Chairman Cassidy, Risch, Republican Colleagues Lead Legislation Protecting American Workers from Harmful Biden Heat Standards, Saving Louisiana Jobs

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Jim Risch (R-ID), and six Republican senators introduced the Heat Workforce Standards Act to protect Louisiana workers from dangerous Biden-era heat standards that threaten jobs and create new safety risks. This comes after Cassidy led 15 Republican senators raising concerns about the Biden proposed rule.

"Protecting Louisiana workers is my top priority. The Democrats' proposal puts workers at risk and threatens their livelihoods," said Dr. Cassidy. "Any effort on worker safety should provide needed clarity and flexibility to ensure Louisianans can earn a paycheck in a safe working environment."

"One-size-fits-all federal heating standards prevent small businesses and farmers from appropriately protecting the people they employ," said Senator Risch. "The Heat Workforce Standards Act will stop the implementation of a disastrous rule that ignores vastly different workplace and regional conditions, and returns the ability to set heat standards back to state and local leaders."

Cassidy and Risch are joined by U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Budd (R-NC), Steve Daines (R-MT), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and John Cornyn (R-TX).

Under current federal law, employers are required to take commonsense measures to protect their workers from heat.

In 2024, the Biden administration proposed a new rule requiring all employers, including small businesses, to comply with burdensome mandates on staffing, recordkeeping, and mandatory breaks tied to heat thresholds. These one-size-fits-all requirements create new safety risks on job sites that extend beyond heat-related injuries while making compliance nearly impossible for employers and workers. The rule would raise costs on small businesses, forcing them to eliminate jobs for hardworking Louisianans.

Recently, the Trump administration launched a program ensuring employers and workers know how to comply with the law and that workplaces do not have extreme heat hazards. The Republican legislation reflects current federal law that protects workers while giving clarity to workers and employers.

"No one in agriculture can stay in business without the men and women who are willing to work on our farms and ranches. We already take steps to take care of our workers and our families on the hottest of Louisiana days. We're thankful Senator Bill Cassidy has introduced the Heat Workforce Standard Act. It would eliminate the threat of burdensome regulation and prevent the 'one-size-fits-all' approach currently before OSHA and take into consideration all the things we already do to keep everyone safe on the farm," said Richard Fontenot, President, Louisiana Farm Bureau.

"In late 2024, the Biden Administration proposed an unworkable new one-size-fits-all Heat Standard that would add new paperwork, training, paid break, and supervision mandates on Louisiana home builders. Louisiana businesses should not be punished because the previous administration attempted to nationalize an unworkable law enacted in states like California. The Heat Workforce Standards Act remedies this issue by preventing the proposed heat standard from being finalized and prevents a future administration from reviving this absurd proposal. Thank you Senator Cassidy for your leadership to protect Louisiana home builders from the massive new compliance burdens and red tape that would be added by a heat standard," said Shane Marler, President, Louisiana Home Builders Association.

"Small businesses overwhelmingly oppose the Biden Administration's proposed OSHA Heat Standard as it would add unworkable, new, one-size-fits-all mandates and dramatically increase the federal government's regulatory control over their business. Small businesses are already taking steps to ensure their workers do not experience a heat-related injury or illness. Yet, the Biden Administration's proposed OSHA Heat Standard fails to recognize this fact and instead would cripple small businesses, who work without government intervention to protect their employees' health and safety, with more mandates and regulatory burdens. NFIB strongly supports the Heat Workforce Standards Act to prevent the burdensome proposed OSHA Heat Standard from being implemented. Small businesses thank Senators Cassidy and Risch for their leadership and urge Congress to promptly enact the legislation," said Dylan Rosnick, Principal of Federal Government Relations, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)

"The Heat Workforce Standards Act will help ensure overburdensome and costly regulations don't hinder manufacturers' ability to make things in America. Manufacturers have long advocated for commonsense OSHA regulations that protect workers while accurately considering the complexity of manufacturing operations across the country. We thank Chairman Cassidy for rejecting a one-size-fits-all heat standard and introducing legislation to ensure practical safety measures are informed by real-world experiences on the shop floor," said Charles Crain, Managing Vice President of Policy, National Association of Manufacturers.

"OSHA already requires employers to protect workers from temperature-related hazards under the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act," said Ben Brubeck, Government Affairs, Independent Electrical Contractors. "Independent Electrical Contractors supports the Heat Workforce Standards Act because it stops an overly prescriptive and burdensome federal heat rule that fails to account for the realities of construction work across diverse climates and job sites. Safety is a top priority for IEC contractors, and one-size-fits-all mandates risk undermining-rather than improving-worker protection."

This bill is supported by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Louisiana Home Builders Association, AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), American Bakers Association, American Building Materials Alliance, American Craft Spirits Association, American Lighting Association, American Pipeline Contractors Association, American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), American Supply Association, Americans for Prosperity, Associated Equipment Distributors, Associated Industries of Florida, Brick Industry Association, Distribution Contractors Association, Family Business Coalition , Florida Attractions Association, Florida Farm Bureau Federation, Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association, Gases and Welding Distributors Association, Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International, Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, Independent Electrical Contractors, Indiana Farm Bureau, International Franchise Association, Mason Contractors Association of America, National Apartment Association, National Association of Convenience Stores, National Association of Manufacturers, National Electrical Contractors Association, National Energy & Fuels Institute, National Federation of Independent Business, National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, National Restaurant Association, National RV Dealers Association (RVDA), North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM), Pennsylvania Utility Contractors Association, Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), Plastics Pipe Institute, Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), Power & Communication Contractors Association, PRINTING United Alliance, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance, Steel Tank Institute/Steel Plate Fabricators Association (STI/SPFA), Treated Wood Council, and the Window and Door Manufacturers Association.

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