[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 29, Volume 9]
[Revised as of July 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 29CFR1956.1]

[Page 151-152]
 
                             TITLE 29--LABOR
 
CHAPTER XVII--OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT 
                          OF LABOR--(CONTINUED)
 
  PART 1956--STATE PLANS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF STATE
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 1956.1  Purpose and scope.


    (a) This part sets forth procedures and requirements for approval, 
continued evaluation, and operation of State plans submitted under 
section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 
667) (hereinafter called the Act) for the development and enforcement of 
State standards applicable to State and local government employees in 
States without approved private employee plans. Although section 2(b) of 
the Act sets forth the policy of assuring every working man and woman 
safe and healthful working conditions, State and local government 
agencies are excluded from the definition of ``employer'' in section 
3(5). Only under section 18 of the Act are such public employees ensured 
protection under the provisions of an approved State plan. Where no such 
plan is in effect with regard to private employees, State and local 
government employees have not heretofore been assured any protections 
under the Act. Section

[[Page 152]]

18(b), however, permits States to submit plans with respect to any 
occupational safety and health issue with respect to which a Federal 
standard has been promulgated under section 6 of the Act. Under 
Sec. 1902.2(c) of this chapter, an issue is defined as ``any * * * 
industrial, occupational, or hazard grouping that is found to be 
administratively practicable and * * * not in conflict with the purposes 
of the Act.'' Since Federal standards are in effect with regard to 
hazards found in public employment, a State plan covering this 
occupational category meets the definition of section 18 and the 
regulations. It is the purpose of this part to assure the availability 
of the protections of the Act to public employees, where no State plan 
covering private employees is in effect, by adapting the requirements 
and procedures applicable to State plans covering private employees to 
the situation where State coverage under section 18(b) is proposed for 
public employees only.
    (b) In adopting these requirements and procedures, consideration 
should be given to differences between public and private employment. 
For instance, a system of monetary penalties applicable to violations of 
public employers may not in all cases be necessarily the most 
appropriate method of achieving compliance. Further, the impact of the 
lack of Federal enforcement authority application to public employers 
requires certain adjustments of private employer plan procedures in 
adapting them to plans covering only public employees in a State.