---
title: HR 393. General Assembly; enact Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act; urge
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hr393
cite_as: HR 393, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr393
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr393.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr393/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70815
date: 2025-02-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-12
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr393.md?full=1
bill_number: HR 393
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2025-02-26
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Kim Schofield
  - Viola Davis
  - Sandra Scott
  - Derrick Jackson
  - Karla Drenner
  - Dewey McClain
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR393/2025
upstream_id: 1986165
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - workplace safety
  - heat protection
  - labor law
  - occupational health
---

# HR 393. General Assembly; enact Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act; urge

## Text

House Resolution 393
By: Representatives Schofield of the 63rd, Davis of the 87th, Scott of the 76th, Jackson of the
68th, Drenner of the 85th, and others
A RESOLUTION
Urging the General Assembly to enact the Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act
(LC 46 0977) to safeguard workers from extreme heat conditions that endanger their health
and economic security; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, Georgia workers, particularly those in the construction, manufacturing,
agriculture, transportation, and warehousing sectors, are increasingly exposed to extreme
heat conditions due to rising temperatures and required outdoor exposure; and
WHEREAS, prolonged exposure to high temperatures has been linked to serious health risks,
including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, cardiovascular strain, and even fatality,
disproportionately impacting workers in physically demanding jobs; and
WHEREAS, the current lack of enforceable workplace heat protection standards exacerbates
economic vulnerabilities, as work absences due to heat related illness result in loss of wages,
financial instability, and increased healthcare costs for workers and their families; and
WHEREAS, according to economic studies, workplace injuries and illnesses from extreme
heat result in significant productivity losses, increased workers' compensation claims, and
a reduced labor force, which cumulatively harm Georgia's economic growth and
competitiveness; and
WHEREAS, labor unions and advocacy organizations have emphasized the necessity of
comprehensive heat protection policies, including mandated rest breaks, access to hydration,
cooling stations, and employer provided protective measures to mitigate heat related hazards;
and
WHEREAS, similar protections adopted in other states have demonstrated that workplace
safety measures not only improve worker health but also bolster economic stability and
reduce the burden on healthcare and social safety nets.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that
the members of this body urge the General Assembly to enact the Workplace Safety and Heat
Protection Act (LC 46 0977) to establish enforceable workplace heat protection standards,
including, but not limited to:
(1) Defining extreme heat conditions as workplace conditions with a heat index
exceeding 80 degrees Fahrenheit or other thresholds as determined by the federal
Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as of January 1, 2025; and
(2) Requiring employers to implement a heat illness prevention program designed to
mitigate heat related risks through prevention, training, and emergency responses for
employees working in extreme heat conditions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized
and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the
Governor, the Commissioner of Labor, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and all members
of the Georgia General Assembly.

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House resolution urges the General Assembly to pass a separate Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act that would set enforceable heat safety rules for outdoor and other workers.

### Plain-language summary

This resolution does not create new law itself. Instead, it urges the Georgia General Assembly to enact a separate bill, the Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act (LC 46 0977), aimed at protecting workers from extreme heat on the job.
The resolution describes rising health and economic risks from heat exposure, especially in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and warehousing. It asks lawmakers to define extreme heat as a heat index above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or another threshold set by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration as of January 1, 2025, and to require employers to adopt heat illness prevention programs covering training, prevention, and emergency response. The resolution directs the House Clerk to send copies to the Governor, the Commissioner of Labor, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and all General Assembly members.

### What it does

- Formally urges the General Assembly to enact a separate bill, the Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act (LC 46 0977).
- Recommends defining extreme heat as a workplace heat index above 80 degrees Fahrenheit or a federal OSHA threshold as of January 1, 2025.
- Recommends requiring employers to adopt heat illness prevention programs covering training, prevention, and emergency response for workers in extreme heat.
- Directs the House Clerk to distribute copies of the resolution to the Governor, the Commissioner of Labor, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and all legislators.
- Does not itself create any enforceable legal requirement, since it is a resolution expressing the House's position rather than a law.

### Who it affects

The resolution names workers in construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and warehousing as most exposed to heat risks. It also references employers in those industries, the Governor, the Commissioner of Labor, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce as recipients of the resolution.

### Why it matters

If the referenced Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act were later passed, outdoor and industrial workers could gain rest breaks, hydration access, and employer heat prevention plans. As a resolution, this document itself changes nothing legally but signals House support for such rules.

### Key provisions

- The preamble (whereas clauses) describes health risks like heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and cardiovascular strain, and economic harms from lost wages and productivity.
- The resolved clause urges enactment of the Workplace Safety and Heat Protection Act (LC 46 0977) to set enforceable workplace heat protection standards.
- Provision (1) proposes defining extreme heat as a heat index over 80 degrees Fahrenheit or another OSHA-set threshold as of January 1, 2025.
- Provision (2) proposes requiring employers to implement heat illness prevention programs including training and emergency response procedures.
- The final clause directs the House Clerk to send copies to the Governor, the Commissioner of Labor, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and General Assembly members.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-02-26)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-02-28)
- Sponsors: Kim Schofield, Viola Davis, Sandra Scott, Derrick Jackson, Karla Drenner, Dewey McClain
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70815

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr393.md?full=1