News and reports from the Department of Labor.

There was activity on four bills related to the Education and Labor Committee on July 13.

News Release: WASHINGTON - In 2022's first six months, 22 workers have fallen victim to the deadly hazards present in trenching and excavation work - surpassing 15 in all of 2021 - and prompting the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration to launch enhanced enforcement initiatives to protect workers from known industry hazards.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration warns about the dangers of working in hot weather as temperatures and the risk of heat illness rise in Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi.

There were 30 press releases published by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in June.

News Release: WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the selection of the initial cohort of 207 officials and organizations chosen to serve as Apprenticeship Ambassadors to share their experiences and collaborate with the department to champion apprenticeship opportunities.

News Release: PORT SAINT LUCIE, FL - A fall from elevation, the leading cause of death in the construction industry, has claimed another victim; this time a 19-year-old worker in Port Saint Lucie whose fatal injuries in January 2022 - a federal workplace safety investigation has determined - could have been prevented if their employer used required fall protection.

News Release: (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), issued the following statement announcing that they will seek to pass their Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 by unanimous consent this Thursday.

News Release: Today, House Education and Labor Committee Republican Leader Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Republican Leader Richard Burr (R-NC) sent a letter to Education Department Secretary Miguel Cardona following the Department’s release of its 750-page Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM), requesting additional time for public comment on the far-reaching-and costly-changes to federal student loan programs.

Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh said that since President Biden took office, the U.S. added more than 9 million jobs, and the private sector economy has more than fully recovered from its pandemic-era job losses.

News Release: WASHINGTON - In an effort to better understand long COVID-19 in U.S. workplaces, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General are inviting the public to join a national online dialogue beginning today to gather ideas to better support workers coping with symptoms, their co-workers and their employers.

News Release: (Washington, D.C.) - Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led a group of their Democratic colleagues, including Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), ...

News Release: PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - Federal workplace safety inspectors examining how a 26-year-old diver drowned in a golf course pond - after only three days working for a Freming Island commercial diving and recovery company - found the employer failed to follow required safety standards, including ensuring adequate supervision was in place and that required training was provided.

There are two releases scheduled to be published on July 14.

Senator Murray Pushes to Ensure Everyone Can Access Over-the-Counter Birth Control as FDA Considers First-Ever Application

Statement from Senator Murray on Biden Issuing an Abortion Executive Order, Following Murray-Led Push from Senate Democrats