Reader comment – CSB $0 FY 2026 Budget Request

I received an email today, apparently from a reader (First Last, an interesting way of identifying an anonymous author) pointing me at the FY 2025 Budget Request for the Chemical Safety Board. This is one of the shortest budget documents that I have ever seen, three relatively short paragraphs.

The second paragraph is the most important:

“The President's Budget proposes to eliminate funding for several agencies, including the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, as part of the Administration's plans to move the Nation towards fiscal responsibility and to redefine the proper role of the Federal Government. The President’s Budget proposes $0 for CSB’s FY 2026 budget with the expectation that CSB begins closing down during FY 2025. CSB’s emergency fund of $844,145 will be appropriated to cover costs associated with closing down the agency. Exact closing costs will be determined upon consultation with OMB and Congress.”

This is not the first that Trump has tried to shut down the CSB. He announced the defunding of the Agency in 2017 (for FY 2018 budget). The CSB’s budget request for FY 2018 reported that fact, but went ahead with formally proposing an operating budget for the fiscal year:

“The CSB’s FY 2018 Budget Request is a relatively small federal investment to continue the agency’s valuable work. Yet, the President’s FY 2018 Budget Request proposes the elimination of the CSB and requests a $9.4 million appropriation to provide for the CSB’s orderly shutdown and rescission of the agency’s $844,000 no-year emergency fund. The CSB disagrees with this proposal and is using its bypass budget authority² to request a budget of $11.629 million in FY 2018 to continue the execution of its critical safety mission to drive critical chemical safety change to protect people and the environment.”

That little footnote refers to 42 U.S.C. §7412(r)(6)(R), part of the paragraph (6) that forms the authorizing language for the Chemical Safety Board that provides a clear, detailed statement about the independence of the Board. Subparagraph (R) specifically provides language requiring the CSB to independently submit it’s budget request to Congress. This ‘Budget Request’ falls short of that legal requirement. In fact, the third paragraph makes me believe that this is a DOGE budget page, not one authorized by the Board:

“CSB duplicates substantial capabilities in the Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate chemical-related mishaps. CSB generates unprompted studies of the chemical industry and recommends policies that they have no authority to create or enforce. This function should reside within agencies that have authorities to issue regulations in accordance with applicable legal standards.”

A quick reminder, in 2017 Congress approved funding for the CSB, over the objections of the President. It will be interesting to see if that occurs again. Technically, the President cannot disband the CSB since it is authorized in law (without a sunset provision, by the way) and it would take legislation to change that law.