Legislative Update: House of Representatives Passes the “Big Beautiful Bill,” 215-214

IHMM/ASAE Launch Campaign for “Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act” CALL TO ACTION

America Is 
Understanding
Non-Profits – Survey

IHMM/CIC Launches Grassroots Campaign on Nonprofit Organizations and Tax Reform

EPA Proposes Temporary Relief to Ensure Lab Compliance with Methylene Chloride Regulations under TSCA

IHMM Board of Directors Nominations

Heather Waldmann, CHMM, chair of the IHMM Nominating Committee, is pleased to release the Call for Nominations for 2025. IHMM’s Board is filling the CHMP seat beginning January 1, 2026.

If you are a CHMP and are interested in serving on the IHMM Board of Directors, we recommend these documents for your review. A term on the IHMM Board is 4 years in length.

• 2025 IHMM Nominations and Elections Process
• 2025 IHMM Call for Nominations
• 2025 IHMM Fillable Nominations Form
• IHMM Board of Directors Position Description

Connect. Collaborate. Get Hired!

Losing a job is tough, but you don’t have to navigate the next steps alone. IHMM’s COLLABORATION platform is more than just a place to network; it’s a community where environmental health, hazardous materials, and workplace safety professionals come together to connect, collaborate, and find new opportunities.

IHMM launched its “Open to Work” online COLLABORATION community exclusively for IHMM certificants looking to connect, share resumes, and discover job opportunities together in a supportive environment.

• Go to IHMM’s Collaboration platform > https://community.ihmm.org/home
• Scroll down to the OPEN FOR WORK Community
• Post your resume, preferred work location[s], and experience there

Thousands will see your availability for work, so we will do everything we can to facilitate your job search.

Whether you are a government worker who has recently been displaced from your job, looking for your next role, just exploring your options, or an employer seeking top talent, IHMM’s “Open to Work” COLLABORATION community can help you build meaningful connections. It’s a place where you can exchange knowledge, support one another, and advance careers together.

Be part of something bigger. Join today!

Access to Collaboration is through the same username and password as your access to your MYIHMM account. If you forgot it, please contact any one of the following for assistance…

Jimmy Nguyen [email protected]
Jelian Larbi [email protected]
Kortney Tunstall [email protected]
Kaylene Cagle [email protected]
Rosetta Wilson [email protected]
Gene Guilford [email protected]
Dominique Abney [email protected]
Patricia Buley [email protected]

IHMM, NSC Coalition Letter to Congressional Appropriators – OSHA FY2026

Each year, with input from several associated stakeholders, including IHMM, the National Safety Council develops an occupational safety and health congressional appropriations letter for organizations to sign. Given the state of play, this year’s letter focuses on OSHA funding at the FY25 level ($655.5 million) and the restoration of critical NIOSH programs. The letter is attached.

IHMM NSC Coalition Letter to Congressional Appropriators

IHMM, 460 Organizations Fight for Funding NIOSH – Friends of NIOSH

IHMM is part of a 460-organization coalition seeking to inform congressional appropriators about the importance of NIOSH funding. This is the time of year when Congressional appropriations committees begin deliberating on the FY2025 budget cycle and writing appropriations bills. Given recent actions in Washington, we crafted a communication to help them understand the need to fund NIOSH adequately.

Friends of NIOSH Coalition Letter Here

IHMM, ASSP, AIHA, NSC, ISEA, and Others in Coalition for OSHA Funding

IHMM is part of a 25-organization coalition seeking to inform congressional appropriators about the importance of OSHA funding. This is the time of year when Congressional appropriations committees begin deliberating on the FY2025 budget cycle and writing appropriations bills. Given recent actions in Washington, we crafted a communication to help them understand the need to fund OSHA adequately.

OSHA Coalition Letter Here

IHMM and the Intersociety Forum [ISF]

Driving Business Growth and Profitability

IHMM is a member of the Intersociety Forum, made up of organizations dedicated to the EHS professions and to communicating with policy makers about the critically important role that the EHS professionals play in our world.

