New York
In New York, advocates have been pushing for legislation to protect workers from thermal stress for several years. The legislation, known as the Temperature Extreme Mitigation Program (TEMP) Act, is a bill that aims to protect those who work within the state of New York from extreme heat by providing science-backed regulations for employers to protect employees on the job. Though a state-wide bill has not yet passed, the coalition for the TEMP Act, known as the TEMP coalition, has seen progress at the municipal level.
Legislation
First Introduction of the Temperature Extreme Mitigation Program (TEMP) Act (2023):
The bill that became the TEMP Act was introduced by Sen. Jessica Ramos on January 13, 2023. This version covered all workers regardless of industry or employee status and included both heat protections protections. The bill went through multiple amendment cycles in the 2023-2024 session and later in the 2025-2026 sessions.
Why the Bill Stalled:
One stated reason the TEMP Act didn’t advance in the 2023-2024 session was the existence of a proposed federal U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) heat standard. Opposition memos stated that the federal rule being proposed by OSHA would preempt state action, with many legislators and stakeholders asking why the state should act if the federal government was already moving. With the Trump administration taking office in January 2025 and the OSHA rule widely expected to be shelved, the case for state action became significantly stronger.
Specific Opposition:
The most organized opposition has come from the business community including major corporate actors like Amazon and large airlines.
Where the Bill Stands Now:
Legislation did not advance in the 2026 session but will be re-introduced in 2027. Meanwhile, a major parallel development: Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order No. 17 on June 22, 2026, the first-ever worker heat protection order in NYC’s history, directing a whole-of-government response that included mandatory extreme heat plans for 300,000 municipal employees. The order was developed in partnership with the TEMP Coalition, NYCOSH, 32BJ SEIU, and dozens of labor unions and community organizations.
Contact
For more information about the New York campaign visit www.nycosh.org or contact Charlene Obernauer, Executive Director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) at charlene@nycosh.org.
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