Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (21 Jul 2026): Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15.
What this bill does
H.R. 6213, the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025, would bar the Secretary of Labor from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a specific proposed rule—OSHA's "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings" standard, published in the Federal Register on August 30, 2024—or any rule that is substantially similar to it. In effect, the bill would prevent that particular workplace heat-safety regulation, and close variants of it, from taking legal effect.
The bill would primarily affect the Department of Labor and OSHA, which would be blocked from moving forward with the proposed heat standard, as well as employers and workers in outdoor and indoor work settings who would otherwise be subject to or protected by such a rule. Businesses would not have to comply with the specific federal heat-safety requirements contained in the proposed standard, while workers would not gain the protections that rule was designed to establish, unless a different, non-similar standard were later issued.
The bill was introduced on November 20, 2025, by Rep. Mark Messmer and referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. The committee has since ordered the bill reported, in amended form, by a vote of 18 to 15, on July 21, 2026. It would next need to be considered by the full House of Representatives, then the Senate, and signed by the President before becoming law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025
This bill prohibits the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a safety standard requiring certain employers to create a heat injury and illness prevention plan to evaluate and control heat hazards in their workplaces.
Specifically, OSHA is prohibited from finalizing the proposed rule titled Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, which was published on August 30, 2024, or any substantially similar standard. The proposed standard generally applies to employers conducting outdoor and indoor work in all general industry, construction, maritime, and agriculture sectors where OSHA has jurisdiction. Employers must develop plans in accordance with the specified standards to address employee exposures to heat indexes at or above 80 degrees (initial heat trigger) or 90 degrees (high heat trigger) Fahrenheit.
As background, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 generally requires employers to provide their employees with a place of employment that is free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees. OSHA conducts workplace inspections and cites employers that fail to satisfy these requirements. Currently, OSHA does not have specific heat exposure standards; however, OSHA has historically used its general authority to cite employers for violations involving excessive heat, including through a National Emphasis Program that focuses on indoor and outdoor heat exposure in industries that have the highest risks.
Timeline
21 Jul 2026
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 6213 do?
- H.R. 6213, the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025, would bar the Secretary of Labor from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing a specific proposed rule—OSHA's "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings" standard, published in the Federal Register on August 30, 2024—or any rule that is substantially similar to it. In effect, the bill would prevent that particular workplace heat-safety regulation, and close variants of it, from taking legal effect. The bill would primarily affect the Department of Labor and OSHA, which would be blocked from moving forward with the proposed heat standard, as well as employers and workers in outdoor and indoor work settings who would otherwise be subject to or protected by such a rule. Businesses would not have to comply with the specific federal heat-safety requirements contained in the proposed standard, while workers would not gain the protections that rule was designed to establish, unless a different, non-similar standard were later issued. The bill was introduced on November 20, 2025, by Rep. Mark Messmer and referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. The committee has since ordered the bill reported, in amended form, by a vote of 18 to 15, on July 21, 2026. It would next need to be considered by the full House of Representatives, then the Senate, and signed by the President before becoming law.
- Has H.R. 6213 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 6213. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 6213?
- H.R. 6213 was sponsored by Rep. Messmer, Mark B. [R-IN-8] (R-IN), with 74 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 6213?
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15. (21 Jul 2026).
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