Where a portion of a plan is in issue for such a determination, the notice shall specify such portions of the plan as well as those portions of the plan which are not in issue for the determination.

(e) The notice shall afford interested persons an opportunity to submit in writing, data, views, and arguments on the proposed 18(e) determination, and the affected State an opportunity to respond to such submissions.

(f) The notice shall also state that any interested person or the affected State may request an informal hearing concerning the proposed 18(e) determination whenever particularized written objections thereto are filed within 35 days following publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

(g) If the Assistant Secretary finds that substantial objections are filed which relate to the proposed 18(e) determination, the Assistant Secretary shall, and in any other case may, publish a notice of informal hearing in the FEDERAL REGISTER not later than 30 days after the last day for filing written views or comments. The notice shall include:

(1) A statement of the time, place and nature of the proceeding;

(2) A specification of the substantial issues which have been raised and on which an informal hearing has been requested;

(3) The requirement for the filing of an intention to appear at the hearing, together with a statement of the position to be taken with regard to the issues specified, and of the evidence to be adduced in support of the position;

(4) The designation of a presiding officer to conduct the hearing; and

(5) Any other appropriate provisions with regard to the proceeding.

(h) Not later than 10 days following the publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER, required by paragraph (g) of this section, the affected agency shall publish, or cause to be published, within the State reasonable notice containing the same information.

EFFECTIVE DATE NOTE: At 43 FR 11196, Mar. 17, 1978, §1902.39(a) was suspended indefinitely, effective January 20, 1978.

§ 1902.40 Informal hearing.

on

(a) Any hearing conducted under this section shall be legislative in type. However, fairness may require an opportunity for cross-examination pertinent issues. The presiding officer is empowered to permit cross-examination under such circumstances. The essential intent is to provide an opportunity for participation and comment by interested persons which can be carried out expeditiously and without rigid procedures which might unduly impede or protract the 18(e) determination process.

(b) Although the hearing shall be informal and legislative in type, this section is intended to provide more than the bare essentials of informal proceedings under 5 U.S.C. 553. The additional requirements are the following:

(1) The presiding officer shall be a hearing examiner appointed under 5 U.S.C. 3105.

(2) The presiding officer shall provide an opportunity for cross-examination on pertinent issues.

(3) The hearing shall be reported verbatim, and a transcript shall be available to any interested person on such terms as the presiding officer may provide.

(c) The officer presiding at a hearing shall have all the power necessary or appropriate to conduct a fair and full hearing, including the powers:

(1) To regulate the course of the proceedings;

(2) To dispose of procedural requests, objections, and comparable matters;

(3) To confine the presentation to the issues specified in the notice of hearing, or, where appropriate, to matters pertinent to the issue before the Assistant Secretary;

(4) To regulate the conduct of those present at the hearing by appropriate means;

(5) To take official notice of material facts not appearing in the evidence in the record, as long as the parties are afforded an opportunity to show evidence to the contrary;

(6) In his discretion, to keep the record open for a reasonable and specified time to receive additional written recommendations with supporting reasons and any additional data, views,

(a) Within a reasonable time generally within 120 days after the expiration of the period provided for the submission of written data, views, and arguments on the issues on which no hearing is held, or within a reasonable time, generally not to exceed 120 days after the certification of the record of a hearing, the Assistant Secretary shall publish his decision in the FEDERAL REGISTER. His decision shall state whether or not an affirmative 18(e) determination has been made for the State plan or any separable portion thereof, or whether he intends to withdraw approval of the plan or any portion thereof pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter. The action of the Assistant Secretary shall be taken after consideration of all information, including his evaluations of the actual operations of the plan, and information presented in written submissions and in any hearings held under this subpart.

(b) Any decision under this section shall incorporate a concise statement of its grounds and purpose and shall respond to any substantial issues which may have been raised in written submissions or at the hearing.

(c) All decisions resulting in an affirmative 18(e) determination shall contain provisions amending the appropriate subparts of part 1952 of this chapter.

(d) All decisions concerning the Assistant Secretary's determination under section 18(e) of the Act shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

§ 1902.42 Effect of affirmative 18(e) determination.

(a) In making an affirmative 18(e) determination, the Assistant Secretary determines that a State has applied the provisions of its plan, or any modifica

tion thereof, in accordance with the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act and that the State has applied the provisions of this part in a manner which renders the actual operations of the State program "at least as effective as" operations under the Federal program.

