO-1 
Component 1 data to identify instances in which utilization of 
demographic groups differ from industry and local labor market 
averages. OFCCP focused on industries that have experienced employment 
growth during the pandemic and the industries expected to receive 
significant Federal investments for infrastructure and economic 
recovery, to ensure all workers have equal access to employment 
opportunities. The agency scheduled a larger proportion of 
establishments from those industries in which the average hiring rate 
increased after March 2020, the date of the onset of the economic 
impact of the pandemic, relative to a baseline established from hiring 
rates in the years before the pandemic (2014--2020).
    OFCCP developed this methodology to strengthen its ability to 
identify risk factors for noncompliance in order to focus agency 
resources where workforce utilization patterns may indicate the 
existence of barriers to hire or advancement. OFCCP further anticipates 
these changes will help the agency reach a broader universe of Federal 
contractors, as well as subcontractors. Historically, OFCCP has not 
scheduled subcontractors for compliance evaluations when there is a 
lack of data concerning subcontract dates. For this scheduling list, 
OFCCP included the prime contract date as a proxy for the subcontract 
dates and will examine the utility of this approach.
    In addition, where a parent company has three or four 
establishments on the May 2022 scheduling list, OFCCP has assigned 
these compliance reviews to the same region so that the agency and the 
contractor can engage in these reviews in a coordinated manner to 
increase efficiencies for all.
    OFCCP is continuing to strengthen its supply and service scheduling 
list for selection of contractors with the greatest risk of 
noncompliance, including by promoting contractor compliance with the 
requirement to develop and maintain written Affirmative Action Programs 
(AAPs). OFCCP developed and launched in early 2022 an online portal, 
the ``Contractor Portal,'' for supply and service contractors to self-
certify electronically that they have developed and maintained AAPs for 
each establishment and/or functional unit, as applicable. Compliance 
with OFCCP's written affirmative action program requirements is 
essential because a complete AAP and the supporting personnel activity 
data provide the foundation for OFCCP's compliance evaluation of a 
contractor's employment practices. By June 30, 2022, existing 
contractors were required to certify whether they were in compliance. 
OFCCP has announced to contractors that those who fail to complete the 
certification though the Portal, or state that they have not developed 
or maintained an AAP, will be more likely to be on OFCCP's scheduling 
list than contractors that have certified that they are in compliance.
    Question. How would additional resources requested in the budget 
support this objective and increase contractor compliance with such 
requirements?
    Answer. Given the Federal Government's historic investments in the 
economy over the next decade, many more businesses will become Federal 
contractors and subcontractors. As a result, OFCCP will have 
substantially increased enforcement responsibility over this growing 
number of contractors. Additionally, contractors' workforce structures 
and employment selection and pay systems are rapidly evolving, becoming 
more sophisticated and complex and the pandemic has accelerated changes 
to workplace structures, including the increased reliance on remote 
work.
    The fiscal year 2023 funding request would allow OFCCP to increase 
its capacity to review a greater number of contractors and strengthen 
its investigation and resolution of systemic discrimination cases, 
which will increase contractor accountability and attention to 
proactive compliance. In particular, the fiscal year 2023 request would 
support the hiring, retention, and training of a highly qualified and 
diverse workforce to support OFCCP in advancing its mission through 
enforcement, outreach and education, stakeholder engagement, and 
compliance assistance while emphasizing efficiency, productivity, and 
accountability throughout the organization. As the Agency rebuilds, 
OFCCP will continue robust engagement with a broad coalition of 
stakeholders, including contractors. The Agency will develop resources 
to highlight evidence-based research and promising practices to inform 
employers when developing actionable strategies to build inclusive 
workplace cultures and advance equity. The 2023 request would also 
provide the resources necessary to onboard new hires, develop and 
deliver in-depth employee training programs, and invest in the 
requisite workforce technological equipment and solutions. Investing in 
training and technology support along with hiring will help ensure 
long-lasting operational success and prevent attrition.
    OFCCP also will work to align its traditional review of single 
contractor ``establishments'' with the evolving reality of the 
workplace, where contractors often take a more enterprise-wide approach 
to evaluating their employment practices, including compensation. With 
increased funding, OFCCP would also enhance its database production, 
software expertise and research capabilities to support stronger 
coordinated enforcement.
    Where contractors refuse to provide access to data, witnesses, and 
other information that is necessary for OFCCP to conduct its compliance 
evaluations, OFCCP will use its fiscal year 2023 funding to prepare 
enforcement referrals for denial of access cases so that Federal 
contractors adhere to their responsibility to provide this information.
    Question. How would access to data collected by the Equal 
Employment Opportunity Commission advance the OFCCP mission and 
minimize data collection burden on covered contractors?
    Answer. OFCCP selects contractors for comprehensive compliance 
reviews by relying on a variety of data sources to focus the agency's 
enforcement resources. The EEO-1 report is a joint data collection to 
meet the enforcement needs of both the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity 
Commission (EEOC) and OFCCP, while avoiding duplicative information 
collections and minimizing the burden on employers. EEO-1 Component 1 
workforce demographic data has been shared between the two agencies for 
decades.
    Collecting and analyzing pay data from private employers is 
important to OFCCP's efforts to ensure pay equity. In 2014, OFCCP 
published a rule proposing a pay data collection to enable the agency 
to more effectively focus its enforcement resources to better identify 
potential pay inequities warranting compliance evaluations. During the 
rulemaking, OFCCP considered public comments from contractors urging 
EEOC and OFCCP to coordinate compensation data collection by using the 
EEO-1 report, thereby decreasing employer burden. Ultimately, OFCCP 
determined that, rather than publishing a final rule, it would 
collaborate with the EEOC to collect compensation data as part of the 
EEO-1 filing.
    In September 2016, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approved EEOC's final Paperwork Reduction Act notice to collect, from 
private employers and Federal contractors, workforce pay data by 
gender, race, ethnicity, job category and by pay bands via the EEO-1 
report (Component 2). In August 2017, OMB issued a memorandum 
initiating a review and immediate stay of the revised data collection 
regulation. As a result of a lawsuit against OMB and EEOC challenging 
the stay, in 2019 a Federal district court reversed the stay and 
ordered the EEOC to collect 2 years of pay data from employers. EEOC 
complied, however, it subsequently announced that it would no longer 
collect pay data via the EEO-1.
    OFCCP is interested in exploring opportunities to use the EEO-1 
Component 2 pay data that has been collected to inform OFCCP's 
scheduling methodology and identify potential pay gaps or patterns of 
occupational segregation that merit further investigation. Pay data 
could be used to conduct analyses to identify employers that are 
outliers and depart substantially from comparable benchmarks that may 
warrant further inquiry. Such analyses could inform the methodology for 
selecting contractors for further review where OFCCP would have the 
opportunity to review the full set of pay data. When combined with an 
analysis of utilization outliers, the identification of pay outliers 
lends significant marginal utility to the Component 2 pay data for 
OFCCP and could enhance OFCCP's scheduling process. OFCCP's desk audit 
also includes a three-year trend analysis of EEO-1 Component 1 reports 
to identify utilization outliers. A similar analysis of trends in the 
Component 2 pay data--separate or in conjunction with the EEO-1 
Component 1 data--may provide additional value in OFCCP investigations.
                         olms union protections
    Question. The Office of Labor-Management Standards also protects 
union members through its work to identify fraud and embezzlement of 
union assets.
    How would additional resources be used to target compliance audits 
on those at-risk of violating requirements without burdening unions 
that don't have any compliance issues?
    Answer. Additional resources to fund the Office of Labor-Management 
Standards' (OLMS) initiative to enforce and review for accuracy 
employer and consultant reports required under the Labor-Management 
Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) dovetail with its efforts to 
reduce burden on labor unions that are free of compliance issues. The 
resources requested would permit OLMS to continue audits of labor 
unions both to detect embezzlements and to promote compliance with the 
LMRDA. Because it is not feasible for OLMS to audit every union, and 
doing so would unfairly burden compliant unions, OLMS developed and 
applies a methodology to focus its auditing resources on unions whose 
objective metrics suggest that they may have been victimized by 
criminal activity. This targeting strategy conserves resources--of both 
unions and OLMS--that would have been wasted on audits of problem-free 
organizations. The effectiveness of this methodology is measured by the 
percent of conducted audits that result in the opening of a ``fallout'' 
criminal case. If the fallout rate is high, it supports the conclusion 
that OLMS is successfully targeting its resources to labor unions that 
need it. Note: To be clear on a point that is sometimes misunderstood, 
we emphasize that the fallout rate measures only the ``efficiency'' of 
OLMS' targeting strategies. A high number does not suggest high 
criminal activity and a low number does not suggest low criminal 
activity. The fallout rate measures only the effectiveness with which 
the agency identifies and audits those unions that are vulnerable to 
fraud or embezzlement based on financial metrics that are often 
associated with fraud or embezzlement.
    Question. Please describe how the Voluntary Compliance Partnership 
program is improving compliance with the LMRDA and allowing OLMS to 
cost-effectively fulfill its mission.
    Answer. OLMS works with the nation's most prominent international 
and national unions through the Voluntary Compliance Partnership (VCP) 
initiative to assist their local and affiliate unions with LMRDA 
compliance, thus multiplying the effect of OLMS' efforts and allowing 
OLMS to more cost-effectively fulfill its mission. In 2021, the VCP 
program leveraged the resources of national/international labor unions 
to improve the compliance performance of over 16,000 of those 
international and national unions' affiliates. The same year, OLMS 
expanded the VCP program to 47 partner unions, an increase of two 
unions over the previous year. Over the years, VCP has solidified its 
platform as a national compliance assistance effort that measurably 
improves timely reporting, bonding coverage, accurate and complete 
reporting--including the submission of union constitutions and bylaws--
and the implementation of financial safeguards to prevent unions from 
becoming victims of financial fraud. For example, the overall late-
filing rate for unions under the VCP initiative is significantly lower 
than for non-VCP unions, and the late filing rate decreased 
significantly after increasing during fiscal year 2020, as the COVID-19 
pandemic began. VCP continues to assist partner labor organizations 
with OLMS procedures regarding mergers and terminations, regional and 
national training conferences, and other organizational development 
activities. In every instance where a labor union partner addresses the 
compliance problems of its affiliates, it reduces the demand for OLMS 
enforcement resources, saving money and permitting OLMS to more cost-
effectively fulfill its mission.
                      bls youth cohort development
    Question. The budget proposes $14,500,000 for the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics to continue development of a new youth cohort for the 
National Longitudinal Surveys.
