Public safety & negligence
House committee advanced a bill to permanently block a federal OSHA heat-safety standard for outdoor workers
Confidence: Confirmed · 3 sourcesUnited States · Sep 21, 2026
Subject of this story
House Education and the Workforce Committee
Mark Messmer, U.S. Representative, IN-8
What happened
Rep. Mark Messmer's (R-IN) 'Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025' (H.R. 6213) would permanently bar OSHA from finalizing or enforcing any heat injury/illness prevention standard, including the one OSHA proposed in August 2024. It advanced out of the House Education and the Workforce Committee on a party-line 18-15 vote on July 21, 2025. Without a federal standard, protections such as shade, water and rest breaks would depend on state rules; Texas and Florida have preempted local governments from setting their own heat-safety rules.
Sources (3)
Safety+Health MagazineTrade-press reporting on the committee's 18-15 vote to advance H.R. 6213.
For Construction ProsIndependent trade-press confirmation of the same committee action and bill text.
SourceOfficial U.S. government bill-summary record confirming the bill bars OSHA from finalizing/enforcing a federal heat standard.
Response
House Education and the Workforce Committee
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Mark Messmer
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What happened next (0)
No outcome recorded yet.