(b) In the case of an affirmative 18(e) determination of a separable portion(s) of a plan, the Assistant Secretary determines that the State has applied the separable portion(s) of the plan in accordance with the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act in a manner comparable to Federal operations covering such portions and that the criteria of this part are being applied in a manner which renders the actual operations of such separable portion(s) of the State program "at least as effective as" operations of such portions under the Federal program.

(c) Upon making an affirmative 18(e) determination, the standards promulgated under section 6 of the Act and the enforcement provisions of section 5(a)(2), 8 (except for the purpose of continuing evaluations under section 18(f) of the Act), 9, 10, 13 and 17 of the Act shall not apply with respect to those occupational safety and health issues covered under the plan for which an affirmative 18(e) determination has been granted. The Assistant Secretary shall retain his authority under the above sections for those issues covered in the plan which have not been granted an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(d) The Assistant Secretary will retain jurisdiction under the citation and contest provisions of sections 9 and 10 of the Act and the imminent-danger provisions of section 13 where such proceedings have been commenced prior to the date of his determination.

§ 1902.43 Affirmative 18(e) decision.

(a) In publishing his affirmative 18(e) decision in the FEDERAL REGISTER the Assistant Secretary's notice shall include, but shall not be limited to the following:

(1) Those issues under the plan over which the Assistant Secretary is withdrawing his standards and enforcement authority;

(2) A statement that the Assistant Secretary retains his authority under

section 11(c) of the Act with regard to complaints alleging discrimination against employees because of the exercise of any right afforded to the employee by the Act;

(3) Amendments to the appropriate subpart of part 1952 of this chapter;

(4) A statement that the Assistant Secretary is not precluded from revoking his determination and reinstating his standards and enforcement authority under §1902.47 et seq., if his continuing evaluations under section 18(f) of the Act show that the State has substantially failed to maintain a program which is at least as effective as operations under the Federal program, or if the State does not submit program change supplements to its plan to the Assistant Secretary as required by 29 CFR part 1953.

§ 1902.44 Requirements applicable to State plans granted affirmative 18(e) determinations.

(a) A State whose plan, or modification thereof, has been granted an affirmative 18(e) determination will be required to maintain a program within the scope of such determination which will be "at least as effective as" operations under the Federal program in providing employee safety and health protection at covered workplaces within the comparable scope of the Federal program. This requirement includes submitting all required reports to the Assistant Secretary, as well as submitting supplements to the Assistant Secretary for his approval whenever there is a change in the State's program, whenever the results of evaluations conducted under section 18(f) show that some portion of a State plan has an adverse impact on the operations of the State plan or whenever the Assistant Secretary determines that any alteration in the Federal program could have an adverse impact on the “at least as effective as" status of the State program. See part 1953 of this chapter.

(b) A substantial failure to comply with the requirements of this section may result in the revocation of the affirmative 18(e) determination and the resumption of Federal enforcement authority, and may also result in proceedings for the withdrawal of approval

of the plan or any portion thereof pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter.

§ 1902.45 [Reserved]

§ 1902.46 Negative 18(e) determination. (a) This section sets out the procedures which shall be followed whenever the Assistant Secretary determines that a State's plan, or any separate portion thereof, has not met the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(b) If the Assistant Secretary determines that a State plan, or a separable portion thereof, has not met the criteria of section 18(c) of the Act and that actual operations under the plan, or portion thereof, have not met the criteria for an affirmative determination set forth in §1902.37, he shall retain his standards authority under section 6 of the Act and his enforcement authority under sections 5(a)(2), 8, 9, 10, 13, and 17 of the Act for those issues covered under the plan or such portions of the plan which were subject to his negative determination.

(c) A decision under this section may result in the commencement of proceedings for withdrawal of approval of the plan or any separable portion thereof pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter.

(d) Where the Assistant Secretary determines that operations under a State plan or any separable portion thereof have not met the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination, but are not of such a nature as to warrant the initiation of withdrawal proceedings, the Assistant Secretary may, at his discretion, afford the State a reasonable time to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination after which time he may initiate proceedings for withdrawal of plan approval. This discretionary authority will be applied in the following manner:

(1) Upon determining that a State shall be subject to a final 18(e) determination, the Assistant Secretary shall notify the agency designated by the State to administer its program, within the State of his decision that the State's program, or a separable portion thereof, shall be subject to a final 18(e) determination. The Assistant Secretary shall give the State a

reasonable time, generally not less than 1 year, in which to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(2) The Assistant Secretary shall also publish a notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER outlining his reasons for not making an affirmative 18(e) determination at the time. The notice will also set forth the reasonable time the State was granted to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination and set forth such conditions as the Assistant Secretary deems proper for the continuation of the State's plan or such portions subject to this action.

