[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 182 (Thursday, September 21, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 65111-65112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-20605]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 182 / Thursday, September 21, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 65111]]


                Proclamation 10626 of September 15, 2023

                
National Farm Safety and Health Week, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America's farmers, farmworkers, and ranchers are the 
                backbone of our Nation. They feed our families, power 
                much of our economy, and help America lead the world. 
                We owe them the dignity and certainty of knowing they 
                are safe on the job. During National Farm Safety and 
                Health Week, we renew our Nation's commitment to 
                protecting the well-being of everyone who works in 
                agriculture.

                The prosperity that American farms provide our Nation 
                can come with great personal risk. Agriculture has long 
                been one of our most dangerous industries, with nearly 
                six times as many fatalities as other industries, often 
                due to tractor rollovers and road accidents while 
                moving equipment from farm to field. Heavy labor, 
                unsafe pesticides, extreme heat and weather, volatile 
                markets, and other uncertainties can cause stress and 
                injury. At the same time, nearly 200 rural hospitals 
                have closed since 2005, making it harder to find 
                emergency treatment and health care in agricultural 
                areas.

                When I ran for office, I promised to be the most pro-
                worker President in history and to get rural 
                communities the resources they need to keep everyone 
                healthy and safe. My Administration has fought to keep 
                workers safe on the job--including issuing the first-
                ever Heat Hazard Alert, ramping up enforcement of heat-
                safety violations, increasing inspections in high-risk 
                industries like agriculture, and working toward a 
                national standard for workplace heat-safety rules. The 
                Department of Agriculture is investing $500 million in 
                American Rescue Plan funds in rural health care 
                services so more Americans can get needed care closer 
                to home. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing 
                $65 billion in broadband, boosting access to remote 
                telehealth services. The Inflation Reduction Act is 
                slashing health care coverage premiums and prescription 
                drug prices for seniors. At the same time, we have 
                proposed new rules to require health insurers to cover 
                mental health care the way they would anything else, 
                moving toward real mental health parity. We have opened 
                140 new Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics 
                and launched the nationwide Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 
                (9-8-8) connecting those in crisis to trained 
                counselors by phone, text, or chat.

                Meanwhile, my Administration is also focused on growing 
                the rural economy more broadly. We are getting States 
                the funds they need to expand access to small and 
                midsized meat and poultry processing so producers have 
                a better shot at fair prices. We are harnessing the 
                bioeconomy and creating new revenue streams for farmers 
                by supporting new and innovative products, like plant-
                based packing materials and sustainable aviation fuels. 
                Throughout, we are making sure small and midsized 
                farmers and ranchers have a chance to succeed right 
                where they are from so the wealth they generate stays 
                in their communities and their children can keep 
                farming, building a stronger rural economy long-term.

                America's farms, farmworkers, and ranchers represent 
                the best of our Nation. Working together, we can make 
                sure they have all they need to live healthy and safe 
                lives.

[[Page 65112]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 17 
                through September 23, 2023, as National Farm Safety and 
                Health Week. I call upon the people of the United 
                States--including America's farmers; ranchers; and 
                agriculture-related institutions, organizations, and 
                businesses--to reaffirm a dedication to farm safety and 
                health. I also urge all Americans to express 
                appreciation and gratitude to our farmers, farmworkers, 
                and ranchers for their tireless service to our Nation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                fifteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                eighth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-20605
Filed 9-20-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P