Vermont S 153: An act relating to creating the Vermont 250th Commission

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED S.153
2025 Page 1 of 18

VT LEG #382538 v.1
S.153 1
Introduced by Senators Ram Hinsdale and Clarkson 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Labor; safety; Extreme Temperature Worker Protection Act 5
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to protect 6
employees from occupational injury and illness due to exposure to extreme 7
temperatures in the workplace and to require employers to develop and 8
implement a protection plan. 9
An act relating to the creation of the Extreme Temperature Worker 10
Protection Act 11
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12
Sec. 1. SHORT TITLE 13
This act may be cited as the “Extreme Temperature Worker Protection Act.” 14
Sec. 2. 21 V.S.A. chapter 3, subchapter 5A is added to read: 15
Subchapter 5A. Extreme Temperature Worker Protection 16
§ 240. PURPOSE 17
(a) Thousands of workers become sick from occupational exposure to 18
extreme hot and cold temperatures each year, many of whom die. 19

BILL AS INTRODUCED S.153
2025 Page 2 of 18

VT LEG #382538 v.1
(b) Nearly three out of four workers who die from exposure to extreme 1
temperatures in the workplace die in the first week of their employment before 2
they have had an opportunity to acclimatize to the conditions. 3
(c) Employers are required to provide workplaces free of known health and 4
safety hazards, and this includes protecting employees from temperature-5
related hazards. 6
§ 240a. DEFINITIONS 7
As used in this subchapter: 8
(1) “Acclimatization” means the body’s adaption to work in the heat as 9
a person is exposed to heat gradually over time, which reduces the strain 10
caused by heat stress and enables a person to work with less chance of heat 11
illness or injury. 12
(2) “Ambient temperature” means the temperature of the air surrounding 13
a body. 14
(3) “Cold-related injuries and illnesses” include chilblains, frostbite, 15
trench foot, and hypothermia. Symptoms of chilblains include redness, 16
itching, blistering, inflammation, and possible ulceration in severe cases. 17
Symptoms of frostbite include numbness, tingling or stinging, aching, and 18
bluish or pale, waxy skin. Symptoms of trench foot include reddening of the 19
skin, numbness, leg cramps, swelling, tingling pain, blisters or ulcers, bleeding 20
under the skin, and discoloration of the foot due to gangrene. Early symptoms 21

BILL AS INTRODUCED S.153
2025 Page 3 of 18

VT LEG #382538 v.1
of hypothermia include shivering, fatigue, loss of coordination, confusion, and 1
disorientation. Late symptoms of hypothermia include no shivering, blue skin, 2
dilated pupils, slowed pulse and breathing, and loss of consciousness. 3
(4) “Employee” means any person engaged in service to an employer for 4
wages, salary, or other compensation, as well as individuals employed on the 5
worksite through a staffing agency, contractor, subcontractor, or delivery 6
service. 7
(5) “Employer” means a natural person, corporation, partnership, trust, 8
society, club, association, or other organization, including municipalities, the 9
State, and its instrumentalities. 10
(6) “Heat-related injuries and illnesses” include heat cramps, heat 11
exhaustion, heat syncope, and heat stroke. 12
(7) “Indoor” and “indoors” mean an area under a ceiling or overhead 13
covering that restricts airflow and has along its entire perimeter walls, doors, 14
windows, dividers, or other physical barriers that restrict airflow, whether open 15
or closed. 16
(8) “Outdoor” and “outdoors” mean an area that is not indoors. 17
(9) “Signs and symptoms of a heat emergency” include loss of 18
consciousness with excessive body temperature, which may or may not be 19
accompanied by vertigo, nausea, headache, cerebral dysfunction, or bizarre 20
behavior. A heat emergency could also include staggering, vomiting, acting 21

BILL AS INTRODUCED S.153
2025 Page 4 of 18

VT LEG #382538 v.1
irrationally or disoriented, having convulsions, and continuing to have an 1
elevated heart rate despite resting. 2
(10) “Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness” include headache, 3
nausea, weakness, dizziness, elevated body temperature, muscle cramps, and 4
muscle pain or spasms. 5
(11) “Wet bulb globe temperature” means a heat metric that considers 6
ambient temperature, humidity, radiant heat from sunlight or artificial heat 7
sources, and air movement. 8
(12) “Work vehicle” means a car, truck, van, or other authorized means 9
of transporting vehicles or goods. 10
§ 240b. APPLICATION 11
(a) This subchapter shall apply with respect to all employers, employees, 12
and employment in or at a workplace in the State of Vermont, except it shall 13
not apply to the following: 14
(1) work activities for which there is no reasonable expectation of 15
exposure at or above a wet bulb globe temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit or 16
a temperature below 60 degrees Fahrenheit; 17
(2) short duration employee exposures at or above 80 degrees 18
Fahrenheit or below