(3) The State shall be afforded an opportunity to agree to the conditions of the Assistant Secretary's decision.

(4) Upon the expiration of the time granted to a State to meet the criteria for an affirmative 18(e) determination under paragraph (d)(2) of this section, the Assistant Secretary may initiate proceedings to determine whether a State shall be granted an affirmative 18(e) determination. The procedures outlined in this subpart shall be applicable to any proceedings initiated under this paragraph.

PROCEDURE FOR RECONSIDERATION AND REVOCATION OF AN AFFIRMATIVE 18(e) DETERMINATION

§ 1902.47 Reconsideration of an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(a) The Assistant Secretary may at any time reconsider on his own initiative or on petition of an interested person his decision granting an affirmative 18(e) determination.

(b) Such reconsideration shall be based on results of his continuing evaluation of a State plan after it has been granted an affirmative 18(e) determination.

§ 1902.48 The proceeding.

Whenever, as a result of his reconsideration, the Assistant Secretary proposes to revoke his affirmative 18(e) determination, he shall follow the procedures in the remaining sections of this subpart.

§ 1902.49 General notice.

(a) Whenever the Assistant Secretary proposes to revoke an affirmative 18(e)

determination, he shall publish a notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER meeting the requirements of the remaining paragraphs of this section. No later than 10 days following the publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER, the affected State agency shall publish, or cause to be published, reasonable notice within the State containing the same information.

(b) The notice shall indicate the reasons for the proposed action.

(c) The notice shall afford interested persons including the affected State, an opportunity to submit in writing, data, views, and arguments on the proposal within 35 days after publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER. The notice shall also provide that any interested person may request an informal hearing concerning the proposed revocation whenever particularized written objections thereto are filed within 35 days following publication of the notice in the FEDERAL REGISTER. If the Assistant Secretary finds that substantial objections have been filed, he shall afford an informal hearing on the proposed revocation under § 1902.50.

(d) The Assistant Secretary may, upon his own initiative, give notice of an informal hearing affording an opportunity for oral comments concerning the proposed revocation.

§ 1902.50 Informal hearing.

Any informal hearing shall be legislative in type. The rules of procedure for each hearing shall be those contained in §1902.40 and will be published with the notice thereof.

$ 1902.51 Certification of the records of a hearing.

Upon completion of an informal hearing, the transcript thereof, together with written submissions, exhibits filed during the hearing, and any post-hearing presentations shall be certified by the officer presiding at the hearing to the Assistant Secretary.

$ 1902.52 Decision.

(a) After consideration of all relevant information which has been presented, the Assistant Secretary shall issue a decision on the continuation or revocation of the affirmative 18(e) determination.

(b) The decision revoking the determination shall also reflect the Assistant Secretary's determination that concurrent Federal enforcement and standards authority will be reinstated within the State for a reasonable time until he has withdrawn his approval of the plan, or any separable portion thereof, pursuant to part 1955 of this chapter or he has determined that the State has met the criteria for an 18(e) determination pursuant to the applicable procedures of this subpart.

§ 1902.53 Publication of decisions.

All decisions on the reconsideration of an affirmative 18(e) determination shall be published in the FEDERAL REGISTER.

Section 1903.7 also issued under 5 U.S.C.

553.

SOURCE: 36 FR 17850, Sept. 4, 1971, unless otherwise noted.

§ 1903.1 Purpose and scope.

The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (84 Stat. 1590 et seq., 29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.) requires, in part, that every employer covered under the Act furnish to his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees. The Act also requires that employers comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under the Act, and that employees comply with standards, rules, regulations and orders issued under the Act which are applicable to their own actions and conduct. The Act authorizes the Department of Labor to conduct inspections, and to issue citations and proposed penalties for alleged violations. The Act, under section 20(b), also authorizes the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to conduct inspections and to question employers and employees in connection with research and other related activities. The Act contains provisions for adjudication of violations, periods prescribed for the abatement of violations, and proposed penalties by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, if contested by an employer or by an employee or authorized representative of employees, and for judicial review. The purpose of this part 1903 is to prescribe rules and to set forth general policies for enforcement of the inspection, citation, and proposed penalty provisions of the Act. In situations where this part 1903 sets forth general enforcement policies rather than substantive or procedural rules, such policies may be modified in specific circumstances where the Secretary or his designee determines that an alternative course of action would better serve the objectives of the Act.

§ 1903.2 Posting of notice; availability of the Act, regulations and applicable standards.

(a)(1) Each employer shall post and keep posted a notice or notices, to be