Through the Build Back Better plan, Democrats are looking to increase the cost of workplace safety violations.
The Build Back Better plan, which recently passed in the House and is pending in the Senate, includes a maximum penalty increase to $70,000 for a single serious workplace violation of COVID mandates and a $700,000 fine for a willful or repeated violations.
As of now, the maximum fines sit at $13,653 and $136,532.
The proposed fine increase comes as courts are deciding whether the COVID vaccine mandate for businesses, which is backed by President Joe Biden, will go into effect for 84 million workers in the private sector.
The BBB plan will also look to double the number of federal inspectors who will work to verify workplace safety.
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In March, the coronavirus relief package included $100 million in funds to hire 80 more Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officers. The president's goal is to have 1,500 inspectors to deploy by the end of his first term.
Glen Spencer, a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, spoke about why he opposes the fines with USA Today.
"You're pairing that very sweeping directive with this attempt to put in place a historic and dramatic increase in penalties," Spencer said. "I think the timing would be unfortunate."
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Democrats have said the increase was not prompted by the vaccine mandate put forth by Mr. Biden. However, the impact would be much more significant because of how many workplaces are potentially affected by OSHA's emergency vaccination rule.
In Congress, Democrats say that the current fines are too small to do anything to deter repeat offenders.
The fines also remain much lower than other federal agencies are able to impose for environmental or financial violations.