    How would these funds be used to support a new youth cohort and 
generate additional information on and support research about the 
experience and education of youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, their 
future education and training and transition to the workforce?
    Answer. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began developing a new 
National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) youth cohort in fiscal year 2021 
and since then has conducted extensive outreach to Federal agencies, 
user groups, and scientists with relevant areas of expertise. 
Information about these activities, including agencies and subject 
areas around which they were organized and topics they targeted for 
feedback, are available at https://www.bls.gov/nls/nlsy26.htm. These 
outreach efforts allowed BLS to form a conceptual and practical 
foundation. Building upon these activities, beginning in fiscal year 
2023, BLS would use the funding proposed in the President's Budget to 
build-out the new youth survey, which includes the following steps: (1) 
create management structures for coordinating the development of 
sampling procedures, questionnaire content, collection design, data 
processing systems, and dissemination tools; (2) design procedures for 
sampling and accessing the appropriate, high-quality sampling frame; 
(3) develop the collection instruments; and (4) initiate development of 
systems to manage, process, and disseminate the data that are collected 
or acquired from alternative sources. Also, outreach would continue 
throughout the development process. BLS would field its first round of 
collection in fiscal year 2026 and release the first set of data in 
fiscal year 2028.
    It is anticipated the new cohort would comprise a nationally 
representative sample of youth between the ages 12 to 16 and living in 
the United States at the first interview, who would be interviewed 
periodically through their life up to and including through retirement 
age. The youth comprising the group will have been born during 2010--
2014, and thus experienced the COVID-19 pandemic during their 
elementary schooling years. In the early years of the survey, BLS would 
collect retrospective information to capture information about 
respondents' elementary schooling years, including their experiences 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. This, along with the extensive 
information collected from them through their teenage years and into 
adulthood, would enable a wide range of research about how the 
experiences of this generation during the COVID-19 pandemic influence 
their future education and training and their transition to the 
workforce. Due to the survey's longitudinal design; its focus on 
education, training, skill development, and employment; and the breadth 
of additional domains for which it collects information, the new NLS 
cohort would be uniquely well-suited to support research on various 
topics, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cohort's 
educational and professional experiences, yielding valuable insights 
for governments, businesses, and other decision-makers. Previous NLSY 
cohorts have provided a lens for in-depth study of race-, ethnicity-, 
gender-, and income-based differences, and a new cohort would advance 
these lines of research, allowing for comparisons across cohorts as 
well as incorporating potential adaptations to employment, education, 
and training resulting from economic and environmental changes over 
time.
               office of the solicitor operations funding
    Question. The budget requests $178 million, an increase of $52 
million, for the Office of the Solicitor which is necessary to support 
the day-to-day operations of the Department's agencies and programs as 
well as the regulatory agenda and priorities of the Department.
    How would additional resources requested for the Office of the 
Solicitor reverse the trend over the past decade of the significant 
reduction in litigation opened and closed? What's the impact of this 
reduced litigation capacity on the ability of agencies to fulfill their 
statutory missions?
    Answer. With the additional resources provided in the fiscal year 
2023 President's Budget, the Office of the Solicitor (SOL) would 
greatly increase its enforcement litigation capacity, reversing the 
trend over the past decade of a steady and significant reduction in the 
number of litigation matters that SOL opens and closes. The decline in 
litigation correlates with the reduction in SOL FTE that has resulted 
from the combination of steadily increasing costs per FTE and 
insufficient direct appropriations, which for SOL have remained 
relatively flat. As reflected in the graph below, over the last 10 
years, staffing decreases have forced SOL to significantly reduce the 
number of litigation matters SOL opens; in fiscal year 2021, SOL opened 
just 35 percent of the litigation matters it opened in fiscal year 
2012.
    At the fiscal year 2023 President's Budget funding level, SOL 
anticipates an overall 25 percent increase in its litigation workload, 
with opened litigation matters increasing by 63 percent in comparison 
to the full-year results from fiscal year 2021 and concluded litigation 
matters increasing by 16 percent compared to fiscal year 2021. The 
following data, focused on the litigation portion of SOL's workload, is 
included in the fiscal year 2023 President's Budget submission. This 
does not capture the critical pre-litigation work, legal advice, and 
regulatory work that SOL undertakes to assist DOL's agencies:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            FY 2022          FY 2023       Projected   Projected
                                                           Projected     Projected (with  Increase--  Increase--
                                        FY 2021 Actual   (Based on Flat    President's    FY 2022 to  FY 2021 to
                                                         Appropriation)      Budget)        FY 2023     FY 2023
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Litigation Opened....................           5,156            6,400            8,400         31%         63%
Litigation Concluded.................           6,238            5,500            7,225         31%         16%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The following graph illustrates the correlation between the decline 
in SOL's staffing levels and the decline in SOL's litigation matters 
over the past decade. This graph also illustrates the expected increase 
in litigation if the fiscal year 2023 President's Budget were enacted:

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

    The decline in SOL staffing has diminished the ability of DOL (and 
its constituent agencies) to enforce the laws Congress has written, 
leaving workers unprotected and tilting the economic playing field 
against law-abiding employers. For example, SOL is presently forced to 
decline roughly 60 meritorious Wage and Hour matters each month, and 
about 70 meritorious, contested OSHA cases each month. This diminution 
in legal services not only hampers DOL's ability to provide relief for 
the most vulnerable workers but harms the majority of employers that 
are complying with the law. For instance, construction contractors that 
pay overtime to their workers are harmed if competing employers reduce 
their labor costs by failing to pay overtime. The fiscal year 2023 
budget would enable SOL to litigate more cases generally, and in 
particular, more impactful, resource-intensive cases.
    Finally, while this question is specifically about litigation, it 
is important to emphasize the effect that insufficient staffing has 
upon the full range of legal services SOL provides. Presently, SOL is 
underfunding critical general counsel programs and has a reduced 
ability to support client agencies with compliance assistance 
documents, guidance, and letters. Staffing shortages also hamper DOL's 
ability to carry out good government initiatives, such as clearing its 
FOIA backlog, and provide compliance assistance to the regulated 
community.
    Question. Please share for the last five fiscal years and the 
fiscal year 2023 budget proposal amounts spent on or allocated for the 
Office of the Solicitor to:
  --Work on Department regulatory activities;
  --Support agency enforcement actions; and
  --Provide other legal services.
    Answer. The table below provides the requested information for the 
last 5 years and the fiscal year 2023 budget proposal. Because the vast 
majority of SOL's funding goes directly to salaries and expenses for 
the personnel that provide legal services,\3\ we have derived the 
allocations below from time spent on providing legal services. The 
dollar figures in the table were calculated by multiplying the 
percentage of total time spent by SOL personnel on a particular 
category of legal work (enforcement agencies, other worker protection 
agencies, departmental management and other agencies, and regulatory) 
by SOL's appropriated budget for a given year. The fiscal year 2023 
data is a forecast of the distribution of SOL's work and expenditures 
based upon a two-year average (fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2022 
Q3).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ The remaining funding goes to non-personnel expenses that 
support SOL legal services, such as Working Capital Fund, rent, 
security, stenography, travel, and subscriptions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Following is further explanation of the table and data:
  --To demonstrate the expenditures or amounts allocated to ``agency 
        enforcement actions,'' we provide data regarding SOL legal 
        support to the DOL agencies that engage in significant 
        enforcement work: EBSA, MSHA, OFCCP, OSHA and WHD. This 
        represents about 66 percent of SOL's workload on average over 
        the period covered.
  --Many other DOL agencies engage in worker protection activities, but 
        their work is not primarily enforcement. We labeled these the 
        ``Other Worker Protection Agencies,'' which include: ETA, ILAB, 
        OLMS, OWCP, and VETS. This represents about 20 percent of SOL's 
        workload on average.
  --The requested data for other legal services is reflected in the 
        table as allocations for Departmental Management and Other 
        Agencies, which covers legal work performed for the 
        Department's central management administrative agencies, and 
        other agencies not included in the categories above. This 
        represents about 11 percent of SOL's workload on average.
    The allocations in the table for regulatory work cover all DOL 
agencies and represent about 3 percent of SOL's workload on average. 
The regulations allocation is not duplicative of the other agency-
specific categories listed above and in the table below.

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                    international labor enforcement
    Question. The budget proposes $129 million, an increase of $23 
million, for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) to 
enforce labor commitments of trading partner countries; combat child 
and forced labor and human trafficking; and effectively carry out its 
mission. This increase would build on the increased investment of $10 
million provided to ILAB in last year's appropriations bill.
    How would requested funds be used to build on increased resources 
provided in last year's bill to include in the List of Goods Produced 
by Child Labor or Forced Labor those that are produced with inputs 
produced with forced labor or child labor? What actions have been taken 
and are planned to incorporate this information into the list?
    Answer. The implementation of the List of Goods Produced by Child 
Labor or Forced Labor, including listing goods that are produced with 
inputs produced with forced labor or child labor, requires significant 
resources. ILAB is grateful for the interest from Congress in this 
vital tool and has utilized its appropriation to make important 
investments in this mandated work.
Recent Actions
    ILAB has added a limited number of goods that we have reason to 
believe are produced with inputs produced with forced labor or child 
labor to the 2022 TVPRA List, which will be released in late September. 
The additions were based on ILAB's improved knowledge base with respect 
to tracing supply chains, developed in part via two $4 million grants 
in fiscal year 2021 to examine tracing methodologies for the supply 
chains of cotton, thread/yarn, and textiles from India, cobalt from the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and cotton from Pakistan. The grants 
contributed to a preliminary basis for a credible and multi-sectoral 
supply chain tracing methodology that ILAB then used to identify the 
goods and inputs that will be added to the 2022 List.
