FARM Act

To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to provide notice and comment rulemaking for the revised enforcement policy relating to the exemption of retail facilities from coverage of the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals standard under section 1910.119(a)(2)(i) of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fertilizer Access and Responsible Management Act FARM Act 2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration process safety management standard (a) Withdrawal of policy (1) In general The Secretary of Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, shall withdraw the revised enforcement policy relating to the exemption of retail facilities from coverage of the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals standard under section 1910.119(a)(2)(i) of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, issued as a memorandum by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on July 22, 2015. (2) Enforcement The Secretary of Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, shall enforce section 1910.119(a)(2)(i) of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling) in the same manner as such section was enforced on July 21, 2015, unless such section is amended in accordance with subsection (b). (b) Requirements for rulemaking (1) Proposed rule The Secretary may publish any proposed rule relating to the exemption of retail facilities from coverage of the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals standard under section 1910.119(a)(2)(i) of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation or ruling) only if— (A) the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, arranges for an independent third party to conduct a cost analysis of such proposed rule, and the Secretary includes such analysis in the publication of the proposed rule; and (B) the Bureau of the Census establishes a code for farm supply retailers under sector 44–45 (relating to retail trade) of the North American Industry Classification System. (2) Notice and comment In promulgating any rule related to the exemption described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, shall— (A) provide notice and comment rulemaking in accordance with section 553 of title 5, United States Code; and (B) invite meaningful public participation in such rulemaking.

Summary: Fertilizer Access and Responsible Management Act or the FARM Act This bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to withdraw its revised enforcement policy published on July 22, 2015, concerning the exemption of retail facilities from coverage of the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals standard. (The standard contains requirements for managing hazards associated with processes using highly hazardous chemicals.) OSHA may publish a proposed rule relating to that exception only if: (1) it arranges for an independent third party to conduct a cost analysis of the proposed rule, and (2) the U.S. Census Bureau establishes a code for farm supply retailers under the North American Industry Classification System in a sector relating to retail trade. OSHA, when promulgating a rule relating to the exemption of retail facilities from coverage of the standards, must provide an opportunity for the public to submit comments as specified by the bill and invite meaningful public input in the rulemaking.