Public Citizen Health Research Group v. Acosta / State of New Jersey v. Su

To improve workplace safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2016 issued a rule entitled “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” (the Electronic Reporting Rule). The rule required certain covered establishments to submit electronically to OSHA three forms detailing their workplace injury and illness data—OSHA Forms 300, 301, and 300A. On January 25, 2019, OSHA published a new rule entitled “Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” (the Rollback Rule), that rescinds the Electronic Reporting Rule’s requirement that covered establishments electronically submit to OSHA information from OSHA Forms 300 and 301.

On January 25, 2019, Public Citizen, the American Public Health Association, and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists filed suit arguing that the Rollback Rule should be declared unlawful and set aside because OSHA has failed to provide a reasoned explanation for its change in position, failed to adequately consider comments submitted in opposition to the change, and relied on considerations that have no sound basis in law. The groups asked the court to vacate the Rollback Rule and order OSHA to require and accept submissions required by the Electronic Reporting Rule.

On January 11, 2021, the Court dismissed our challenge for lack of standing, and at the same time ruled for the agency on the merits in a related case brought by several states. We appealed to the D.C. Circuit, as did the states. The agency then indicated that it was planning to review the rule, and the appeals were stayed while it undertook a rulemaking. In July 2023, we dismissed our appeal, after the agency issued a new rule, amending the regulation and satisfying the issues raised in the lawsuit.