President Bush's budget proposal for fiscal year 2009 would provide $194.1 million to the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, a $17.4 million (10 percent) increase that includes funding for 75 new investigators and field support staff.
In fiscal year 2007, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) recouped more than $220 million in back wages for workers, the highest amount ever.
The budget also proposes lan increase in the amount of fines that can be assessed against employers who willfully violate child labor laws. President Bush has proposed raising the fines for child-labor violations before.
The budget request would also increase Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) funding by $15.7 million (3 percent), for a total of $501.7 million. OSHA will focus on high-hazard industries, including those that employ large numbers of vulnerable non-English speaking workers.
The president's budget request includes an additional $8.6 million (6 percent) for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), bringing EBSA's budget to $147.9 million.
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