Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2026

This bill aims to prevent the Secretary of Labor from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a specific proposed standard concerning heat injury and illness prevention. The targeted standard, published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on August 30, 2024, is deemed overly prescriptive, burdensome to businesses, and confusing for workers.

Congress finds that its requirements, including high-heat triggers, stringent rest break protocols, strict acclimatization rules, and detailed written safety plans, make the standard unworkable. Furthermore, the bill argues that creating such a prescriptive standard for all industries and geographies, without considering unique circumstances, could undermine worker safety. Therefore, the legislation explicitly prohibits the implementation of this proposed standard or any substantially similar regulation.