06.10.16

Hoeven: Senate Appropriations Committee Passes Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Bill

Measure Includes Anhydrous Storage Provision Hoeven Pushed For

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS) and Education Appropriations bill. The measure includes provisions that will benefit North Dakota, including a provision the senator pushed for that prohibits OSHA from imposing new restrictions on anhydrous fertilizer storage and sales.

“This legislation includes some very important priorities for North Dakota,” Hoeven said. “For example, there’s more money for Job Corps and the Minot Burdick Job Corps Center, which does such a great job for our young people. More funding for education, multiple resources to address our opioid addiction problem and support for rural health care, which is very important for quality of life in our state.”

Department of Labor

  • Anhydrous Ammonia – Prohibits OSHA from imposing new restrictions on fertilizer sales and forcing agriculture retail facilities to comply with the same chemical storage requirements as a wholesale facility. The language requires OSHA to go through the rule-making process to give retailers and farmers a voice in the decision before it can implement the new rule.
  • Job Corps – Provides an additional $20 million to support the nation’s largest career and technical training and education program for youth, including the Quentin N. Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot, N.D.

Department of Health and Human Services

  • Rural Health Care – Funds rural health grant programs that allow states like North Dakota to improve the delivery of high quality health care services in rural communities.
  • Community Health Centers (CHCs) – Provides support for CHC’s in rural and underserved areas that provide preventative and primary care services, including North Dakota’s 18 service sites across ND.
  • Opioid Abuse – Provides a substantial increase in funding to address the opioid abuse and overdose problem, which has impacted the entire country, including North Dakota.

Department of Education

  • Pell Grants – Expands postsecondary education access for many low-income undergraduate students.
  • Tribally Controlled Postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) – Provides support for American Indian students in CTE programs, including the United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck, ND.

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