Modern occupational environmental, health, and safety (EHS) practices are key to driving economic growth. This document, developed by the Intersociety Forum (ISF), a coalition of organizations dedicated to safeguarding worker safety and health, highlights the many ways safety practices create a strategic advantage that powers enduring business success while fostering innovation and protecting workers.

Despite advancements, workplace injury and fatality rates remain stagnant. By adopting proactive, risk-based safety strategies, businesses can unlock greater productivity, reduce costs, and strengthen their global competitiveness. We urge today’s business leaders and policymakers to prioritize occupational EHS as a foundation of economic competitiveness. Adopting this approach will position the U.S. as a global leader in safety, innovation, and workforce well-being, enabling workers and businesses to thrive. Driving Business Growth and Profitability.

Here is the “Driving Business Growth and Profitability Through Modern Occupational Environmental, Health and Safety Practices” document.

IHMM and the Community Impact Coalition in Washington

Celebrating Excellence in EHS Leadership – Nominate a Trailblazer Today!

The Excellence in EHS Management Award is a prestigious honor recognizing an outstanding Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) manager who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication to the profession. This is your opportunity to spotlight a true champion of workplace safety and environmental responsibility!

Presented by the Institute for Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM), this award will be showcased at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo—one of the most influential safety events of the year.

What the Winner Receives:

🏆 A distinguished commemorative plaque
📣 Recognition in an official press release and IHMM member communications

Click to Nominate an EHS Leader

Nominations are open from March through July each year, and the 2025 award presentation will take place at the National Safety Council Congress & Expo, September 12-14, in Denver!

Help us honor the best in the field—nominate a deserving EHS leader today!

IHMM’s Unprecedented Outreach: Elevating Excellence Worldwide

April 2025 marked a milestone moment for IHMM! In just one month, we sent over 860,353 messages to thousands of private and public sector entities, amplifying awareness of IHMM, our prestigious credentials, and the dedicated professionals who hold them. Combined with January, February, and March’s outreach, that’s a staggering 2.5 million communications in just four months!

Looking back at 2024, IHMM reached an all-time high with over 3.29 million messages sent—an unprecedented level of engagement in our history.

This momentum is more than just numbers; it’s a testament to our unwavering mission. Every day, across 50 states and 85 countries, IHMM champions the critical role of credentialed professionals, setting standards of excellence in environmental, health, and safety fields. Together, we are shaping the future—one message, one connection, one breakthrough at a time!

860,353

EHS Jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs

There are 53,561 EHS jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs available on Indeed today.
There are 6,001 EHS jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs available on CareerBuilder today.
There are 30,578 EHS jobs for CSHMs and CSMPs available on LinkedIn today.

$95,000 a Year Average Base Salary

(per recent IHMM salary survey results)
One of the many values of having your CSHM and CSMP!

IHMM 2024 Salary Survey Results

IHMM is pleased to release the 2024 survey of salaries underlying the workplace safety credentials salaries by job title. You may download the survey which is linked below.

• 2024 IHMM Workplace Safety Credentials Salary Survey

IHMM Completes Its 40th Year

On December 3, 1984, the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management was created with the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager® [CHMM®] credential. John H. Frick, Harold M. Gordon, John J. McCambridge, and Richard A. Young created what would become an Institute that offers 11 professional credentials across Hazardous Materials/Dangerous Goods and EHS Work Place Safety communities of practice in all 50 of the United States and 85 other countries.

IHMM thanks its hundreds of volunteer leaders, thousands of certificates, and companies who support IHMM through strengthening its ability to extend its reach and allow us all to live up to why we exist our vision, and our mission…

Why We Exist

Our Vision

Our Mission

IHMM Organizing Broader Government Affairs Activities – Call for Volunteers

In strategic planning on August 17, 2023, IHMM created a strategic imperative to create a broader government affairs operation on behalf of, and with the assistance of, all of IHMM’s certificants.

If you want to make a difference in the recognition of your credentials and build on the successful record we have achieved thus far – we need you to volunteer. Learn more by visiting our Government Affairs Committee page, and get involved with government affairs. You can volunteer for one, two, three or all four of the segments of the committee’s work. That’s up to you!

