House committee advances bill to align Kentucky workplace-safety rules with federal OSHA amid labor opposition

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The House Standing Committee on Economic Development and Workforce Investment voted to advance House Bill 398, as amended by a committee substitute, during its first meeting of the February 2025 session. The bill sponsor said the measure is intended to align Kentucky's occupational safety and health rules with federal OSHA standards; labor representatives said it would reduce protections and limit who may request safety inspections.

The committee adopted a committee substitute and then passed House Bill 398 with the substitute. Proponents, including the bill sponsor and business advocates, described the measure as a way to clarify and streamline enforcement so that state rules track federal rules. Opponents from organized labor and construction trades warned the change would remove existing Kentucky protections, limit who can request inspections and expose the state to new legal and financial liabilities.

Representative Walker Thomas of District 8, who introduced the bill, told the committee the measure is intended to "ensure worker safety while also creating fair and more transparent rules for employers" and to "align Kentucky's occupational health and safety rules with federal standards." He said the bill does not change Kentucky's status as a state-plan jurisdiction: "This bill does not make any of those changes," referring to the state-run program that implements OSHA…