Congress may kill the federal heat rule before OSHA can

A House committee advanced H.R. 6213, a bill that would block OSHA from finalizing a heat safety rule for workers, during a month when three heat domes made July the hottest on record nationally and drove an 18-day extreme heat warning in Phoenix. The proposed OSHA rule, drafted under the Biden administration and still working through public comment, would require employer safety plans once the heat index hits 80 degrees, with stricter measures above 90.

Bill sponsor Representative Mark Messmer calls the rule "unnecessary" and burdensome to employers; the committee's spokesperson would not say when a full House vote might happen. Labor advocates note the rule targets a documented risk — three-quarters of occupational heat deaths occur in a worker's first week on the job — and warn that congressional override of the regulatory process sets a troubling precedent.

The Department of Labor did not comment on the bill directly, saying only that OSHA continues reviewing hearing comments and offering employers compliance assistance.

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