The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) heat stress standard rulemaking entered the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) stage on Aug. 30, 2024, after years of public engagement. The public comment period for this proposed rule, titled "Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings," ended on Jan. 14, 2025, after being extended to allow for more input. GCSAA submitted comments on the NPRM in January.

The current Administration initiated more public hearings on the proposed rule on June 16, 2025, to allow for oral testimony and to gather further feedback from stakeholders. OSHA is now reviewing all comments and testimony to potentially revise the proposed rule before publishing a final rule. 

The rule would require employers to create and implement written Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plans (HIIPP) that include a plan for evaluating and controlling heat hazards. 

Many businesses are looking to Nevada heat stress regulation model as a possible model for a future HIIPP. The Nevada heat stress standard is a regulation enforced by Nevada OSHA that requires employers with more than 10 employees to conduct job hazard analyses, implement written safety programs including providing water and shade, offer employee training on heat illness prevention and establish acclimatization protocols for workers exposed to heat hazards. The goal of the standard, which began enforcement in April 2025, is to protect workers from heat-related illnesses.