BY LAUREN IRWIN - 03/06/24
Stephen B. Morton /Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP
An employee puts barrels, cones and road closure signs out.
The Florida State Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would prohibit local agencies from implementing heat protections for workers.
The GOP-controlled Senate voted 28-11 to pass the bill, which would ban cities and counties from adopting mandatory water breaks and other extreme heat relief measures that go beyond what is required by state or federal law.
The bill, Senate Bill 1492, was introduced by Sen. Jay Trumbull (R). The legislation said political subdivisions can’t “establish, mandate, or otherwise require an employer” to provide goods and services to “meet or provide heat exposure requirements” that are not already mandated.
Supporters of the bill say it will establish uniform regulations instead of having inconsistent rules across the state, NBC News first reported.
Labor organizations are pushing back, arguing that heat protections are necessary for safety, particularly for those who work in construction and agriculture.
The bill would be implemented beginning July 1, 2024, but it waits approval in the House before going to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) desk to be signed.
It comes just after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that 2023 was the hottest single year ever recorded. The summer season was also confirmed to be the warmest on record.
Florida employers would be required to follow general rules set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has not yet issued standards for dangerously high temperatures, NBC News noted.
The Florida State Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would prohibit local agencies from implementing heat protections for workers.
The GOP-controlled Senate voted 28-11 to pass the bill, which would ban cities and counties from adopting mandatory water breaks and other extreme heat relief measures that go beyond what is required by state or federal law.
The bill, Senate Bill 1492, was introduced by Sen. Jay Trumbull (R). The legislation said political subdivisions can’t “establish, mandate, or otherwise require an employer” to provide goods and services to “meet or provide heat exposure requirements” that are not already mandated.
Supporters of the bill say it will establish uniform regulations instead of having inconsistent rules across the state, NBC News first reported.
Labor organizations are pushing back, arguing that heat protections are necessary for safety, particularly for those who work in construction and agriculture.
The bill would be implemented beginning July 1, 2024, but it waits approval in the House before going to Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) desk to be signed.
It comes just after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed that 2023 was the hottest single year ever recorded. The summer season was also confirmed to be the warmest on record.
Florida employers would be required to follow general rules set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has not yet issued standards for dangerously high temperatures, NBC News noted.
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