    ILAB is currently fulfilling its required involvement in 
interagency efforts related to transparency and accountability in 
supply chains, such as those under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention 
Act (UFLPA). As a statutory and critical member of the Forced Labor 
Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), ILAB reassigned staff to work closely 
with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other interagency 
partners to meet the initial six-month timeline for developing the 
UFLPA enforcement strategy. ILAB plans to continue to prioritize staff 
resources to support the FLETF's ongoing work, as well as to support 
the increasing interagency and external demand for ILAB's technical 
expertise and guidance on implementing strong due diligence.
    ILAB is uniquely placed to lead the U.S. Government's response on 
developing effective and worker-centered due diligence guidance and 
plans to continue leading and innovating in these priority areas using 
the requested funding. The requested funding would also allow ILAB to 
expand its preliminary supply chain tracing methodology by 
incorporating more complex trade data and developing and acquiring more 
specialized knowledge of supply chains--in particular, unique 
processing steps, which frequently act as a barrier to effecting supply 
chain tracing and transparency. ILAB would also incorporate private 
sector, multilateral and international organization, and other public 
sector efforts in this area. The requested funding would enable ILAB to 
expand its list of goods that include inputs made with forced or child 
labor, as well as to continue to strengthen and improve our list of 
goods made with forced or child labor in the direct production.
    ILAB notes that expanded mandates for reporting and increased 
demand for ILAB expertise have outpaced appropriations for several 
years and appreciates Senators' leadership and commitment to supporting 
ILAB's work. ILAB's ability to examine additional supply chains beyond 
the supply chains explored in the two grants identified above 
(especially supply chains which may feature abusive and exploitative 
conditions) will require intensive and expanded resources.
    Question. The USMCA Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 
appropriates an additional $180 million, available for obligation until 
December 31, 2023, for ILAB to support reforms of the labor justice 
system in Mexico, including grants to support worker-focused capacity 
building, efforts to reduce child labor and forced labor in Mexico, and 
other efforts related to implementation of the USMCA. These funds are 
supporting important progress in Mexico in the implementation of its 
labor law reforms and increase in the number of independent unions 
recognized in Mexico. How does the budget support further progress in 
this critical area? What future needs do you anticipate for this work 
particularly after the supplemental funds have been awarded?
    Answer. The number of independent labor unions is still a small 
percentage of all unions in Mexico, but it is slowly growing with 
implementation of the labor reform, supported by ILAB project 
interventions, expert support from ILAB's labor attaches in Mexico, 
ILAB engagement with Mexican labor ministry staff and officials, and 
efficient deployment of the Rapid Response Mechanism. A recent ILAB 
monitoring trip identified the need for continued support of awareness-
raising about the new labor justice model, including among small to 
medium-sized enterprises. As ILAB works to build the capacity of the 
new labor justice institutions in Mexico, particularly at the local 
level, ongoing funding will be needed to ensure the continuity of 
current efforts. Though all of ILAB's USMCA-related technical 
assistance projects in Mexico are designed to build sustainable 
capacity, the magnitude of Mexico's labor reform will necessitate 
ongoing ILAB engagement--including extended labor attache presence as 
well as new and extended project investments, beyond December 31, 
2023--to consolidate and institutionalize achievements and progress and 
ensure an enduring transformation of Mexico's labor landscape.
    Question. Mathematica's ``Synthesis Review of OCFT work in Cocoa 
and Fishing/Seafood'' identified relationships between project features 
and effectiveness, recurring challenges and opportunities for improving 
future project success, including on sustainability of reductions of 
child and forced labor resulting from ILAB-funded projects. How will 
the conclusions and recommendations from this review be considered for 
fiscal year 2022 and fiscal year 2023 funding opportunity 
announcements? What steps are planned to strengthen project 
sustainability so that labor abuses don't re-emerge after projects 
conclude?
    Answer. ILAB aims to disseminate all evaluations across the Bureau 
and our grantee community to maximize access and usership, including by 
hosting open presentations on evaluations and distributing ILAB's 
``Evaluation Roundup'' to the larger stakeholder community. ILAB is in 
the process of launching a Knowledge Management Portal on the ILAB 
website to enable stakeholders to search past evaluations and other 
project resources by keyword to find specific lessons learned and good 
practices.
    ILAB considers many conclusions and recommendations from the 
Mathematica Synthesis Review report on the cocoa and fishing/seafood 
sectors to be applicable to ILAB's broader technical assistance 
portfolio and is applying these recommendations across funding 
decisions and Funding Opportunity Announcements. Some examples of ILAB 
responses are listed below:
  --Mathematica Recommendation: Consider funding projects for longer 
        periods of time/larger budgets or to consider a two-phase 
        funding approach.
  --ILAB Response: ILAB will pilot a two-phase project approach in 
        fiscal year 2022. In Phase I, the project will work to improve 
        regional and national coordination, and, if successful, these 
        efforts will be scaled up within the region during Phase II.
  --Mathematica Recommendation: Engage families, community leaders, and 
        unions/workers to support effectiveness.
  --ILAB Response: ILAB fiscal year 2022 programming and funding 
        opportunities include an amplified focus on workers and their 
        families. New projects will prioritize strengthening local 
        civil society organizations and formal and informal worker 
        organizations and engaging community leaders to build trust 
        with marginalized and vulnerable workers, foster sustainable 
        local capacity, and better support workers and their families 
        with wholistic and locally led interventions.
  --Mathematica Recommendation: Design projects with more feasible 
        outcomes.
  --ILAB Response: Fiscal year 2022 funding opportunities draw on ILAB 
        staff expertise, complementary labor diplomacy efforts, trade 
        leverage, and complementary sector- or country/region-specific 
        initiatives to designate project sectors and countries or 
        coordinate with grantees to jointly select countries and 
        sectors. This comprehensive design approach supports the 
        achievement of ambitious outcomes and ensures that project 
        interventions will be supported and complemented by mutually 
        reinforcing efforts. ILAB also works with grantees to assess 
        expected project outcomes to ensure alignment with project 
        timelines and available resources.
  --Mathematica Recommendation: Integrate tripartite approaches to 
        support project effectiveness.
  --ILAB Response: ILAB is incorporating tripartite approaches as a 
        best practice to increase worker voice and dialogue with 
        government and employer stakeholders and improve labor 
        conditions. Several ongoing ILAB projects include labor and 
        employer organizations as co-implementers (e.g., the Solidarity 
        Center and Center for International Private Enterprise are 
        jointly implementing a project on labor law enforcement in 
        Georgia), and ILAB is an active partner in the ongoing and 
        successful Tripartite Commission in Honduras.
  --Mathematica Recommendation: Adopt gender-conscious project design.
  --ILAB Response: ILAB now requires applicants to describe an 
        integrated gender approach from design through implementation 
        to ensure representation of women, children, and youth (boys 
        and girls) throughout the life of the project. ILAB is working 
        with grantees to increase attention to gender in project design 
        and monitoring and evaluation systems, including requiring 
        gender-disaggregated data and, where appropriate, requiring 
        targets for gender disaggregation.
    ILAB is taking several steps to ensure the sustainability of 
project outcomes to prevent the re-occurrence of labor abuses once 
projects have concluded. ILAB encourages project designs that include 
robust engagement with existing host government and local community 
initiatives to tie project interventions and outcomes into ongoing, 
locally led initiatives. ILAB's Pilares project in Colombia, designed 
and driven by local civil society organizations, is a model approach 
that ILAB intends to scale-up using fiscal year 2022 funds.
    ILAB's approach to building the capacity and motivation of local 
stakeholders, including government, private sector, and civil society 
groups, equips local actors with the tools and information to monitor 
and address labor abuses after projects end. All ILAB Funding 
Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) require applicants to outline a 
sustainability strategy for the proposed project and describe how they 
will promote the sustainability of key elements, beginning in the early 
stages of project implementation. Grantees update their sustainability 
strategy annually to ensure continued relevance of project outcomes and 
adjust to changes in capacity of individuals, communities, and country.
                  evidence capacity investment survey
    Question. The Department's Evidence Capacity Investment, January 
2022, found that approximately half of survey respondents--which were 
restricted to occupations for which the use of evidence is relevant--
reported they or their teams frequently use statistics, research, and 
analyses. Just less than one-third of respondents reported using 
evidence for service improvements, or research agendas or questions.
    Please share your plans for implementing the opportunities for 
improvement identified in this report.
    Answer. The Department's Chief Evaluation Office (CEO) has analyzed 
the findings of the Capacity Assessment for Research, Evaluation, 
Statistics and Analysis and identified fundamental gaps in skills and 
access to data that together prevent the Department from using evidence 
in their work. Based on that analysis, CEO has identified two priority 
areas of work:
  --Conducting Department-wide trainings and capacity-building support 
        for both supervisors and non-supervisors to prepare them to 
        understand and use internal and external research and data 
        resources. This includes support for staff with no formal 
        education or training in mathematics and statistics, who 
        nonetheless need to interpret evidence, as well as training 
        tailored to those staff who already analyze, interpret, and 
        report data analyses in their current positions.
  --Launching a restricted use data (RUD) program and environment where 
        DOL staff and trusted researchers can merge, analyze, and use 
        DOL and other external data resources.
    CEO has launched substantial planning and work on both the 
trainings and the RUD program within its existing resources, including:
  --Establishing a Seminar Series for the Department's staff and 
        Federal colleagues to learn about new and relevant research, 
        data, and targeted evidence topics and resources, and to do so 
        in an informal and accessible setting;
  --Launching a monthly internal research roundup newsletter to draw 
        attention to the Department's work;
  --Creating an introductory webinar for all staff to be integrated 
        into the Continuous Learning@Labor program;
  --Leading the development of the Department's Evidence Institute in 
        collaboration with the Department's Evidence Officials and as 
        well as the DOL Training Officer and LearningLink staff, taking 
        first steps toward offering professional, high-quality adult 
        learning opportunities for DOL staff on evaluation, data 
        analytics, and other evidence-related technical topics;
  --Updating the Department's Scientific Integrity Policy--under the 
        leadership of CEO and Scientific Integrity Official Dr. 
