29 CFR § 1902.2 - General policies.

(a) Policy. The Assistant Secretary will approve a State plan which provides for an occupational safety and health program with respect to covered issues that in his judgment meets or will meet the criteria set forth in § 1902.3. Included among these criteria is the requirement that the State plan provide for the development and enforcement of standards relating to issues covered by the plan which are or will be at least as effective in providing safe and healthful employment and places of employment as standards promulgated and enforced under section 6 of the Act on the same issues. In determining whether a State plan satisfies the requirement of effectiveness, the Assistant Secretary will measure the plan against the indices of effectiveness set forth in § 1902.4.

(b) Developmental plan. A State plan for an occupational safety and health program may be approved although, upon submission it does not fully meet the criteria set forth in § 1902.3, if it includes satisfactory assurances by the State that it will take the necessary steps to bring the State program into conformity with these criteria within the 3-year period immediately following the commencement of the plan's operation. In such case, the State plan shall include the specific actions it proposes to take and a time schedule for their accomplishment not to exceed 3 years, at the end of which the State plan will meet the criteria in § 1902.3. A developmental plan shall include the date or dates within which intermediate and final action will be accomplished. If necessary program changes require legislative action by a State, a copy of a bill or a draft of legislation that will be or has been proposed for enactment shall be submitted, accompanied by (1) a statement of the Governor's support of the legislation and (2) a statement of legal opinion that the proposed legislation will meet the requirements of the Act and this part in a manner consistent with the State's constitution and laws. On the basis of the State's submission the Assistant Secretary will approve the plan if he finds that there is a reasonable expectation that the State plan will meet the criteria in § 1902.3 within the indicated 3-year period. In such case, the Assistant Secretary shall not make a determination under section 18(e) of the Act that a State is fully applying the criteria in § 1902.3 until the State has completed all the developmental steps specified in its plan which are designed to make it at least as effective as the Federal program, and the Assistant Secretary has had at least 1 year to evaluate the plan on the basis of actual operations. If at the end of 3 years from the date of commencement of the plan's development, the State is found by the Assistant Secretary, after affording the State notice and opportunity for a hearing, not to have substantially completed the developmental steps of the plan, the Assistant Secretary shall withdraw the approval of the plan.

(c) Scope of State plan.

(1) A State plan may cover any occupational safety and health issue with respect to which a Federal standard has been promulgated under section 6 of the Act. An “issue” is considered to be an industrial, occupational or hazard grouping which is at least as comprehensive as a corresponding grouping contained in (i) one or more sections in subpart B or R of part 1910 of this chapter, or (ii) one or more of the remaining subparts of part 1910. However, for cause shown the Assistant Secretary may approve a plan relating to other industrial, occupational or hazard groupings if he determines that the plan is administratively practicable and that such groupings would not conflict with the purposes of the Act.

(2) Each State plan shall describe the occupational safety and health issue or issues and the State standard or standards applicable to each such issue or issues over which it desires to assume enforcement responsibility in terms of the corresponding Federal industrial, occupational or hazard groupings and set forth the reasons, supported with appropriate data, for any variations the State proposes from the coverage of Federal standards.

(3) The State plan shall apply to all employers and employees within the affected industry, occupational or hazard grouping unless the Assistant Secretary finds that the State has shown good cause why any group or groups of employers or employees should be excluded. Any employers or employees so excluded shall be covered by applicable Federal standards and enforcement provisions in the Act.