Trump freezes OSHA heat protections as Biggs bill targets agency abolition

President Trump issued the 'Regulatory Freeze Pending Review' memorandum on January 20, 2025, pausing OSHA's Heat Injury Prevention Standard and Emergency Response rulemaking. The freeze came just six days after the heat rule's public comment period closed on January 14.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) introduced H.R. 86, the 'NOSHA Act,' on January 3, 2025 to abolish OSHA entirely. The bill has zero cosponsors, no Senate companion, and a 0% chance of enactment according to GovTrack. This is Biggs's third attempt (2021: 9 cosponsors; 2023: 1 cosponsor; 2025: 0 cosponsors).

OSHA's proposed Heat Standard would apply when workers face heat indexes of 80 degrees Fahrenheit for 15+ minutes, requiring employers to provide cool drinking water, shade, and rest breaks. High heat triggers at 90 degrees would mandate paid rest breaks and acclimatization protocols.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. terminated approximately 900 of NIOSH's 1,100 employees in April-May 2025, eliminating mining safety researchers, firefighter cancer registries, and N95 respirator certification programs. The cuts affected the World Trade Center Health Program monitoring 9/11 first responders.

After federal lawsuits and congressional pushback, the Trump administration rescinded all NIOSH layoff notices by January 2026. The American Federation of Government Employees confirmed all terminations were reversed, though the agency stated the layoff attempt was 'shameful and illegal.'

The AFL-CIO estimates nearly 690,000 workers' lives have been saved since OSHA's 1970 creation. Workplace fatalities dropped from 14,000 deaths (38/day) in 1970 to 5,283 deaths (15/day) in 2023, even as the workforce doubled.

States with OSHA-approved State Plans maintain their own heat illness regulations regardless of federal action: California (Title 8 Section 3395), Washington (WAC 296-62-065), and Oregon (OAR 437-002-0156) all have enforceable heat protection rules.