        Christina Yancey--to ensure honesty, objectivity, transparency, 
        and ethical behavior when it comes to science and scientific 
        processes, in response to the Presidential Memorandum on 
        Restoring Trust in Government through Scientific Integrity and 
        Evidence-Based Policymaking; and
  --Mapping the characteristics of the Department's existing 
        restricted-use data files that could support a RUD Program and 
        developing initial mock-ups of a website interface and 
        application processes, forms, and other administrative 
        materials.
    CEO will continue to build upon these activities as possible within 
existing resources. With additional resources--both in staff and 
funding--the Department could expand and deepen the professional-
quality trainings needed by staff as identified in the Capacity 
Assessment, as well as fully launch the RUD program, both of which are 
efforts that will make more meaningful capacity-building improvements 
across the Department's workforce.
    Question. How would the budget request support implementation of 
these plans?
    Answer. The Department proposed an increase to the Departmental 
Program Evaluation budget activity. In addition, robustly funding the 
Department's overall budget request could help support this work 
because CEO can access set-aside funds shared by DOL sub-agencies. 
Section 107 of the General Provisions in the President's Budget 
authorizes the reservation of not more than 0.75 percent from specific 
budget accounts for transfer to and use by the Office of the Chief 
Evaluation Officer for departmental program evaluation and related 
evidence-building activities. This authority offers an opportunity to 
repurpose a small portion of agency budgets for evidence- building.
                                 ______
                                 
            Questions Submitted by Senator Joe Manchin, III
             specialization of job corps center curriculums
    Question. Job Corps is an educational and workforce training 
program administered by the Department of Labor. The Job Corps program 
helps youth build the skills they need to succeed, complete their high 
school education and help students find employment after they leave. 
West Virginia is proud to be home to two Job Corps centers, one in 
Charleston and one in Harpers Ferry. The President's budget requests 
$1.7 billion in funding for Job Corps in fiscal year 2023, which is an 
increase over the previous fiscal year. This funding will allow the 
continued operation of all 121 Job Corps Centers, facilitate updates 
and rehabilitation projects at existing Job Corps Centers and support 
the hiring of necessary staff. While this funding is put to good use in 
training the next generation of workers, the Department of Labor should 
consider creating a streamlined process that will allow Job Corps 
centers to more quickly submit and have approved requests to change 
curriculums or offer new, specialized courses to students. This would 
help ensure students have access to courses and trainings that will 
allow them to compete now and enter competitive industries. Creating 
more opportunities for students only stands to benefit our nation.
    How can the Department streamline the process by which Job Corps 
centers create specialized curriculums, or offer new courses to 
students?
    Answer. Job Corps recently evaluated the process governing its 
change request protocols for curriculums, identifying pain points and 
areas for improvements. As a result, in August 2022, the program 
implemented several changes to ensure efficiencies in the process. 
Noteworthy changes to the process include:
  --Streamlined Information Requests.--Job Corps revised the process to 
        provide clarity to all center operators, including additional 
        information specific to establishing pre- apprenticeship 
        curriculums.
  --Technical Assistance Enhancements.--The program added a means for 
        proactive technical assistance to the process (including office 
        hours) to ensure the timely arrival, completion, and National 
        Office approval of change requests.
    These adjustments, in addition to process changes and ongoing 
guidance/training to center operators, were developed to continuously 
improve the quality of requests to the National Office and shorten the 
timeline for determinations. Job Corps' revised process and ongoing 
efforts to increase local and national partnerships will ensure that 
the program delivers high-quality curricula and training more 
efficiently and graduates are prepared for in-demand jobs with strong 
career paths and sustainable wages.
                  mental health parity law compliance
    Question. Each year, the Secretary of Labor is required to submit a 
report regarding compliance with mental health parity laws. Mental 
health parity laws generally prohibit restrictions on mental health 
services that are more restrictive than those for all medical and 
surgical benefits. In January, the Department of Labor, along with the 
Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of the 
Treasury, released a report showing that health insurers for the most 
part are failing to deliver parity for mental health and substance use 
disorder benefits to beneficiaries. Senator Manchin has heard from 
several constituents who work in the mental health and substance use 
disorder workforce that mental health parity laws are simply not being 
followed. What's worse, mental health parity laws are not really being 
enforced. The bad actors aren't seeing any consequences for their 
actions, which are limiting patient access to mental health and 
substance use disorder services.
    What is the Department doing to ensure employers are meeting their 
obligations to their employees, and that mental health parity laws are 
being enforced?
    Answer. The Biden-Harris Administration has made enforcement of the 
Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) a top 
priority. MHPAEA, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2021 (CAA), specifies how group health plans and health insurance 
issuers to whom MHPAEA applies must perform and document comparative 
analyses of the non-quantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) they 
impose on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders (MH/SUD) coverage 
to demonstrate parity, and provide those analyses to the Secretaries of 
Labor, HHS, and Treasury or applicable state authorities upon request. 
This new enforcement authority continues to be the cornerstone of the 
Departments' heightened MHPAEA enforcement efforts. In light of the 
high priority placed on MHPAEA, the Employee Benefits Security 
Administration (EBSA) has redesigned its enforcement strategy and 
committed significant new resources to its MHPAEA enforcement efforts 
in order to best leverage the additional authority. The Department 
continues to devote greater resources to enforcement so as to take full 
advantage of these new and existing tools that Congress has provided to 
the Departments.
    EBSA's ten Regional Offices across the United States are actively 
involved in investigating multiple health plan service providers and 
issuers, as well as health plans, to assess MHPAEA compliance. EBSA 
identifies NQTLs through a review of plan document language, analysis 
of claims data, follow-up on leads from provider/participant 
complaints, and consideration of other sources. EBSA has developed 
specialized investigative tools to help identify potential NQTL red 
flags and analyze claims data for MHPAEA concerns. Additionally, EBSA 
works with consulting experts to develop approaches to evaluate 
comparative analyses.
    Each of EBSA's ten regional offices has a team of investigators 
dedicated to MHPAEA NQTL investigations and these teams were recently 
expanded to provide more resources and subject matter expertise for 
these investigations at the regional level. EBSA's NQTL Task Force 
continues to provide oversight and coordination of these 
investigations, and additional support is provided from the Office of 
Enforcement, Office of Field Administration, and Office of Outreach, 
Education and Assistance in the EBSA national office.
    As a result of the additional funding provided under the CAA, EBSA 
continues to hire additional investigators and other staff in support 
of EBSA's MHPAEA enforcement work. Since enactment of the CAA, EBSA 
onboarded new investigators and other staff using CAA- appropriated 
fundings. EBSA has held over 30 MHPAEA NQTL training programs for new 
and experienced investigators and other staff since April 2021. The 
funding provided under the CAA to support this critical work expires at 
the end of 2024.
    EBSA has also retained or is in the process of retaining additional 
outside consultants and experts in the areas of autism, reimbursement 
rates, network adequacy, substance use disorder treatment, and eating 
disorder treatment to assist investigators in the review and evaluation 
comparative analyses and with medical and behavioral health issues in 
these investigations.
    EBSA continues to conduct robust outreach initiatives and works 
extensively to improve the understanding of MHPAEA among plans, plan 
sponsors, issuers, consumer groups, participants and beneficiaries, 
healthcare providers, and state regulators. These initiatives include 
webcasts, in-person seminars, and nationwide compliance outreach events 
for the regulated community. In fiscal year 2022 through June 30, 2022, 
EBSA conducted 49 compliance assistance outreach events nationwide that 
covered MH/SUD parity, and which were attended by employers, employee 
benefit plan administrators, attorneys, accountants, and other plan 
officials. Attendees received information about their responsibilities 
under Federal laws affecting group health plans, including MHPAEA. In 
addition to the compliance assistance events, EBSA also conducted 103 
participant assistance and public awareness events that educated 
workers and other stakeholders about rights and benefits safeguarded 
under MHPAEA.
    EBSA currently has 229 open MHPAEA investigations as of July 1, 
2022, 124 of which involve one or more possible NQTLs. EBSA is 
increasingly focusing its investigative resources on service providers 
to multiple employer-sponsored health plans to obtain widespread 
corrections and relief impacting participants and beneficiaries of many 
plans across the service providers' books of business. These service 
provider investigations have focused on impermissible restrictions on 
medication assisted treatment (MAT) and exclusions of key services for 
autism and eating disorders, among other issues.
    From February 10, 2021, through June 30, 2022, EBSA requested 
comparative analyses for over 260 unique NQTLs across 97 
investigations. This far exceeded the 20 requests that the Secretary is 
required, by statute, to make each year (in addition to pursuing 
complaints received from the public).
    The comparative analyses EBSA has reviewed in response to these 
requests continue to lack sufficient information upon initial receipt. 
As of June 30, 2022, EBSA has issued insufficiency letters relating to 
182 NQTLs, identifying specific deficiencies in the comparative 
analyses and requesting additional information to remediate those 
deficiencies. In addition, EBSA has issued 54 initial determination 
letters citing plans/issuers for noncompliance related to 74 NQTLs (54 
unique NQTLs). As of June 30, 2022, EBSA has issued 2 final 
determinations of noncompliance.
    EBSA is prioritizing enforcement work on NQTLs impacting the 
adequacy of provider networks and impermissible exclusions of key MH/
SUD treatments for conditions such as autism, eating disorders, and 
substance use disorder and addiction, while continuing to investigate 
NQTLs in the form of prior authorization and concurrent review 
requirements. EBSA will also continue to enforce MHPAEA's provisions 
related to annual and lifetime dollar limits, quantitative treatment 
limitations, financial requirements, disclosures, and coverage in all 
applicable classifications.
    The Office of the Solicitor (SOL) provides legal support for all 
aspects of the Department of Labor's work in enforcing MHPAEA. SOL 
heavily supports EBSA's MHPAEA efforts, which will increase in fiscal 
year 2023 and beyond. In addition to litigating enforcement actions as 
necessary, SOL advises on a wide range of projects, including related 
to regulatory and sub-regulatory initiatives and investigation and 
enforcement approaches. SOL has a substantial number of attorneys 
across the country working to support these efforts.
