Late Thursday, May 20, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey and Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth reached and announced a bipartisan agreement to withdraw the proposed MIOSHA permanent COVID-19 workplace rules, work together to negotiate the state budget and federal funding from the CARES Act and the American Rescue Act, and work to give the legislature more input on future Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Epidemic Orders.
Under the agreed framework, the administration would rescind MIOSHA’s draft permanent rules, and the public hearing scheduled for May 26 will be canceled.
In addition, now that the state has reached the 55% vaccination threshold and in accordance with the governor’s MI Vacc to Normal plan, MIOSHA will remove the requirement that employers create a “policy prohibiting in-person work for employees to the extent that their work activities can feasibly be completed remotely.” MIOSHA will also be updating other aspects of the emergency rules to reflect recent guidance from the CDC and MDHHS, which will take effect May 24.
