Notice2026-06032
Regulations Containing Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
March 30, 2026
Issuing agencies
Labor DepartmentOccupational Safety and Health Administration
Abstract
OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to extend the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the information collection requirements specified in the Regulations Containing Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 60 (Monday, March 30, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15641-15642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-06032]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
[Docket No. OSHA-2012-0026]
Regulations Containing Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation
Complaints; Extension of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB)
Approval of Information Collection (Paperwork) Requirements
AGENCY: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Labor.
ACTION: Request for public comments.
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SUMMARY: OSHA solicits public comments concerning its proposal to
extend the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the
information collection requirements specified in the Regulations
Containing Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints.
DATES: Comments must be submitted (postmarked, sent, or received) by
May 29, 2026.
ADDRESSES:
Electronically: You may submit comments and attachments
electronically at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions online for submitting
comments.
Docket: To read or download comments or other material in the
docket, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Documents in the docket are
listed in the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> index; however, some
information (e.g., copyrighted material) is not publicly available to
read or download through the websites. All submissions, including
copyrighted material, are available for inspection through the OSHA
Docket Office. Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350 (TTY
(877) 889-5627) for assistance in locating docket submissions.
Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name and OSHA
docket number (OSHA-2012-0026) for the Information Collection Request
(ICR). OSHA will place all comments, including any personal
information, in the public docket, which may be made available online.
Therefore, OSHA cautions interested parties about submitting personal
information such as social security numbers and birth dates.
For further information on submitting comments, see the ``Public
Participation'' heading in the section of this notice titled
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Belinda Cannon, Directorate of
Standards and Guidance, OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor; telephone (202)
693-2222.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to reduce
paperwork and respondent (e.g., an employee filing a retaliation
complaint) burden, conducts a preclearance consultation program to
provide the public with an opportunity to comment on proposed and
continuing collections of information in accord with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA-95) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program
ensures that information is in the desired format, reporting burden
(time and costs) is minimal, collection instruments are clearly
understood, and OSHA's estimate of the information collection burden is
accurate.
The Agency is responsible for investigating alleged violations of
``whistleblower'' provisions contained in a number of statutes. These
whistleblower provisions generally prohibit retaliation by employers
against employees who report alleged violations of certain laws or
regulations. These provisions prohibit an employer from discharging or
taking any other retaliatory action against an employee because the
employee engages in any of the protected activities specified in the
whistleblower provisions of the following statutes. These statutes are
covered under the following regulations: 29 CFR part 24, Procedures for
the Handling of Retaliation Complaints under the Employee Protection
Provisions of Six Environmental Statutes and Section 211 of the Energy
Reorganization Act of 1974, (29 CFR part 24 covers the: Safe Drinking
Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-9(i); Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33
U.S.C. 1367; Toxic Substances Control Act, 15 U.S.C. 2622; Solid Waste
Disposal Act, 42 U.S.C. 6971; Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7622; Energy
Reorganization Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. 5851; and Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C.
9610); 29 CFR part 1977, Discrimination Against Employees Exercising
Rights under the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act
(29 CFR part 1977 covers the: Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29
U.S.C. 660; Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, 15 U.S.C. 2651; and
International Safe Container Act, 46 U.S.C. 80507); 29 CFR part 1978,
Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints under the
Employee Protection Provision of the Surface Transportation Assistance
Act; 29 CFR part 1979, Procedures for Handling Discrimination
Complaints Under the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act
for the 21st Century; 29 CFR part 1980, Procedures for Handling of
Discrimination Complaints Under Section 806 of the Corporate and
Criminal Fraud Accountability Act of 2002 (Title VIII of the Sarbanes-
Oxley Act of 2002); 29 CFR part 1981, Procedures for the Handling of
Discrimination Complaints under Section 6 of the Pipeline Safety
Improvement Act of 2002; 29 CFR part 1982, Procedures for the Handling
of Retaliation Complaints Under the National Transit Systems Security
Act and the Federal Railroad Safety Act; 29 CFR part 1983, Procedures
for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under Section 219 of the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008; 29 CFR part 1984,
Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under Section
1558 of the Affordable Care Act; 29 CFR part 1985, Procedures for
Handling Retaliation Complaints Under the Employee Protection Provision
of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010; 29 CFR part 1986,
Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under the
Employee Protection Provision of the Seaman's Protection Act (SPA); 29
CFR part 1987, Procedures for Handling Retaliation Complaints Under
Section 402 of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act; 29 CFR part 1988,
Procedures for Handling Retaliation Complaints Under Section 31307 of
the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21); 29 CFR
part 1989, Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under
the Taxpayer First Act (TFA); 29 CFR part 1991, Procedures for the
Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under the Criminal Antitrust Anti-
Retaliation Act (CAARA); and 29 CFR part 1992, Procedures for the
Handling of Retaliation Complaints Under the Anti-Money Laundering Act
(AMLA). Collections of information contained in future regulations
promulgated by the Agency with respect to a whistleblower provision of
any other Federal law, except those that are assigned to another DOL
agency, will be added to this information collection.
