Sinema Secures Permanent Pay Raise for Wildland Firefighters in Annual Appropriations Bill

The Preventing Health Emergencies and Temperature-related (HEAT) Illness and Deaths Act responds to increasing number of extreme heat cases in Arizona and across the country

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Preventing Health Emergencies and Temperature-related (HEAT) Illness and Deaths Act - bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema protecting Arizonans from the increasing number of extreme heat cases, related illness, and deaths in Arizona and across the country.

"I'm proud our legislation boosting resources to protect Arizonans from extreme heat and heat-related illnesses passed the Commerce Committee - I look forward to it becoming law," said Sinema, a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The bipartisan Preventing Health Emergencies and Temperature-related (HEAT) Illness and Deaths Act codifies the National Integrated Heat Health Information System and authorizes $20 million over five years to expand interagency efforts to combat extreme heat at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and throughout the federal government. It would also create a program to distribute funding to state and local governments, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations to study and educate local communities about the effects of extreme heat. The funding could be used to support entities such as the Phoenix Chief Heat Officer.

In July 2022, Sinema held a field hearing in Phoenix to examine the dangerous effects of hot vehicles on U.S. Postal Service employees and operations in Arizona. The Senator highlighted that less than 20% of USPS vehicles in Arizona have air conditioning and some USPS employees have died from heat exposure in parts of the country.