    This important and critical work advances the Department's 
commitment to serving the needs of the most vulnerable communities, as 
workers suffering from mental health and substance use disorder 
conditions are often economically and socially disadvantaged with 
limited resources to access and pay for care when benefits have been 
improperly denied or limited.
                      feca efforts to combat fraud
    Question. Recent reports estimate that more than 105,000 Americans, 
including more than 1,500 West Virginians, died from drug-related 
overdoses in the last year. This is the highest number ever recorded. 
West Virginia continues to have the highest rate of overdose deaths in 
the country with 90 deaths per 100,000 people. This is almost triple 
the national average of 31.5 deaths per 100,000 people. Fighting the 
drug epidemic is one of my highest priorities. The Department of 
Labor's Budget Request for fiscal year 2023 asks for $108.2 million to 
support the Office of the Inspector General. The Department notes this 
funding for the Office of the Inspector General will be used in part to 
continue oversight work on several ``key areas of risk.'' Specifically, 
the Budget Request notes this funding will be used to fight fraud 
against the Federal Employees' Compensation Act, or FECA, program, as a 
way to address the oversight crisis.
    How will fighting fraud in the FECA program help address the drug 
epidemic?
    Answer. Reducing fraud is a high priority in the FECA program. 
Fighting fraud is critically important to address the drug epidemic and 
prevent future epidemics by actively seeking out patterns of 
overprescribing and areas of potentially harmful prescribing practices 
before they become large scale problems.
    The FECA program utilizes a robust analytics platform to detect 
concerning trends from medical providers as well as anomalous billing 
patterns. The FECA program works closely with Inspectors General 
government-wide to support prosecution efforts. In order to keep pace 
with nefarious provider activity, the FECA program continues to detect 
new and emerging fraud schemes and to implement controls to curtail 
them. In fiscal year 2020, the FECA program's focus remained steadfast 
on fraudulent pharmaceutical practices by enforcing maximum quantities 
for certain prescriptions and drug kits. In fiscal year 2021, needed 
controls were placed on durable medical equipment rentals and platelet 
injection services. In fiscal year 2022, the program completed 
implementation of a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) which provides 
additional tools to safeguard against opioid misuse and many other 
potentially harmful drug interactions.
    The Federal Government has statutory penalties for those who commit 
fraud within FECA's workers' compensation system. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 
Sec. 1347, it is a felony to engage in a scheme designed to defraud a 
Federal healthcare benefit program. Each violation can result in fines 
and up to 10 years imprisonment. The FECA program will continue to 
actively participate in ongoing auditing of medical billing, as well as 
work with the OIG and DOJ to fulfill its requirements to prosecute 
fraud and recoup illegal payments to stop fraudulent medical providers 
who contribute to the opioid drug epidemic.
    These and other collective policy controls and investments, 
beginning with those addressing compounded drugs in 2016, have had 
tremendous success in decreasing the use of opioids, including duration 
and dosage. Reducing fraud in the FECA program and addressing the 
opioid epidemic will remain a high priority of the Office of Workers' 
Compensation Programs.
    In addition, the following information was provided by the Office 
of Inspector General (OIG).
    Fraud, either by FECA medical providers or claimants, facilitates 
the drug epidemic through the illegal distribution of drugs that can 
increase or further addictions.
    The OIG currently has several Office of Workers' Compensation 
Programs (OWCP)-related reviews that focus on various fraud schemes 
involving opioids and other controlled substances including: the 
illegal prescription or distribution of controlled pain medications; 
illegal kickback schemes involving prescribers and pharmacies; and the 
unlawful distribution of controlled substances.
    In order to more timely detect fraud activity, the OIG is seeking 
data from OWCP and their contractors that captures digital information 
for each billing from the OWCP and their contractors. Early 
identification of anomalies in the data, specifically related to 
opioids, will allow the OIG to save taxpayer dollars and protect 
claimants by stopping fraud while it is happening, and illegal 
practices that lead to opioid misuse. This OIG function is independent 
from OWCP's programmatic responsibility to detect fraud and protect 
claimants. We are also working with the OWCP to gain access to these 
reports and findings of their contractors' fraud and analytics 
programs. This will enable the OIG to build on its own data analytic 
models and to identify potential fraud for further investigation.
    DOL's fiscal year 2023 budget request will allow the OIG to 
continue to focus investigative resources on OWCP fraud, particularly 
as it relates to provider fraud involving opioids and other controlled 
substances. Also, additional funding will enable us to thoroughly 
investigate those opioid matters referred to the OIG by the OWCP 
Program Integrity Unit.
    Question. What other initiatives can the Department undertake to 
help end the drug epidemic?
    Answer. The Department strongly supports the Office of the 
Inspector General's work in this area. In addition, the Department is 
addressing some of the root causes and is working to end the drug 
epidemic in various ways, both within the Department's authorities and 
by working with other agencies.
    DOL is committed to working with the Departments of Health and 
Human Services and Treasury (together, the Departments) to use their 
full statutory authority to support the Administration's response to 
address the nation's mental health and substance use disorder epidemics 
through enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity 
Act (MHPAEA). MHPAEA facilitates access to treatment for substance use 
disorders by eliminating discriminatory restrictions in health coverage 
for substance use disorders (such as higher copayments, separate 
deductibles, lower annual visit limits) and other barriers placed on 
treatment (such as stricter preauthorization or medical necessity 
reviews). Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Departments have 
committed to making mental health and substance use disorder parity a 
top enforcement priority. The Departments intend to issue additional 
rulemaking to further clarify MHPAEA's protections for individuals and 
the obligations it imposes on plans and issuers, to facilitate greater 
access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment.
    In the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP), in addition 
to fighting fraud, the Federal Employees' Compensation Program (FECA) 
program also implemented a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) in fiscal 
year 2022, which provides additional tools to safeguard against opioid 
misuse and many other potentially harmful drug interactions.
    Utilizing FECA's PBM, the FECA program has instituted thoughtful 
controls that allow up to a seven-day supply of an approved immediate 
release opioid prescription at a maximum of 90 MME (morphine milligram 
equivalents; the dosage strength) per day for claimants newly 
prescribed opioids, after which the provider must complete a prior 
authorization request to justify continued use. The prior authorization 
is reviewed by the PBM's pharmacists and other healthcare 
professionals, who will consider accepted conditions and surgeries, 
review medication profiles, assess drug-drug interactions and 
therapeutic duplications, assess the need for naloxone, and perform 
other clinical pharmacy checks to assist with optimizing prescribing 
based on nationally recognized guidelines as directed by the FECA 
program before approving continued opioid use.
    The Department will continue to build on existing initiatives to 
address the opioid epidemic and substance use disorder. After awarding 
six initial demonstration grants in 2018 to test innovative approaches, 
the Department has since awarded over $96 million to states, tribes, 
and local areas in response to the opioid crisis. These include 26 
National Health Emergency (NHE) Disaster Recovery Dislocated Worker 
Grants (DWGs) to states and tribal entities, including a grant of 
$10,000,000 to West Virginia, which was active July 1, 2019--June 30, 
2022. Currently, 21 grants remain active. The NHE Disaster Recovery 
DWGs provide reemployment services for individuals impacted by the 
crisis; train individuals to transition into professions that can 
impact the crisis, such as alternative pain management, mental health 
treatment, and addiction treatment; and create temporary employment 
opportunities for peer recovery counselors and other positions that can 
immediately mitigate the impact of the crisis.
    In September 2020, the Department awarded $20 million in grant 
awards to pilot the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes 
Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT Act) grant. The SUPPORT Act 
grants were awarded to four States: Florida, Maryland, Ohio, and 
Wisconsin, and continue through 2024.
    The Department's Chief Evaluation Office conducted an 
implementation evaluation of the initial demonstration grantees, which 
it has since made available on its website and, in partnership with the 
Employment and Training Administration (ETA), shared broadly through 
webinars and conferences.\4\ The Department also continues to provide 
technical assistance, informed by its grants and the implementation 
evaluation, to share promising practices and information to assist 
States and local communities respond to the opioid epidemic and its 
impact on the workforce. This technical assistance includes an online 
community of practice, digital case studies from the evaluation, and a 
series of webinars from June--August 2022 on topics related to the role 
of the workforce system in serving individuals with substance use 
disorders, such as opioid use disorder in construction, recovery-
friendly workplaces, peer recovery support careers, and training 
toolkits for serving individuals with substance use disorder.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\ https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/
NHE%20Opioid%20Final%20Report.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Finally, the fiscal year 2023 President's Budget includes continued 
support for the areas listed above. It also includes resources within 
ETA for workforce training programs throughout the country, including a 
set-aside for workers in the Appalachian and the Lower Mississippi 
regions. Job Corps administers the Trainee Employment Assistance 
Program (TEAP) which includes counseling services and drug testing at 
Job Corps Centers. Additionally, the Department requests $100,000,000 
for economic revitalization and workforce training in communities 
impacted by changes in the energy industry through the POWER+ 
Initiative. Expanding economic opportunities in these regions and 
throughout the country is a key component of addressing the opioid 
epidemic.
               independent contractor rulemaking feedback
    Question. Earlier this month, the Department's Wage and Hour 
Division announced it would engage in rulemaking on whether a worker 
may be considered an independent contractor, or an employee. The rule 
the Department previously put together on this rule was delayed, 
withdrawn, then ultimately reviewed and decided by the courts. As part 
of its announcement, the Wage and Hour Division announced it would hold 
two public forums to hear feedback directly from both employers and 
workers. The public will also have an opportunity to provide comments 
on the rule once it is published in the Federal Register. While it is 
good the Department will consult with both employers and workers as it 
considers a new rule, it is important ensure that the Department fully 
engages with the small business owners and other employers that will be 
directly impacted by this rule.
    How does the Department plan to incorporate feedback from a wide 
array of stakeholders, from small businesses to workers?
    Answer. The Department has been engaging with a wide array of 
stakeholders on this topic since the beginning of this Administration. 
