WASHINGTON, July 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This week, the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce Committee passed a bill that would stop the U.S. Department of Labor from finalizing worker protections against extreme heat now or in the future. Recent research out of Harvard University found that a nationwide heat standard could prevent up to 1,500 worker deaths annually.
“Just last week the nation was hit with a record-breaking heat wave, and some areas are still sweltering. Heat events like this are only going to become more common and workers should be able to rely on the government to take steps to protect them,” said BlueGreen Alliance Vice President of Health Initiatives Charlotte Brody.
Under the Biden administration, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a proposed heat standard in July 2024. That proposed standard would ensure workers have water and shade breaks. The proposed rule has faced an uncertain future under the Trump administration, which held a public hearing on the rule last year, but has not signaled an intent to move forward on the rule since. The bill passed through committee this week would stop that rule—or any like it—from being finalized.
In the absence of a federal standard, several states have moved forward with their own standards. Additionally, local government entities and responsible companies can draft heat safety rules to protect their workers. This week, the BlueGreen Alliance—along with the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, the Environmental Defense Fund, American Federation of Teachers, Service Employees International Union, National Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ceres, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Federation of American Scientists—released an updated checklist for a model heat illness prevention rule to guide their development.
“We will continue to fight for strong worker heat protections at the federal level. The cost of inaction is too high,” said Brody. “But in the absence of a federal rule, it is critical that leaders at every level of government and responsible business leaders develop standards to keep workers safe in the heat.”
SOURCE BlueGreen Alliance