April 29, 2026
Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Risch, Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Budd, Mr. Daines, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To prohibit the Secretary of Labor from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a proposed standard with respect to heat injury and illness prevention, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Findings
Congress finds that—
(1)
the proposed standard titled Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings
published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Federal Register on August 30, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 70698) is overly prescriptive, burdensome to businesses, and confusing for workers;
(2)
utilizing prescriptive requirements on employers to effectuate the aims of this proposed standard, including high-heat triggers, stringent protocols around rest breaks, strict acclimatization protocols, and highly detailed written safety plans, make the proposed standard unworkable; and
(3)
creating a proposed standard to regulate indoor heat and outdoor heat with prescriptive and specific requirements, which covers all industries and geographies without regard for unique considerations, will cause confusion and undermine worker safety.
Sec. 3. Prohibition against finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a proposed standard with respect to heat injury and illness prevention
The Secretary of Labor may not finalize, implement, or enforce the proposed standard titled Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings
published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the Federal Register on August 30, 2024 (89 Fed. Reg. 70698), or any substantially similar standard.