Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 1309 - High Risk Occupational Disease Notification and Prevention Act of 1985

(House Rules)
(Gaydos (D) PA and 141 others)

The Administration strongly opposes enactment of H.R. 1309.

This bill:

— is unnecessary because current OSHA and NIOSH regulatory activities and other programs already evaluate and communicate the nature and extent of workplace hazards to employees;

— represents an unacceptable Federal intrusion into, and may have an adverse influence on, State workers compensation programs because the fact that claimants have been notified by the Federal Government that they are "at risk" may wrongfully suggest that disease in the claimant was caused by employment;

— sets forth risk assessment and notification criteria which are not justifiable on a scientific or public health basis and could lead to notifying many workers not actually at increased risk, causing unwarranted distress to workers and their families; and

— may result in substantial litigation, in many cases without merit, that will impose enormous costs upon consumers, workers and the Federal Government and could add thousands of new lawsuits to the already burgeoning tort dockets of the Federal courts.