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HR 4037 105th Congress House

To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to recognize that electronic forms of providing Material Safety Data Sheets provide the same level of access to information as paper…

Official title: To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to recognize that electronic forms of providing Material Safety Data Sheets provide the same level… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to recognize that electronic forms of providing Material Safety Data Sheets provide the same level of access to information as paper copies and to improve the presentation of safety and emergency information on such Data Sheets.

Introduced: July 15, 1998 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Administrative procedureChemical industriesChemicalsCommerce
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 13 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 31, 1998
Received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
Aug 4, 1998
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Aug 4, 1998
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
Aug 4, 1998
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
Aug 4, 1998
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate.
Aug 4, 1998
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7008-7011)
Aug 4, 1998
Mr. Ballenger moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Jul 29, 1998
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Discharged.
Jul 29, 1998
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jul 29, 1998
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jun 26, 1998
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Jun 11, 1998
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Jun 11, 1998
Introduced in House
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 Latest action August 31, 1998

Received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Amends the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) to direct the Secretary of Labor to revise certain regulations to: (1) provide that an employer complies with a specified standard if the employer makes information on each hazardous chemical used in the workplace readily accessible (available for retrieval immediately in the case of an emergency) to employees through electronic access or other alternatives to paper copies of Material Standard Data Sheets MSDSs; and (2) require a standard format for MSDSs, including an emergency overview which warns of health and physical hazards that require immediate attention in an emergency.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) study the comprehensibility of specified OSHA required hazard warnings to the average industrial worker; and (2) make the resulting report available to chemical manufacturers and importers required to prepare MSDSs.

 Bill text 3 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Republican 1
NETHERCUTT, GEORGE
· Jul 29, 1998
 R
Calvert, Ken
California · Jul 15, 1998
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 4037: To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to recognize that electronic forms of providing Material Safety Data Sheets provide the same level of access to information as paper copies and to improve the presentation of safety and emergency information on such Data Sheets.. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-4037/
MLA
"H.R. 4037: To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to recognize that electronic forms of providing Material Safety Data Sheets provide the same level of access to information as paper copies and to improve the presentation of safety and emergency information on such Data Sheets.." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-4037/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 4037, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-4037/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 4037: To require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to recognize that electronic forms of providing Material Safety Data Sheets provide the same level of access to information as paper copies and to improve the presentation of safety and emergency information on such Data Sheets.](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-4037/)
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