[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 59 (Monday, April 26, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2643-S2644]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ENZI (for himself and Ms. Landrieu):
  S. 3257. A bill to authorize the Department of Labor's voluntary 
protection program and to expand the program to include more small 
businesses; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with 
Senator Landrieu known as the Voluntary Protection Program Act. This 
bill will codify the Voluntary Protection Program, or VPP, expand it to 
include more small businesses, and incorporate recent GAO 
recommendations for program improvements.
  No program has been more successful in creating such a culture of 
safety in the workplace than VPP. Since it was created in 1982, 
Republican and Democrat administrations alike have fostered its growth 
to now 2,284 worksites, a quarter of which are unionized, and it covers 
almost a million employees. The bipartisan support for VPP continues 
into this Congress. Last week, the Senate Budget Committee unanimously 
approved an amendment to preserve VPP budget authority and Chairman 
Conrad noted that the program actually saves taxpayer dollars.

[[Page S2644]]

  Worksites that pass the rigorous evaluation process and become VPP 
sites have an average Days Away Restricted or Transferred, DART, case 
rate of 52 percent below the average for its industry. In recent years, 
smaller worksites have made significant strides in VPP, increasing from 
28 percent of VPP sites in 2003 to 39 percent in 2008.
  The innovative program doesn't just keep employees safer; as I have 
noted, it also saves both the VPP companies and the taxpayers money. In 
2007, Federal Agency VPP participants saved the government more than 
$59 million by avoiding injuries and private sector VPP participants 
saved more than $300 million. Additionally, when workplaces make the 
significant commitment to safety required by VPP, it allows OSHA to 
focus its resources where they are most needed. VPP Participant 
employers contribute a great deal to the VPP program expenditures. VPP 
participants have assigned approximately 1,200 of their own employees 
to act as OSHA Special Government Employees, SGEs, who conduct onsite 
evaluations for OSHA.
  Despite the strong bipartisan support for VPP and its very positive 
results, the need for this legislation has become painfully clear. The 
administration's fiscal year 2011 Budget Request proposed eliminating 
the small amount it takes to administer VPP--$3.125 million and sought 
to transfer the 35 FTEs it takes to run the program to other functions. 
The budget proposal stated that OSHA was seeking ``alternative non-
federal forms of funding'' and working closely with stakeholders, but, 
to date, no plan to secure such funding has been offered by the 
administration or in either the House or Senate authorizing committee. 
To the extent such ``alternative funding'' is bureaucratic code for a 
fee-based system such a proposal is simply not workable and completely 
counterproductive. Participating employers already voluntarily absorb 
significant costs to participate in the current program. Asking 
businesses--particularly small businesses, and particularly in the 
current economic environment--to take on more costs will only result in 
them dropping out of the program. Further still, a fee-based system 
simply destroys the credibility and integrity of VPP participation for 
employees.
  I would like to thank Senator Landrieu for working with me on this 
important legislation.
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