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Earlier this week, Congress and President Trump passed a continuing resolution (CR) ending the Federal government shutdown which began Oct. 1.
This agreement enables and requires Federal safety agencies including OSHA, MSHA, and NIOSH to resume full operations.
It also sets a Jan. 30, 2026 deadline for the government to pass either full funding for FY26 or another CR.
According to the U.S. Congress website, most federal agencies are funded annually through 12 regular appropriations acts, which must be enacted before each fiscal year begins Oct. 1. If those appropriations are not enacted before Oct. 1, the agencies funded through those acts will shut down unless a CR is passed.
A continuing appropriations act - commonly known as a continuing resolution or CR - extends Federal funding rates from the previous fiscal year into the new year until a set date. By enacting a CR, legislators provide themselves more time to discuss and modify Federal appropriations bills.
A CR allows government operations to continue until final appropriations acts are approved. If the government shuts down due to a lapse in funding - when neither full budgets nor a preliminary CR are completed before the fiscal year ends - a CR temporarily ends the government shutdown.
If full budgets or another CR are not passed before the CR’s end date, the government will shut down again.
All 12 Federal appropriations were funded through a full-year CR for FY2025, which ended Sept. 30.
President Trump signed a CR the evening of Nov. 12. The bill originated in the Senate and was later passed to the House of Representatives. It extends appropriation rates from the FY2025 full-year CR through Jan. 30 for nine of the 12 regular appropriations acts, which includes safety agencies.
During the 42-day shutdown, critical safety agencies reduced operations, continuing only those necessary to protect life and property along with any necessarily implied by law.
The agencies accomplished these inspections and investigations with a significantly reduced number of staff. MSHA retained about 50% of its employees, while OSHA only kept about 25% of its staff.
The CR permits Federal safety agencies and their state-level jurisdictions to resume full inspection, investigation, training, and policy operations.
Some operations suspended during the shutdown included:
Before Jan. 30, Congress and Trump must enact budgets for the remaining nine appropriations acts.
Most are funded through the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, which includes the Department of Labor (DOL) and its subset agencies OSHA and MSHA, along with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which currently includes NIOSH.
The CSB is funded through the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
Donald Halsing is the Founding Editorial Director of Work Safety 24/7. He was formerly the Associate Editor of Robotics 24/7.
Don's experience spans the supply chain, logistics, and construction industries, having worked in both warehouse operations and land surveying. He is also a professional wedding photographer with his fiancée Ashley.
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