The Department worked with stakeholders to identify business owners and 
their representatives, employers, workers, and advocates, among others, 
to share their input about determining employee or independent 
contractor status for purposes of minimum wage and overtime pay 
protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We continued that 
engagement in widely announced public forums to provide opportunities 
for gathering additional input. During those forums, we heard from 
employers, workers, business owners-- including small business owners--
advocates, freelance organizations, and others from across the country 
who provided valuable information. The Department appreciates the 
robust participation in these forums and took the views expressed 
during this outreach into consideration when drafting the proposal.
    On July 5, 2022, the Department transmitted a draft proposed rule 
on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair 
Labor Standards Act to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 
review. The public will have the opportunity to review and comment 
after publication of any proposed rule in the Federal Register.
                timeline for silica standard rulemaking
    Question. The extraction, refining, and transportation of coal 
generates significant amounts of coal dust, which contains silica. 
While coal dust is hazardous to miners' health on its own, silica is 
classed as a carcinogen and is substantially more dangerous. Excessive 
exposure to silica has been linked to black lung, silicosis, and the 
most lethal type of black lung, progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). As 
you are aware, in 2020 the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of 
Inspector General (OIG) produced a report that was critical of the Mine 
Safety and Health Administration's (MSHA) inadequate efforts to 
safeguard coal miners from crystalline silica exposure. That report 
found MSHA needed to update its regulations to: lower the legal 
exposure limit to silica, improve the ability of the agency to issue 
citations and fines for excess exposure to silica, and increase 
sampling protocols where were found to be too infrequent to protect 
miners adequately. While it is good MSHA announced actions last week to 
ramp up enforcement on silica exposure, more needs to be done.
    Last year your office informed my team that a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking on a Silica standard was scheduled for January 2022. It is 
now June and we have yet to see that proposal. When do you anticipate 
releasing the proposal?
    Answer. We are working hard to publish a Notice of Proposed 
Rulemaking (NPRM) as soon as possible and hope to issue one by the end 
of the year.
    Question. When do you anticipate finalizing that rule?
    Answer. In order to issue a final rule to better protect miners 
from health hazards related to exposure to respirable crystalline 
silica, MSHA must first complete its work and publish the proposed 
rule. At the close of the comment period, MSHA will go through all the 
necessary steps in the regulatory process--including reviewing and 
responding to stakeholder comments and feedback and holding public 
hearings--and include a projected publication date for the final rule 
in an appropriate future Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory 
Actions.
    Assistant Secretary Williamson and MSHA are laser focused on the 
rise in cases of pneumoconiosis, including in parts of Appalachia where 
existing coal seams are thinner and layered in rock containing quartz. 
We know from investigative reporting by NPR and PBS, the National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Coal Workers' 
Health Surveillance Program, and the works of other health experts that 
younger and less experienced miners are increasingly developing some 
form of pneumoconiosis, including the most severe forms of the disease. 
A growing number of experts and research point to respirable 
crystalline silica as the likely cause. Many metal and nonmetal miners 
also work in potentially dangerous mining environments where taking 
proper precautions to limit silica exposures are equally as important.
    In addition to working on an improved health rule, MSHA is taking 
action now under our existing authorities to better protect coal and 
metal and nonmetal miners' health by limiting their exposure to 
respirable crystalline silica. MSHA recently announced a silica 
enforcement initiative that has four primary components: inspections, 
sampling, compliance assistance, and miners' rights. Working together 
with the mining industry, MSHA can take important steps to better 
protect miners from overexposures to toxic levels of respirable dust 
now while the Agency continues to develop a new mandatory health 
standard for respirable crystalline silica. This effort will result in 
more inspections and sampling at mines with repeated silica 
overexposures and for occupations at coal and metal and nonmetal mines 
known to have a high risk of potential silica overexposures.
    Significant elements in the 2023 President's Budget request support 
for the silica enforcement initiative and the respirable crystalline 
silica rulemaking. The resources needed to support these efforts span 
multiple program areas and are presented relative to the 2022 Operating 
Plan:
  --In recent years, MSHA has focused its compliance and technical 
        assistance efforts on reducing accidents caused by powered 
        haulage equipment, which continue to be a leading cause of 
        mining fatalities and serious injuries, and MSHA has increased 
        the agency's emphasis on reducing health hazards in mines, such 
        as respirable coal dust in coal mines, silica/quartz in mines, 
        diesel particulate matter, and noise. The President's Budget 
        requests an additional $34,046,000 in the Mine Safety and 
        Enforcement program area for an additional 150 full time 
        equivalents to continue the increase in health sampling and 
        enforcement activities to ensure that miners' overexposure to 
        respirable dust, quartz/silica, noise, and other health hazards 
        are addressed by mine operators.
  --Compliance assistance, particularly to small operators, is provided 
        through MSHA's Educational Policy and Development (EPD) program 
        area. The Educational Field and Small Mine Services in EPD 
        assists in the development or improvement of the health and 
        safety programs of mine operators and contractors in the mining 
        community. MSHA anticipates compliance assistance will play a 
        key role in aiding operators who reach out for assistance in 
        reducing silica overexposures. The President's Budget requests 
        an additional $163,000 for training and compliance assistance.
  --The President's Budget includes an increase of $2,545,000 to the 
        Office of Standards, Variances, and Regulations to support 
        rulemaking activities, including publishing a proposed rule to 
        protect miners' health from exposure to respirable crystalline 
        silica. The proposal will address the control of respirable 
        silica and the limit of permissible exposure. MSHA will 
        consider the data and information gathered through working with 
        NIOSH and mining stakeholders over the years and through a 
        recent request for information, as well as any relevant 
        information contained in the Occupational Safety and Health 
        Administration's fiscal year 2016 final rule on respirable 
        crystalline silica. Once the proposed rule is published, MSHA 
        will hold public hearings to ensure that it receives feedback 
        from miners and mine stakeholders across the U.S. As it 
        develops the final rule, MSHA will review all public comments 
        received through the comment period.
  --The Technical Support program area also plays a significant role in 
        the silica initiative and the future implementation of the 
        silica rule. The President's Budget requests a $2,315,000 
        increase to the Technical Support budget activity to increase 
        laboratory capacities to allow MSHA to handle an increase in 
        sampling due to the silica enforcement initiative and the 
        respirable crystalline silica health standard under 
        development.
                     black lung disability benefits
    Question. Black lung is a terrible disease caused by inhaling coal 
dust and mainly affects coal miners. After years of dedication to 
providing our Nation with energy, America's coal miners continue to 
face the devastation of black lung disease. We are continuing to see a 
growing number of cases of black lung--particularly in younger miners 
who have spent less time working in the mines. Today, more than 25,000 
coal miners and their dependents rely on the Black Lung Disability 
Trust Fund to pay for critical medical treatments and basic expenses. 
The Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is financed primarily by an excise 
tax on coal produced and sold domestically. In both 2019 and 2020, 
Congress passed 1 year extensions to ensure revenue streams for the 
Trust Fund did not plummet. Unfortunately, the 2021 rates expired on 
December 31, 2021, putting an indebted Trust Fund in a precarious 
financial situation.
    While Congress continues to work to find a path forward for Senator 
Manchin's bill that would extend the 2021 excise tax rate for 10 years, 
can we continue to count on the Department to protect and maintain 
these critical benefits?
    Answer. Yes, you and all miners and survivors who receive benefits 
under the Black Lung Benefits Act (BLBA) can continue to count on the 
Department of Labor to protect and maintain these critical benefits. 
The Department of Labor does not want miners already burdened with 
black lung disease or their families to feel uncertain about the 
future. The Department has made it clear that miners and their 
survivors will continue to receive their Federal black lung benefits. 
The Department is working hard to make sure that mining communities 
understand that the U.S. Treasury is required by law to provide the 
Trust Fund with sufficient money to pay all benefits due regardless of 
tax revenues.
    However, as you are aware, Congress intended that Federal black 
lung benefits primarily be paid by responsible coal mine operators, not 
the U.S. taxpayer. When coal excise tax shortfalls require the Federal 
black lung program to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to cover the cost 
of benefits, taxpayers are footing the bill, not the coal mining 
industry. Thus, the Department applauds Congress for permanently 
reinstating the coal excise tax rates of $1.10 per ton of underground-
mined coal and 55 cents for surface-mined coal in the Inflation 
Reduction Act of 2022. Mining communities can rest assured that their 
benefits are not in jeopardy.
                                 ______
                                 
                Questions Submitted by Senator Roy Blunt
           workforce opportunity for rural communities grants
    Question. The fiscal year 2018 LHHS bill began a $30 million set-
aside from the Dislocated Worker Assistance National Reserve to provide 
employment assistance and workforce training to workers in the 
Appalachian and Lower Mississippi Delta regions, which increased to $45 
million in fiscal year 2022 and now includes the Northern Border 
Regional Commission. The fiscal year 2023 budget request includes $35 
million, and does not include the Northern Border Regional Commission 
in the set- aside. There have been three rounds of WORC grants awarded 
thus far; Missouri received more than $3.5 million in funding in the 
second grant round, but did not receive any funding in the first or 
third rounds.
    What is the application process for these grants, and how important 
is geographic diversity when making final award determinations?
    Answer. As in all competitive grants, the merit review and 
selection process for the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities 
(WORC) grant initiative is published within each year's Funding 
Opportunity Announcement (FOA). A technical merit review panel 
carefully evaluates applications against the selection criteria to 
determine the merit of applications. These criteria are based on the 
policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in the FOA. The final 
scores serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for 
funding, and the Grant Officer reserves the right to take into 
consideration other relevant factors when applicable, such as the 
geographic distribution of funds. The Employment and Training 
Administration (ETA) notes that each year we receive many high-quality, 
high-scoring applications, making the WORC funding opportunity highly 
competitive. Available Federal funding determines the number of grants 
that can be awarded each year under the WORC competition. Complete 
information regarding the WORC grant initiative, including awards 
funded in Rounds 1--3, is available at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/
eta/dislocated-workers/grants/workforce-opportunity.\5\
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    \5\ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/dislocated-workers/grants/
workforce-opportunity.