IHMM Proposes Changes in Government Recognition of Credentials

1. IHMM is filing comments on the U.S. DOT Regulatory Information Request
2. IHMM is a signatory on the NSC coalition letter to Congressional appropriators supporting OSHA FY2026 funding
3. IHMM is soliciting comments in response to the DOT’s Request for Information, deadline May 5, 2025
4. IHMM has joined the 460-member “Friends of NIOSH” letter to Congress in defense of NIOSH funding
5. IHMM has joined SWANA in a statement on end-of-life hazmat protocols
6. IHMM is circulating a letter to Congressional appropriators encouraging OSHA funding for FY2025.
7. IHMM is circulating a letter with the Intersociety Forum [ISF] to communicate to the new Administration the value of the EHS communities of practice.
8. IHMM has filed comments in the OSHA proposed Heat rule, underscoring IHMM’s commitment to bringing our SMEs expertise to an important public policy issue as well as highlighting the value of our certifications and those who hold them.
9. IHMM has filed comments on the OMB Inquiry concerning the EPA and DOL proposed regulatory measures concerning Methylene Chloride on December 13, 2024.
10. IHMM Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, concerning the use of professionally credentialed persons performing work for the Park Service.
11. IHMM Signs Letter Opposing Reductions in OSH Workers’ Pay – The IHMM Government Affairs Committee has agreed to sign a coalition letter opposing reductions in pay for IH and OSH employees.
    • Here is the coalition letter we signed.
    • Here is the response we received back from the VA.

12. IHMM submitted comments on OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH): Notice of Meetings concerning OSHA-2024-0002-0007, and highlighted the creation of IHMM’s Certified Pandemic Preparedness Specialist [CPPS] credential.
13. State of Maine Department of Environmental Protection is proposing to update Chapter 851, Standards for Generators of Hazardous Waste. In the current regulation, work is required by a professional engineer. IHMM is proposing to include an environmental professional as defined by 40 CFR §312.10.

All IHMM Government Affairs Projects Are Here

Beltway Buzz – Ogletree Deakins

Republican Legislators Push Ahead With Agenda. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means advanced—on a party-line 26–19 vote—a tax reform package that included Republicans’ top fiscal priorities. The bill makes permanent many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and includes other measures, such as an expansion of the child tax credit. Of particular interest to the Buzz, the bill also provides temporary (2025 through 2028 tax years) above-the-line deductions for qualified tips and overtime premium pay. There is still quite a long way to go for this bill, and changes are expected, especially considering that some Republicans in the U.S. Senate have already expressed some reservations about the proposal.

OMB Approves EEO-1 Changes. On May 12, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approved changes to the EEO-1 form that removes employers’ option to disclose non-binary employee data. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requested the changes pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.” The proposed instruction booklet filed with OMB indicates that the 2024 EEO-1 filing period would begin on May 20, 2025. There has been no word yet from the EEOC in light of OMB’s approval of the change. Kiosha H. Dickey and James A. Patton, Jr. have the details.

PBGC Nominee on the Move. On May 15, 2025, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions voted to advance the nomination of Janet Dhillon to serve as the director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, PBGC protects workers’ retirement benefits through its single-employer and multiemployer insurance programs. Dhillon previously served as chair of the EEOC. Her nomination now awaits a vote on the Senate floor.

House Committee Examines OSHA. On May 15, 2025, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled “Reclaiming OSHA’s Mission: Ensuring Safety Without Overreach.” The hearing focused on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) regulatory and enforcement agenda during the Biden administration and “explore[d] common-sense solutions that can return OSHA to fulfilling its purpose of advancing workplace safety.” Legislators and witnesses discussed OSHA’s proposed heat standard, the final “walkaround rule,” and the Severe Violator Enforcement Program. With regard to OSHA’s heat proposal, Republicans and their witnesses criticized its one-size-fits-all proscriptions—arguments that are likely to be made at OSHA’s public hearing on the proposal in June.

