Proposed Rule2025-00376
Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act: Civil Money Penalties Procedures; Withdrawal
Primary source
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Published
January 13, 2025
Effective
January 13, 2025
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentWorkers' Compensation Programs Office
Abstract
The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) is withdrawing its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed new procedures for assessing and adjudicating penalties under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA).
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 7 (Monday, January 13, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 7 (Monday, January 13, 2025)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 2644-2645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00376]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs
20 CFR Part 702
RIN 1240-AA17
Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act: Civil Money
Penalties Procedures; Withdrawal
AGENCY: Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, Labor.
ACTION: Withdrawal of notice of proposed rulemaking.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (OWCP) is
withdrawing its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that proposed new
procedures for assessing and adjudicating penalties under the Longshore
and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA).
DATES: The withdrawal is effective January 13, 2025.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie S. Brown, Acting Director,
Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation, Office of
Workers' Compensation Programs, (562)-256-3190,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6507170a120b4b161100150d040b0c004b1625010a094b020a13"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5e3c2c312930702d2a3b2e363f30373b702d1e3a313270393128">[email protected]</span></a>. TTY/TDD callers may dial toll free 1-877-
889-5627 for further information.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Summary of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
On September 12, 2023, OWCP published a notice of proposed
rulemaking, Longshore and Harbor
[[Page 2645]]
Workers' Compensation Act: Civil Money Penalties Procedures, 88 FR
62480 (Sept. 12, 2023). This rule would establish new procedures for
assessing and adjudicating penalties under the LHWCA. See 33 U.S.C.
901-50. The rule also would set forth the procedures to contest OWCP's
penalty determinations. The comment period for this notice of proposed
rulemaking expired on November 13, 2023.
Summary of Comments
The Department received six comments on the proposed regulations.
The commenters represented a number of stakeholders from the private
sector, including group self-insurance entities, industry associations,
and a business advocacy organization.
Rationale for Withdrawal
OWCP has considered the detailed feedback, analysis, and dialogue
that the publication of the NPRM produced. OWCP continues to believe
that there is a need for a more defined and transparent process for
imposing and adjudicating penalties.
Given the range of feedback received and the need for additional
examination and input, however, OWCP believes that, before proceeding
with this rulemaking, it would benefit from more outreach and dialogue
with interested parties and the regulated community, which it cannot
complete in the near future with its limited time and resources. In
addition, many aspects of the proposed rule and the penalty process are
closely connected to OWCP's information technology modernization
project and cannot move forward until that project is completed.
Therefore, OWCP is withdrawing this proposed rule.
Conclusion
By withdrawing the proposed rule, OWCP is eliminating the pending
nature of this rulemaking. OWCP intends to engage with all interested
parties to discuss and consider future revision to the penalties
procedures, as well as impacts on the stakeholders. If OWCP decides to
establish new procedures for the imposition and adjudication of civil
money penalties prescribed by the LHWCA, it will issue a new NPRM in
the Federal Register.
Accordingly, the NPRM published in the Federal Register on
September 12, 2023 at 88 FR 62480, is withdrawn.
Christopher Godfrey,
Director, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.
[FR Doc. 2025-00376 Filed 1-10-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-CR-P
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