National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health Staffing Cuts & Proposed Consolidation

As part of its broader restructuring plan, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued termination notices to nearly 900 employees of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In response to a May 2025 court order, HHS later reinstated more than 300 of the same employees, which included rescinding reductions in force at NIOSH's Respiratory Health Division and fully restoring the Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program. In its 2027 budget proposal, the Trump Administration has proposed consolidating NIOSH with other agencies as part of a new entity, the National Center for Chemicals and Toxins.