I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1706 
To authorize the Department of Labor’s voluntary protection program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 22, 2023 
Mrs. HARSHBARGER (for herself and Mr. THOMPSON of California) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce 
A BILL 
To authorize the Department of Labor’s voluntary protection 
program. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Michael Enzi Vol-
untary Protection Program Act’’. 
SEC. 2. MICHAEL ENZI VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of 
Labor shall establish a program of entering into coopera-
tive agreements with employers to encourage the establish-
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ment of comprehensive safety and health management sys-
tems that include— 
(1) requirements for systematic assessment of 
hazards; 
(2) comprehensive hazard prevention, mitiga-
tion, and control programs; 
(3) active and meaningful management and em-
ployee participation in the voluntary program de-
scribed in subsection (b); and 
(4) employee safety and health training. 
(b) MICHAEL ENZI VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PRO-
GRAM ESTABLISHED.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor 
shall establish and carry out a voluntary protec-
tion program (consistent with subsection (a)) to 
encourage excellence and recognize the achieve-
ment of excellence in both the technical and 
managerial protection of employees from occu-
pational hazards. 
(B) DESIGNATION.—The voluntary protec-
tion program carried out under this section 
shall be known as the ‘‘Michael Enzi Voluntary 
Protection Program’’ (referred to in this Act as 
the ‘‘Program’’). 
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(2) PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.—The Program 
shall include the following: 
(A) APPLICATION.—Employers who volun-
teer under the Program shall be required to 
submit an application to the Secretary of Labor 
demonstrating that the worksite with respect to 
which the application is made meets such re-
quirements as the Secretary of Labor may re-
quire for participation in the Program. 
(B) ONSITE
EVALUATIONS.—There shall 
be onsite evaluations by representatives of the 
Secretary of Labor to ensure a high level of 
protection of employees. The onsite visits shall 
not result in enforcement of citations under the 
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 
(29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.). 
(C) INFORMATION.—Employers who are 
approved by the Secretary of Labor for partici-
pation in the Program shall assure the Sec-
retary of Labor that information about the 
safety and health program shall be made read-
ily available to the Secretary of Labor to share 
with employees. 
(D) REEVALUATIONS.—Periodic reevalua-
tions by the Secretary of Labor of the employ-
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ers shall be required for continued participation 
in the Program. 
(3) MONITORING.—To ensure proper controls 
and measurement of program performance for the 
Program under this section, the Secretary of Labor 
shall direct the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Oc-
cupational Safety and Health to take the following 
actions: 
(A) Develop a documentation policy re-
garding information on follow-up actions taken 
by the regional offices of the Occupational Safe-
ty and Health Administration in response to fa-
talities and serious injuries at worksites partici-
pating in the Program. 
(B) Establish internal controls that ensure 
consistent compliance by the regional offices of 
the Occupational Safety and Health Adminis-
tration with the Program policies of the Occu-
pational Safety and Health Administration for 
conducting onsite reviews and monitoring injury 
and illness rates, to ensure that only qualified 
worksites participate in the Program. 
(C) Establish a system for monitoring the 
performance of the Program by developing spe-
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