Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025

Key Points

• The bill requires the Labor Department to create the first federal workplace safety standard specifically for heat, requiring employers to protect workers from dangerous heat levels that could cause illness, injury, or death in both indoor and outdoor settings.
• Employers would be required to provide cool drinking water, paid rest breaks, access to shade or cool-down spaces, and acclimatization policies for workers exposed to heat that is not controlled through engineering or protective equipment.
• Businesses would need to create written heat illness and injury prevention plans developed with meaningful participation from workers, and train both employees and supervisors to recognize symptoms of heat-related illness and respond appropriately.
• Workers who are punished or fired for reporting heat hazards gain stronger whistleblower protections. If the government does not act on a complaint within 90 days, workers can sue their employer directly in federal court for damages and attorney's fees.
• All safety training, posters, labels, hazard alerts, and written plans must be provided in English and in the worker's own language, written at a level the worker can understand, ensuring non-English-speaking workers know their rights.
• The Labor Department must issue an interim final rule within one year of enactment, bypassing several procedural requirements to speed up implementation. The rule takes effect immediately upon issuance and remains in force until replaced by a permanent final rule.