H.R. 2728: Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2003-07-15 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 535.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2003-07-15 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Norwood, Charles W. [R-GA-9] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 183 (2004): On Passage, HR2728 (2004-05-18), Passed. See all
Where it stands now: Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 535. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act of 2004

Plain summary

Title I: Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act - Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act of 2004 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) to exempt employers from a 15-day deadline for notifying the Secretary of Labor of their intent to contest citations, notices of uncorrected violations, and proposed penalties issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), if their failure to meet such deadline results from mistake, inadvertence, surprise, or excusable neglect. Title II: Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Efficiency Act - Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission Efficiency Act of 2004 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) to increase the membership of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC) from three to five. Requires the presence of three of such five members to constitute a quorum. Includes an individual's legal training among possible qualifications for OSHRC membership. Authorizes the President to extend for up to 365 days the term of an OSHRC member until a nominated successor is confirmed to serve by the Senate. Title III: Occupational Safety and Health Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act - Occupational Safety and Health Independent Review of OSHA Citations Act of 2004 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) to revise judicial review provisions to require deference to be given to reasonable conclusions of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), with respect to all questions of law that are subject to agency deference under governing court precedent relating to citations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) against businesses for violations of the OSH Act. Title IV: Occupational Safety and Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act - Occupational Safety and Health Small Employer Access to Justice Act of 2004 - Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) to provide for the award of attorney's fees and costs to certain small employers when they prevail in specified administrative or court proceedings. Requires such awards to prevailing employers if they had not more than 100 employees and a net worth of not more than $7 million at the time of: (1) the initiation of the administrative proceedings (in the case of an adversary adjudication); or (2) the filing of the action addressed in the court proceedings (in the case of judicial review of an administrative action). Provides for such awards without regard to whether the position of the Secretary of Labor or the Federal Government was substantially justified or whether special circumstances make an award unjust. Title V: Paperwork and Regulatory Improvements Act - Paperwork and Regulatory Improvements Act of 2004 - Amends the Paperwork Reduction Act to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review information collection conducted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to identify actions IRS can take to reduce the information collection burden imposed on small business concerns, and to include the results of such review in a specified annual report. Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 to repeal specified exemptions from Paperwork Reduction Act requirements and certain other rulemaking requirements. Amends the Truth in Regulating Act of 2000 to make permanent the authority of a chairman or ranking member of a congressional committee to request the Comptroller General to perform a regulatory analysis of an economically significant rule upon agency publication. Amends the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 to instruct the Director of OMB to require each agency annually to submit an estimate of the total annual costs and benefits of Federal rules and paperwork for the agency and each agency program. Requires the Director to designate at least three agencies to participate in a study on regulatory budgeting for FY 2006 and 2007. Includes the regulatory budgets of the designated agencies as an alternative budget presentation. Requires a report on the study to be included in a certain report to Congress, as well as submitted directly to specified congressional committees.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Norwood, Charles W. [R-GA-9] · 26 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 2728, Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act of 2004 (2004-05-11); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 2728, Occupational Safety and Health Small Business Day in Court Act of 2004 (2004-05-11)

Cosponsors on this site

Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joe Wilson (R-SC)

Recorded votes

House roll call 183 (2004): On Passage, HR2728 (2004-05-18): Passed

Words on this page, explained (6)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
Fiscal year: The 12-month period a government uses for its budget. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 and is named for the calendar year in which it ends. Most states use July 1 to June 30.
Quorum: The minimum number of members who must be present for a body to do official business.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-108hr2728.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/108/hr>

Record fed-us-cong108-hr2728 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108