The budget deal approved by Congress and the President makes some changes to this area. It allows OSHA to raise fines annually in line with the Consumer Price Index and to institute a one-time “catch-up” adjustment of 82 percent to make up for twenty-five years of no increases. How this item ended up in the final budget deal is a bit of a mystery. OSHA is usually a “forgotten” agency on the Hill. A specific inclusion of this nature is very unusual. Whether OSHA will choose to increase fines by 82 percent in one step remains to be seen. As of early December, there was no word from OSHA on the agency’s plans. REGULATORY REFORM STILL A HOT BUTTON ISSUE Nearly thirty legislative measures related to regulatory reform have been introduced in this session of Congress. While many of these measures will never even have a hearing, there are several that interest both Democrats and Republicans. It’s too soon to tell if any of these measures will be enacted, but a bipartisan group of Senators has taken the issue one step further by forming a​ “Senate Regulations Caucus” to address the long-term issue of regulatory reform. The new Senate Caucus comprises two Republicans, one Democrat, and one Independent. The purpose of the caucus is to “spearhead an overhaul of ineffective, duplicative, or outdated regulations so that businesses across the country can what they do best—create jobs and grow the economy.” Sounds good, but proof of success is a long ways away.