The House of Representatives Committee on Education and Workforce has approved, by a vote of 18-15, legislation that would bar the Occupational Safety and Health Administration from going forward with a final rule on heat illness and injuries for workers. 

The bill, H.R. 6213, provides that “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.”

The House bill has 60 cosponsors, but there is no Senate companion legislation. The OSHA proposed rule on heat illness and injury standards would impose significant new heat monitoring and mitigation requirements for employers. The proposal faced substantial opposition from the business community.

Seven states currently have heat illness and injury prevention standards for workers: California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, although several other states have proposed new requirements.