Disparate Impact Follow-Up. President Trump’s recent executive order directing federal agencies to limit the use of disparate-impact theories of liability is having a ripple effect at implementing agencies and among stakeholders. Here is the latest fallout:

• Department of Energy Rescinds Regulations. The U.S. Department of Energy—not an agency that we normally deal with at the Buzz—took steps this week to rescind forty-seven regulations. Included is a direct-to-final rule, entitled, “Rescinding Regulations Related to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities (General Provisions).” With regard to a regulatory provision concerning nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs or activities, the direct-to-final rule states the following:

Furthermore, absent a specific, identified, instance of intentional discrimination, statistical information indicating that certain protected groups are underrepresented in some occupations or professions does not obligate any FFA [federal financial assistance] recipient to take remedial or affirmative action under this part. To the contrary, any affirmative action for which “measures of success” depend on “whether some proportional goal has been reached” amounts to “outright racial balancing” which is “patently unconstitutional.” For these reasons, DOE is rescinding 10 CFR 1040.8 in its entirety.

While not directly impacting private-sector employment policy, the move provides some clues as to how federal agencies will respond to President Trump’s recent executive order.

• Former EEO Officials Respond. While federal agencies begin implementing the executive order (EO), former EEOC and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) officials issued a statement challenging the legal rationale underlying the EO, noting that President Trump’s executive order “may not change a clear statutory mandate and decades of legal precedent.” The statement further notes that contrary to the EO’s claim that the disparate impact theory eliminates meritocracy in the workplace, “disparate impact liability is a means to ensure that merit prevails and that unnecessary and unjustified criteria do not disqualify meritorious candidates on grounds linked to their race, sex, or other protected personal characteristic.” To be sure, the statement will have no impact on the administration’s current views, but it does serve as a reminder to employers and workers that while disparate impact may be deprioritized by the administration, it is still codified in federal law, has been affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States, and is a viable legal theory for plaintiffs’ counsel.

Immigration: TPS Update.

• In a notice published in the Federal Register on May 13, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that it would not extend the designation of Afghanistan for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which is set to terminate on May 20, 2025. Pursuant to the required sixty-day notice period, TPS for Afghanistan will now expire on July 14, 2025. According to the notice, “there are notable improvements in the security and economic situation such that requiring the return of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan does not pose a threat to their personal safety due to armed conflict or extraordinary and temporary conditions.”

• Venezuela TPS. A bipartisan group of representatives has introduced the Venezuela TPS Act of 2025. The bill would automatically designate Venezuela for TPS for eighteen months—with an option for renewal—from the time the bill is enacted. Of course, enactment will be a significant challenge in the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress. Pursuant to a federal court ruling, Venezuela’s TPS designation has been extended through October 2, 2026, and work authorization remains valid through April 2, 2026.

IHMM Files Comments – US DOT Regulatory Information Request

House Committee Proposes Giving FAA $12.5B for Air Traffic Control Improvements

OSHA to host public hearing on heat injury and illness prevention proposed rulemaking on June 16

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will host a virtual public hearing on its proposed rule to protect workers from hazardous heat exposure in indoor and outdoor workplaces on June 16, 2025.

The public hearing on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, will begin on June 16, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. EDT, and continue on subsequent weekdays if necessary.

IHMM Submits Comments on the OSHA Proposed Heat Rule

DOT Secretary Addresses Aviation Safety and Federal Workforce Cuts During Budget Hearings

Professional Certification Coalition

Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act

One-Page Fact Sheet

Tomorrow’s Workforce Coalition – IHMM Lobbying Congress

Standing Down to Prevent Falls

On May 7, Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling joined more than 1,800 construction workers, employers, and other stakeholders at the National Institutes of Health work site in Bethesda, Maryland, for OSHA’s National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls.

Similar stand-downs were held at worksites across the country. During these events, employers pause normal work activities and lead employees in toolbox talks or other activities such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards. Falls from heights continue to be the leading cause of fatal injuries in construction.

May 19-23: Heat Safety Awareness Week

May 23: Don’t Fry Day

June 16: Public hearing on OSHA’s Proposed Heat Rule.
(Instructions for watching online will be posted here.)

August 11-17: Safe + Sound Week

May ICC Compliance Bulletin

As we move further into the Spring season, it’s a great time to stay proactive and informed on the latest regulatory developments. ICC is here with timely insights to help you stay prepared, aligned, and ahead of the curve as the compliance landscape continues to shift.