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    The FOA for WORC contains all the information and links to forms 
needed to apply for grant funding and is published at www.Grants.gov 
and https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm.\6\ At each of the 
links below for WORC Rounds 1--3, see the ``Related Documents'' tab for 
the published FOA:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  --WORC 1: FOA-ETA-19-08 \7\
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    \7\ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-
opportunity.html?oppId=315986.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  --WORC 2: FOA-ETA-20-04 \8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-
opportunity.html?oppId=326678.
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  --WORC 3: FOA-ETA-21-08 \9\
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    \9\ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-
opportunity.html?oppId=333025.
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    ETA also notes that the fiscal year 2023 Budget baseline and 
discretionary funding decisions were finalized before Congress 
completed its work on fiscal year 2022 appropriations in March, 
including the addition of the Northern Border Region as an eligible 
region for WORC grants. The Administration has committed to working 
with Congress going forward to adjust recommendations for fiscal year 
2023 appropriations where relevant.
    Question. Is the Department working with the Delta Regional 
Authority to provide technical assistance to ensure that entities 
applying have the necessary information and assistance to write the 
best grant application possible?
    Answer. Yes. ETA supports the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) and 
potential applicants in several ways. First, ETA transfers funding each 
year to DRA in order to host direct technical assistance sessions for 
potential applicants, which includes help with understanding the 
requirements of the WORC program and how applicants can best develop 
applications that can be competitive for funding. While DRA plans and 
hosts these events, ETA provides support for specific issue areas 
including grant requirements and performance reporting. ETA regional 
offices regularly share potential grant opportunities with local 
networks and provide technical assistance to grantees during the period 
of performance.
    Second, ETA--in partnership with both the Appalachian Regional 
Commission (ARC) and DRA--hosts an annual web-based technical 
assistance session that covers the requirements of the WORC program for 
that particular funding year and discusses the application 
requirements. For the 4th round of WORC this technical assistance 
webinar was held on May 23 for eligible applicants from both the 
Appalachian and Delta regions.
                  independent contractor proposed rule
    Question. The Department recently announced it is developing a new 
proposed independent contractor rule on determining employee or 
independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 
Department held forums in June to hear from stakeholders from those who 
might be affected my employee or independent contractor classification. 
We need to ensure that our small businesses and relevant stakeholder 
industries have a seat at the table as the Department goes through the 
rulemaking process.
    What are your plans to ensure that a new rulemaking won't adversely 
impact small businesses or the broader economy?
    Answer. The Department has been engaging with a wide array of 
stakeholders on this topic since the beginning of this Administration. 
The Department worked with stakeholders to identify business owners and 
their representatives, employers, workers, and advocates, among others, 
to share their input about determining employee or independent 
contractor status for purposes of minimum wage and overtime pay 
protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act. We continued that 
engagement in widely announced public forums to provide opportunities 
for gathering additional input. During those forums, we heard from 
employers, workers, business owners--including small business owners--
advocates, freelance organizations, and others from across the country 
who provided valuable information. The Department appreciates the 
robust participation in these forums and took the views expressed 
during this outreach into consideration when drafting the proposal.
    On July 5, 2022, the Department transmitted a draft proposed rule 
on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair 
Labor Standards Act to OMB for review. The public will have the 
opportunity to review and comment after publication of any proposed 
rule in the Federal Register.
    Question. What is your timeframe with respect to this rulemaking?
    Answer. On July 5, 2022, the Department transmitted a draft 
proposed rule on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification 
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act to OMB for review. The public will 
have the opportunity to review and comment after publication of any 
proposed rule in the Federal Register.
           proposed prohibited transaction exemption changes
    Question. I am concerned about the proposed regulations to change 
the procedures governing prohibited transaction exemptions. The 
proposal includes eliminating the ability to discuss an exemption with 
the Department prior to officially requesting one, as well as 
redefining ``independent fiduciary'' as someone who has never 
previously received funds, and will not receive funds, for performing 
independent fiduciary services. As part of the creation of the 
exemption process, Congress explicitly required that any exemption 
granted must provide a benefit to all parties involved.
    Will these proposed regulatory changes effectively eliminate the 
exemption process?
    Answer. On March 15, 2022, the Department published a proposed rule 
that, if adopted, would supersede the existing procedure governing the 
filing and processing of applications for administrative exemptions 
from the prohibited transaction provisions of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 
and the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (FERSA). The 
rule proposes to update the Department's prohibited transaction 
exemption procedures, which the Department updated most recently in 
2011.
    The proposed rule would create more clarity, certainty, and 
transparency around the exemption application process. In doing so, it 
would promote the Department's prompt and efficient consideration of 
all exemption applications by, among other things: (1) clarifying the 
types of information and documentation required for a complete 
application; (2) revising the definitions of a qualified independent 
fiduciary and qualified independent appraiser in order to ensure their 
independence; (3) clarifying the content of specific reports and 
documents applicants must submit in order to ensure that the Department 
receives sufficient information to make the requisite findings under 
ERISA Section 408(a) to issue an exemption; (4) updating various timing 
requirements to ensure clarity in the application review process; (5) 
specifying items that are included in the administrative record for an 
application and when the administrative record is available for public 
inspection; and (6) expanding opportunities for applicants to submit 
information to the Department electronically.
    The public comment period for the rule has closed, and the 
Department is carefully reviewing the 29 comments that it received. The 
Department will use these comments to inform any revisions it makes to 
the proposal at the final rulemaking stage.
                                 ______
                                 
               Questions Submitted by Senator Mike Braun
                 coastwide labor contract negotiations
    Question. Secretary Walsh, the International Longshore and 
Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) are 
currently negotiating a new coastwide labor contract that will cover 
all 29 West Coast ports. The current contract is set to expire on July 
1. As we have seen from previous negotiations, it is unlikely that the 
parties will reach a new agreement before July. Previous negotiations 
have witnessed significant disruption issues which have negatively 
impacted the economy.
    What is the administration doing to ensure that the parties remain 
at the table, negotiate in good faith and don't engage in any kind of 
disruptive activity?
    Answer. We need to acknowledge that collective bargaining is a 
process in which the parties to the negotiation work out the terms and 
conditions of employment. In this case, the best role for government is 
to encourage the parties to commit themselves fully to collective 
bargaining that reaches an agreement. That's what this Administration 
is doing.
    As the Administration's point person on the negotiation, I have 
been in touch with the parties for months and have met with and talked 
to the various players--the ports, retailers, shippers, trucking 
companies, and unions--to get a sense of the issues relating to the 
supply chain.
    As you note, the current collective bargaining agreement expired on 
July 1, but the parties are still at the table making progress and have 
expressed their commitment to the bargaining process. In fact, on July 
26, the ILWU and PMA announced that they had reached a tentative 
agreement on terms for health benefits--a promising step. Meanwhile, 
cargo is still moving through the ports, and in fact, the Port of LA 
reached another record in June.
    The fact that the parties are still bargaining past the expiration 
date of their contract is not unusual--in fact, it is typical for their 
negotiations. I am in regular touch with the parties to support them in 
this process, and we feel positive about the parties reaching an 
agreement.
    Question. With all of the ongoing supply chain challenges we are 
facing, which is a significant cause of record inflation, how concerned 
is the administration about the potential for disruptions to cause 
further supply chain challenges? [Question background]
    Answer. The administration is very attuned to the potential impact 
of these major negotiations on supply chains. The port negotiations are 
not going to solve our supply chain challenges, which pre-date and are 
far larger than these negotiations. That said, we are working to 
support the parties in this collective bargaining process to help them 
reach an agreement, and we feel positive about the parties reaching an 
agreement.
           rulemaking for determining independent contractors
    Question. Independent Contractor Rules under the Fair Labor 
Standards Act (FLSA)--Recently, the Labor Department announced its 
intention to overturn workable, modernized rule that clarify whether 
certain workers are independent contractors or employees. Under the 
current rules, the Labor Department make the independent contractor vs. 
employee determination based on two main factors: the nature and degree 
of the worker's control over the work and the worker's opportunity for 
profit or loss based on initiative or investment. I've heard from many 
constituents that they like the flexibility of being an independent 
contractor.
    How does the Department plan to address this issue? Will you impose 
the so- called ``ABC Test'' which failed so spectacularly in 
California?
    Answer. On July 5, 2022, the Department transmitted a draft 
proposed rule on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification 
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act to the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review. The public will have the opportunity to review 
and comment after publication of any proposed rule.
    Because the Department is currently engaged in rulemaking and the 
proposed rule has been submitted to OMB for review, the Department 
cannot discuss the contents of the proposed rule at this time.
    Question. Do you believe the only way to implement an ``ABC'' style 
test would be through regulation?
    Answer. The Administration is committed to ending the abusive 
practice of misclassifying employees as independent contractors, which 
deprives these workers of critical protections and benefits. In 
addition to including funding in the Budget for stronger enforcement, 
the Administration intends to work with the Congress to develop 
comprehensive legislation to strengthen and extend protections against 
misclassification across appropriate Federal statutes. The President 
strongly endorses a comprehensive approach to ending the unlawful 
practice of misclassification and holding violators accountable. He has 
called on Congress to develop legislation to adopt the ABC test and 
create substantive violations for misclassifying workers across 
appropriate statutes, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the 
Family and Medical Leave Act.
                      the joint employer standard
    Question. Joint Employer Standard under the FLSA--I have many small 
business franchise owners in my state. They provide employment 
opportunities to my constituents and serve the public in their 
respective communities. These franchise owners need a clear and 
workable joint employer standard. Businesses simply should not be 
liable for other businesses out of their control. The Administration 
has already begun to regulate on the issue of joint employment.
    Can you describe for the Committee the Administration plans for 
this area?
    Answer. On July 30, 2021, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) issued a 
final rule rescinding the prior administration's Joint Employer Under 
the Fair Labor Standards Act rule because it introduced an unduly 
narrow standard that had been invalidated by a U.S. District Court for 
the Southern District of New York. That rescission took effect on 
October 5, 2021.
    WHD continues to apply applicable caselaw for determining joint 
employment under the FLSA. WHD pursues joint employer liability in 
appropriate cases where an employment relationship exists between the 
worker and the employer in order to ensure that workers receive the 
wages that are owed to them.
                 white collar overtime salary threshold
    Question. White Collar Overtime Salary Threshold--The Department 
has begun taking comment on the minimum threshold at which an employee 
is exempt from overtime protections. The Obama Administration issued a 
rule on this threshold, but it was struck down by a Federal court. If 
the Labor Department sets that threshold too high, I fear it could 
hinder employers seeking to fill middle-management positions.
