Agriculture is the second-largest industry in Florida after tourism, and Central Florida has three of the state’s top 10 producing counties: Polk, Orange and Lake.

Although states such as Washington, Minnesota, California, Oregon and Colorado have laws protecting those who toil in the heat, Florida lacks such standards for its 2 million outdoor workers. A law that takes effect on July 1 will kill any chance that cities and counties can respond to the problem.

Among other things, HB 433 prevents local governments from enacting heat protection requirements. Supporters say federal safety standards are sufficient and non-uniform local ordinances would burden employers.

The bill, backed by business groups and opposed by workers rights organizations, passed on the last day of the 2024 legislative session and signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis in April.

The law’s passage was a “slap in the face” to farmworkers, said Jeannie Economos, who coordinates safety programs for the Farmworker Association of Florida.

“Industry folks that pushed through this preemption bill … have been saying that employers already protect their workers,” said Economos. “If that were true, we wouldn’t be hearing complaints from workers all the time that they need protections.”

Rising temperatures

Last year was most of Florida’s hottest summer on record, and this year will once again bring unusually brutal heat, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts.

With heat comes heat stroke. Emergency department visits soared alongside temperatures in 2023, breaking records in many states with 119,605 total heat-related visits nationally, a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found.

AdventHealth Central Florida confirmed a 20% surge in patients seeking care for heat-related illnesses during the region’s hottest months last year.

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