This Month’s Spotlights:

• 2025 HazMat Industry Updates: First Quarter Key Insights highlights major changes in hazmat regulations, including PHMSA’s increased penalties, USPS packaging updates, sodium-ion battery classifications, and evolving tank car rules. Stay prepared with insights from the latest Q1 webinar and ensure your team is ready for what’s ahead.
• Ethanol and Gasoline Mixtures outlines Transport Canada’s classification requirements for ethanol-gasoline blends, emphasizing the importance of accurate UN numbers and proper emergency response. Learn how concentration levels affect classification and why using the correct firefighting methods is vital for safety and compliance.
• PHMSA Issues Notice of Enforcement to Assist International Harmonization outlines PHMSA’s policy allowing U.S. shippers to align with updated international regulations while 49 CFR catches up. This notice offers flexibility for imports, exports, and domestic transport, helping ease the regulatory disconnect across air, sea, and ground modes.
• PHMSA Seeking Comments on Information Collection invites stakeholders to share feedback on key recordkeeping requirements related to hazardous materials transport. With three OMB control numbers under review, this open comment period supports transparency and improved regulatory practices. Comments are due by May 9, 2025.

Changes to State and Operator Variations highlights key additions and updates in the 66th edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations. With over 1,200 variations now in effect, staying informed is essential to avoid costly delays and ensure compliance in global air shipments.

Eliminating NIOSH Will Hurt American Workers

Editor’s note: This week, news organizations reported that some NIOSH employees whose positions were terminated have been recalled.

Since NIOSH was established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the agency has been a world leader in promoting workplace health and safety and supporting a highly trained corps of health and safety professionals. I have personally benefited from the work of NIOSH in terms of educational opportunities (my Master of Science and doctoral degrees were both partially funded by the agency) and research support (NIOSH has funded many applied research projects over my career). I can say, with complete certainty, that without the support of NIOSH my career in industrial hygiene would likely have looked much different, and that I might not even have gone into this field in the first place. This is true for me, and it is also true for literally tens of thousands of other occupational health and safety professionals across a variety of disciplines—industrial hygiene, occupational safety, occupational medicine, occupational health nursing, occupational epidemiology, ergonomics, and more—whose education was supported by NIOSH. These professionals are our first and most important line of defense against workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities, and it is precisely this professional workforce that is threatened by the Trump administration’s April 2025 decision to essentially eliminate NIOSH and end 55 years of federal funding to train critically important health and safety practitioners and researchers.

Read more here.

IHMM Credential Recognition

The highest priority of IHMM’s Government Affairs Committee is the recognition of IHMM’s credentials by government. We have made substantial progress in the two years we have undertaken this endeavor, as outlined in detail here > https://ihmm.org/credential-recognition/

In this project we have 45-in-5, increasing the number of states that recognize IHMM credentials.

• We have already succeeded in 13 states – New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Indiana, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Arkansas, Oklahoma. Ohio, North Dakota, and Georgia. [Red states in the map above]. These are states where IHMM credentials are cited or 40 CFR 312.10 is cited by reference.
• We have partially succeeded in another 16 states – Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Arizona, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Florida, Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. [Orange/Black Stripe states in the map above] These are states where the requirements of an “environmental professional” or QEP are cited that coincide with an IHMM credential so that relatively little work would need to be done to clarify the desired outcome.
• We have 21 states where no reference to an IHMM credential is made in either statute or regulation, nor is there anything defined in the area of an environmental professional. These states will require legislation or regulatory work. [Yellow states in the map above].

in January 2022 Gene Guilford released the 40 CFR § 312.10 EPA regulation that states a private certification that meets or exceeds the requirements of the regulation is an Environmental Professional under the regulation. Here is the crosswalk between the 40 CFR § 312.10 EPA regulation and the Certified Hazardous Materials Manager [CHMM] blueprint. The CHMM meets or exceeds the requirements of an Environmental Professional.

Here’s what we ask each volunteer to do:

• Watch legislative and regulatory developments in your state that provide an opportunity for us to create amendments or other interventions.
• Be willing to speak with regulators and legislators in your area about the recognition efforts we craft together.

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