    As you move forward with these new regulations, how will you 
determine where the threshold should be?
    Answer. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exempts from overtime 
and minimum wage pay protections bona fide executive, administrative, 
and professional employees who meet certain requirements, including a 
salary level test. These exemptions are often called the ``white-
collar'' exemptions. The current salary threshold is $684 per week, the 
equivalent of an annual salary of $35,568.
    The Department has committed to updating the salary level more 
frequently, and the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division 
previously announced that it plans to update the regulations that 
implement the FLSA's minimum wage and overtime exemptions for bona fide 
executive, administrative, and professional employees.
    This spring, the Department held a series of listening sessions 
across the country to hear diverse views of participants on possible 
revisions to the regulations, as we did prior to issuing proposed 
updates to these regulations in the past two administrations. This 
series of listening sessions is important as we review the white-collar 
exemption regulations. At this time, no proposed rule has been issued. 
Once a proposed rule is published in the Federal Register, there will 
be a notice and comment period allowing all interested parties an 
opportunity to review the proposal and provide formal written comments.
                    employer injury and illness data
    Question. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration has 
announced plans to force employers to submit injury and illness data to 
OSHA's Washington headquarters. OSHA plans to then publicize the data. 
Obviously, this could result in breach of confidentiality of workers' 
personal health information.
    What procedures are you planning to ensure that this will not 
occur? Will you take measures to ensure employers' confidential 
information will not be released?
    Answer. OSHA has preliminarily determined that the proposed data 
collection would adequately protect information that reasonably 
identifies individuals directly. For example, OSHA would not require 
employers to submit information from the recordkeeping forms that 
directly identifies an employee, such as an employee's name or Social 
Security Number. Further, OSHA plans to use the latest automated 
information technology to detect and remove information that reasonably 
identifies individuals directly before submitted information is posted 
online. This privacy scrubbing technology is capable of de-identifying 
certain information that reasonably identifies individuals directly 
(such as name, phone number, email address, etc.) that may be 
inadvertently submitted by employers to the system.
    OSHA does not intend to release any confidential employer 
information. Similar to current electronic submission requirements, the 
proposed rule would not require employers to submit their confidential 
information to OSHA.
    Question. Further, what usefulness will this information have to 
anyone? Is the Department's real goal to give this information to labor 
unions who will use this data to access workers' private information, 
foster support for their organizing efforts, and/or pressure employers 
in negotiations?
    Answer. OSHA intends to use the injury/illness case-specific data:
  --To support OSHA's statutory directive to ``assure so far as 
        possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and 
        healthful working conditions and to preserve our human 
        resources'' (29 U.S.C. 651(b)) ``by providing for appropriate 
        reporting procedures with respect to occupational safety and 
        health which procedures will help achieve the objectives of 
        this Act and accurately describe the nature of the occupational 
        safety and health problem'' (29 U.S.C. 651(b)(12)).
  --To help identify workplaces where workers are most at risk from 
        specific hazards in order to assist OSHA in better targeting 
        enforcement and compliance assistance resources.
  --To provide information that supports evaluation of OSHA's existing 
        programs and development of new programs.
  --To make information available to all of the stakeholders in 
        workplace health and safety, including employers, workers and 
        prospective workers, customers and prospective customers, 
        occupational safety and health professionals, and researchers 
        so that they can better understand the nature of injuries and 
        illnesses within industries, identify solutions for preventing 
        these injuries, and make more informed decisions.
              mental health parity requirement enforcement
    Question. DOL has championed civil monetary penalties to enforce 
mental health parity requirements. Unfortunately, employers are 
reporting that compliance guidance is lacking in this area.
    Mr. Secretary, will you commit to providing adequate guidance 
before assessing penalties upon employers?
    Answer. DOL, along with the Departments of Health and Human 
Services and the Treasury (together, the Departments), has issued 
multiple rounds of guidance for group health plans, health insurance 
issuers, and other stakeholders to facilitate the implementation and 
enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 
2008 (MHPAEA), including 15 sets of FAQs with 96 questions, 7 
enforcement fact sheets, 6 compliance assistance tools and templates, 6 
reports to Congress, 6 press releases, and 7 publications. In addition, 
the Departments regularly conduct outreach initiatives to improve the 
understanding of MHPAEA among stakeholders, state regulators, and 
others, through annual webcasts, in-person seminars, and nationwide 
compliance assistance events. In addition to these initiatives, DOL 
provides informal compliance assistance to stakeholders on an ongoing 
basis, regularly assisting plans, issuers, and other stakeholders who 
contact DOL with compliance questions.
    As part of the Departments' ongoing efforts regarding mental health 
and substance use disorder parity, DOL maintains a compliance program 
guidance document entitled the MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool, which is 
intended to help plans and issuers, state regulators, and other parties 
comply with MHPAEA. Section 13001(a) of the 21st Century Cures Act 
added section 2726(a)(6) of the Public Health Service Act, which 
directs the Departments to provide a publicly available compliance 
program guidance document that is updated every 2 years, and the 
Department has used its MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool as the mechanism to 
fulfill this requirement. The most recent MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool, 
issued in 2020, includes a process for conducting non-quantitative 
treatment limitations (NQTL) comparative analyses, a list of the types 
of documents and information that a plan or issuer should have 
available to support its analyses, and illustrations of specific fact 
patterns to aid in compliance.
    Moreover, the Departments issue subregulatory guidance on an 
ongoing basis to ensure that the regulated community has the guidance 
it needs to comply with MHPAEA. Most recently, on April 2, 2021, the 
Departments issued FAQs about Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder 
Parity Implementation and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
Part 45 (FAQs Part 45) to provide guidance on the amendments to MHPAEA 
made by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) and to promote 
compliance by plans and issuers. FAQs Part 45 describes the information 
that must be included in a sufficient NQTL comparative analysis, and 
notes that a comparative analysis that consists of conclusory or 
generalized statements, without specific supporting evidence and 
detailed explanations, or the production of a large volume of documents 
without a clear explanation of how and why each document is relevant to 
the comparative analysis, is insufficient. The FAQs also provide 
guidance as to the types of documents that plans and issuers should be 
prepared to make available to support the analysis and conclusions 
reached in their comparative analyses.
    In addition to FAQs Part 45, the Departments issued the 2022 MHPAEA 
Report to Congress in January 2022, highlighting notable compliance 
assistance efforts, including stakeholder outreach, webinars, and 
guidance for the regulated community. The Departments are working to 
issue another Report to Congress as required under Section 203 of Title 
II of Division BB of the CAA on enforcement efforts related to NQTL 
comparative analyses. Additionally, the Employee Benefits Security 
Administration expects to update its MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool again 
in 2022.
    As explained in the 2022 MHPAEA Report to Congress, the 
Departments' enforcement efforts are and will continue to be informed 
by stakeholder feedback. Accordingly, in the Spring 2022 Unified 
Regulatory Agenda, the Departments announced their intent to issue 
notice and comment rulemaking to consider what amendments to MHPAEA's 
implementing regulations are warranted, in light of their experience 
enforcing the law as well as the subsequent amendments made to MHPAEA. 
The Departments look forward to additional stakeholder feedback on 
MHPAEA through comments received in response to this future rulemaking.
                   tree care industry osha standards
    Question. Many of my constituents in the Tree Care Industry are 
eager to see OSHA issue a standard that clarifies and codifies safe 
work practices for tree care operations. My understanding is the 
Federal Government currently regulates the tree care industry with a 
mishmash of standards intended for other industries and this has 
created confusion for enforcement officers, tree care companies and 
clients and workers. The industry has been pushing OSHA to address the 
problem for more than two decades. Some States have acted and issued 
tree care specific standards, but OSHA has been slow to do so as it 
pursues other priorities, most of which do not enjoy the same level of 
support. The Fall 2021 regulatory agenda listed June as the target date 
for a proposed standard.
    Will OSHA meet this target date and if not, when do you anticipate 
OSHA will issue the proposed standard?
    Answer. OSHA's standard-setting process is a long process that 
includes a multitude of procedural and legal requirements, as well as 
OSHA's evidentiary requirements and public participation. OSHA began 
working on a Tree Care Operations standard in 2008, with the 
publication of an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM). This 
document provided much background and gave stakeholders the opportunity 
to answer questions on work procedures, costs, and their experience 
with safety and health in the tree care industry. In 2016, OSHA 
continued with the rulemaking process and held a stakeholder meeting. 
In May 2020, OSHA completed the Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) 
Panel, a required step to obtain early input from small business 
representatives. These phases are crucial for OSHA to develop a 
complete and robust standard to protect all employees performing tree 
care. Transcripts and reports from the previous phases of rulemaking 
can be found on the OSHA website: Tree Care Operations Rulemaking.\10\
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    \10\ https://www.osha.gov/tree-care/rulemaking.
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    Due to pressing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, since the 
beginning of this Administration, OSHA has focused its attention on 
COVID-19 Healthcare rulemaking--in addition to Heat Illness Prevention 
rulemaking. As a result, OSHA will not meet the target date of June 
2022 for the development of a rule for Tree Care Operations. OSHA is 
reevaluating the timeframe for rulemaking and anticipates publishing a 
proposed rule for Tree Care Operations in fiscal year 2023. The 
rulemaking team participates in monthly American National Standards for 
Arboricultural Operations--Safety Requirements (ANSI Z133) meetings 
with the tree care industry and has held several meetings with the Tree 
Care Industry Association (TCIA) providing updates as appropriate. OSHA 
also provides robust guidance for the industry on its Tree Care 
Industry Safety and Health Topics Page.\11\ Tree Care Operations 
rulemaking is a priority, and the Agency is consistently working 
towards a published proposed rule.
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    \11\ https://www.osha.gov/tree-care.
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                          SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS

    Senator Murray. This subcommittee is adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 10:54 a.m., Wednesday, June 15, the 
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of 
the Chair.]