Coalition Statement on Passage of HB 1092 and SB 288 

Virginia is on the Route to have the first Heat Stress Protections in The South 

The passage of HB 1092 (Delegate Hernandez) and SB 288 (Senator Aird) marks a landmark step toward ensuring that no worker in Virginia has to risk heat illness or death simply to earn a paycheck. As every year we have more frequent and intense heat waves, heat exposure has become a predictable and preventable threat to working people across the Commonwealth whether laboring outdoors or in indoor environments. During a single four-day heat wave in June 2025, Virginia recorded 828 emergency room and urgent care visits for heat-related illness, underscoring the severity of the crisis and the urgent need for action. 

HB 1092 and SB 288 address this reality by directing the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board to develop strong, commonsense workplace heat regulations. These regulations will be drafted in consultation with the Department of Labor and Industry and an advisory panel of worker advocates and subject matter experts, ensuring that implementation is guided by both scientific evidence and lived experience.  

The Heat Justice Coalition extends our appreciation to Delegate Phil Hernandez and Senator Lashrecse Aird, whose leadership has been crucial in pushing forward protections that meet the scale of the problem. Now, these bills are on their way to the Governor’s Spanberger desk.  As the regulatory process moves forward, we remain committed to collaborating with workers, employers, and state agencies to develop strong, commonsense standards that reflect both scientific evidence and lived experience. Together, we can ensure that the final regulations truly protect the health, safety, and dignity of every worker across the Commonwealth. 

This victory belongs to the workers, advocates, and community partners who have organized, testified, and demanded action. Their efforts have made clear that heat safety is not just a weather issue, but a matter of racial and economic justice and workplace dignity. Heat impacts fall disproportionately on low wage workers and workers of color, who are most likely to labor in high-exposure jobs and least likely to have recourse when something goes wrong.  

To see the full list of the coalition partners, you can visit: heatjusticenow.org/Virginia