# 119-s-2571: Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act of 2025

119-s-2571, Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2571
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-2571
- Congress: 119
- Title: Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-07-31
- Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Labor and Employment
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**This bill would require the Secretary of Labor to set a national workplace standard to protect farmworkers from wildfire smoke and excessive heat.** It creates an initial temporary standard and a required process to write a permanent standard that meets or exceeds the most protective State rules. - Farmworkers: Would get required protective equipment like N95 or N100 respirators or other National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) certified gear when air is dangerous. They would also receive water, cooling, and mandatory rest breaks of at least 10 minutes every 2 hours in shaded areas when conditions are hazardous. - Employers: Would have to provide training in languages workers understand on proper use and limits of equipment and signs of heat illness. They could seek technical assistance from the Secretary or State and local health departments to comply. - Agencies and communities: The Secretary must begin a permanent standard within 90 days and provide sample training materials and outreach. The Secretary would collaborate with community organizations to reach hard to reach and indigenous language farmworkers.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2025-07-31T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Enforceable interim farmworker safety rule: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Labor Secretary would have to start making a permanent farmworker safety rule within 90 days. Until the permanent rule is issued, the bill's initial protections would count as an OSHA standard and be enforced the same way, including anti-retaliation protections. The permanent rule w…
- Farmworker smoke and heat protections: benefit, medium. If enacted, employers on farms would have to give protective gear and facilities when air quality or heat is dangerous. Employers would need to provide N95 or N100 (or other NIOSH-certified) respirators for smoke and water and cooling for excessive heat. When the Labor Secretary says conditions are…
- Employer training and outreach support: benefit, low. If enacted, the Labor Department would have to offer technical help and sample training materials to employers when asked. The Secretary could share materials with community and nonprofit groups on request. The Department would work with groups that reach hard-to-reach farmworkers and seek input to…
- Who the rule covers and definitions: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would define key terms for the safety rule. "Agricultural operation employer" would mean employers engaged in farming. "Farmworker" would mean employees doing farm work for such employers. "Excessive heat" would include exposures that can cause heat stroke, heat exhaustion, hea…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act
- 119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act
- 119-s-5283: Momnibus Act
- 119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025
- 119-s-5238: For Our Republic Act

## Sources
- [119-s-2571 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2571)

## Related
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5022)
- [119-s-2819: Head Start for America's Children Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2819)
- [119-s-5283: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5283)
- [119-s-1507: Agriculture Resilience Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1507)
- [119-s-5238: For Our Republic Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5238)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2571 (as of 2026-04-21).