OSHA's whistleblower regulations specify the procedures that an
employee must use to file a complaint alleging that their employer
violated a whistleblower provision for which the Agency has
investigative responsibility.
[[Page 15642]]
Any employee who believes that such a violation occurred may file a
complaint, or have the complaint filed on their behalf. Two of these
regulations, 29 CFR parts 1979 and 1981, state that complaints must be
filed in writing and should include a full statement of the acts and
omissions, with pertinent dates, that the employee believes constitute
the violation. The other regulations, 29 CFR parts 24, 1977, 1978,
1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1992
require no particular form for filing complaints. However, it is OSHA's
policy to accept complaints in any form (i.e., orally or in writing)
under all statutes. This policy helps ensure that employees of all
circumstances and education levels will have equal access to the
complaint filing process.
II. Special Issues for Comment
OSHA has a particular interest in comments on the following issues:
<bullet> Whether the proposed information collection requirements
are necessary for the proper performance of the agency's functions to
protect workers, including whether the information is useful;
<bullet> The accuracy of OSHA's estimate of the burden (time and
costs) of the information collection requirements, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
<bullet> The quality, utility, and clarity of the information
collected; and
<bullet> Ways to minimize the burden on employers who must comply;
for example, by using automated or other technological information, and
transmission techniques.
III. Proposed Actions
OSHA is requesting that OMB extend the approval of the information
collection requirements contained in the Regulation Containing
Procedures for the Handling of Retaliation Complaints. The agency is
seeking an adjustment decrease in burden of 2,396 going from 17,387 to
14,991 hours.
OSHA will summarize the comments submitted in response to this
notice and will include this summary in the request to OMB to extend
the approval of the information collection requirements.
Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved data collection.
Title: Regulations Containing Procedures for the Handling of
Retaliation Complaints.
OMB Control Number: 1218-0236
Affected Public: Business or other for-profits; Federal Government;
State, Local, or Tribal Government.
Number of Respondents: 14,991.
Number of Responses: 14,991.
Frequency of Responses: On occasion
Average Time per Response: Varies.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 14,991.
Estimated Cost (Operation and Maintenance): $0.
IV. Public Participation--Submission of Comments on This Notice and
Internet Access to Comments and Submissions
You may submit comments in response to this document as follows:
(1) electronically at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, which is the Federal
eRulemaking Portal; or (2) by facsimile (fax), if your comments,
including attachments, are not longer than 10 pages you may fax them to
the OSHA Docket Office at 202-693-1648. All comments, attachments, and
other material must identify the agency name and the OSHA docket number
for the ICR (OSHA-2012-0026). You may supplement electronic submission
by uploading document files electronically.
Comments and submissions are posted without change at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Therefore, OSHA cautions commenters about
submitting personal information such as social security numbers and
dates of birth. Although all submissions are listed in the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> index, some information (e.g., copyrighted
material) is not publicly available to read or download from this
website. All submissions, including copyrighted material, are available
for inspection and copying at the OSHA Docket Office. Information on
using the <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> website to submit comments and
access the docket is available at the website's ``User Tips'' link.
Contact the OSHA Docket Office at (202) 693-2350, (TTY (877) 889-5627)
for information about materials not available from the website, and for
assistance in using the internet to locate docket submissions.
V. Authority and Signature
Amanda Laihow, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Safety and Health, directed the preparation of this
notice. The authority for this notice is the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506 et seq.) and Secretary of Labor's Order No. 7-2025
(90 FR 27878).
Signed at Washington, DC, on March 23, 2026.
Amanda Laihow,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety
and Health.
[FR Doc. 2026-06032 Filed 3-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-26-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on March 30, 2026.
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