Extreme Heat Economic Study Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 1743
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-05-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T22:54:41Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Extreme Heat Economic Study Act of 2025 aims to assess the financial and economic burdens caused by extreme heat events in the United States. It directs federal agencies to study these costs, including losses from deaths, injuries, property damage, and disruptions to daily life and the economy, to better inform public health, policy, and resource allocation decisions.
Key Provisions
- Conducting the Study: The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA) must lead an economic impact study through NOAA's Climate Program Office. This involves coordination with the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (a federal network for heat-related health data) to quantify costs like the dollar value of lives lost and property damaged due to extreme heat.
- Study Elements:
- Evaluate health effects, such as deaths and illnesses from heat, using standard methods to assign economic values (e.g., cost of a life lost) in partnership with state and national health departments.
- Assess property damage from heat where possible.
- Analyze broader costs, including:
- Medical expenses for heat-related emergencies, hospital stays, and treatments.
- Insurance claims for life, health, workers' compensation, and crop/livestock losses.
- Lost worker productivity due to heat.
- Business disruptions from power outages or "brownouts" (temporary power reductions).
- Damage to critical infrastructure like roads, energy grids, and water systems.
- Higher energy bills for air conditioning.
- Impacts on agriculture, such as crop failures or livestock deaths.
- Feedback and Collaboration: The Under Secretary must gather input from a wide range of federal agencies (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency), non-federal partners (like state health departments), and other relevant groups.
- Recommendations: The study must propose ways to create a national system for tracking and publicly sharing data on heat-related medical costs, improving accuracy in reporting heat deaths (e.g., distinguishing heat as a direct or contributing cause), and measuring productivity losses from heat.
- Implementation Details:
- The study can be outsourced to external experts, such as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
- It should rely on existing data sources like government databases and indices to avoid duplication.
- Within 4 years of the law's enactment, NOAA must publish a full report on the HEAT.gov website (a federal resource for heat information), make the findings publicly available, and submit them to an open-access, peer-reviewed journal following scientific standards.
- Funding: Authorizes $3.5 million for the study.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new mandate for a comprehensive federal study on extreme heat's economic costs, which does not appear to amend prior laws directly. It builds on existing programs like the National Integrated Heat Health Information System but requires the first formalized, nationwide economic quantification of heat impacts, including specific tracking recommendations. No repeals or modifications to current statutes are specified.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: NOAA and listed federal agencies will face new coordination and reporting duties, potentially increasing workload but providing data to improve disaster response, public health planning, and climate adaptation strategies. The $3.5 million funding limits financial strain.
- Citizens: Could lead to better awareness and prevention of heat risks, especially for vulnerable groups (e.g., elderly, children, outdoor workers), through improved data on health and economic costs. Public access to the report may support community-level actions like better cooling centers or workplace protections.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though involvement of the U.S. Agency for International Development suggests potential insights for global heat resilience efforts; the focus remains domestic.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Government: NOAA (lead agency), plus over 20 departments and agencies (e.g., Health and Human Services, Energy, Agriculture) for input and data sharing.
- State and Local Entities: Public health departments, which will collaborate on health impact evaluations and benefit from tracking recommendations.
- Private Sector and Public: Insurance companies (for claims data), businesses (affected by productivity and infrastructure losses), farmers and agricultural workers (crop/livestock impacts), and healthcare providers (medical cost tracking).
- Vulnerable Populations: Individuals at higher risk from heat, such as low-income communities, outdoor laborers, and those in urban heat islands, who may gain from enhanced reporting and policy responses.
- Research and Advocacy Groups: Organizations like the National Academies or public health nonprofits, which could contribute expertise or use the findings for advocacy.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes enforceable deadlines and funding for the study, with requirements for scientific integrity and public transparency, aligning with federal open data policies. No new regulatory powers are granted, reducing litigation risks.
- Constitutional: Involves standard congressional authority over commerce and spending (e.g., funding NOAA), with no apparent First Amendment, privacy, or federalism issues, as it relies on voluntary feedback and existing data.
- Political: Highlights growing focus on climate change adaptation, potentially influencing future budgets for heat mitigation (e.g., infrastructure resilience). Bipartisan sponsorship (Senators Kelly and Gallego) suggests broad appeal, but implementation depends on congressional appropriations beyond the authorized amount. The emphasis on economic quantification may depoliticize heat discussions by framing them in fiscal terms.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-05-13: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 2025-05-13: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Extreme Heat Economic Study Act of 2025 — issued 2025-05-13 — PDF (7 pages)