House readies bill preempting local wage, heat exposure laws for final vote

kathy Castor hopes to throw some shade on Florida's overheated workers.

Legislation wiping out local ordinances setting a minimum wage for contractors and subcontractors is poised for a vote in the House, after Republicans fended off a series of amendments from Democrats aimed at weakening the measure.

The bill (HB 433) also prevents cities and counties from passing laws to protect workers from heat overexposure.

Rep. Tiffany Esposito, a Fort Myers Republican sponsoring the bill, noted that it requires the Department of Commerce to enact regulations related to heat exposure for workers by 2028 if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t release them at the federal level.

“Employers have a vested interest in taking care of their employees and we see that through the actions that they take,” Esposito said. “That doesn’t mean that the city or county should mandate it.”

Democrats, though, said the measure leaves outdoor workers unprotected. An amendment offered by Rep. Susan Valdes, a Tampa Democrat, would’ve moved up the deadline for state-level rules for heat exposure protections to 2025.

“There are no specific laws in Florida, or the federal government for that matter, that mandate water, shade or rest for outdoor workers,” Valdes said. “OSHA is working on a federal rule but it could be years before they come.”

GOP lawmakers voted down that amendment and others to ensure the preemption doesn’t affect anti-discrimination laws; requiring the Department of Commerce to notify voters wages might be cut for some workers in cities with such ordinances; and to require a study on statewide regulations on heat exposure protections for workers.

Florida law already preempts cities and counties from setting their own minimum wage if it was lower than the state’s minimum wage, but allowed it for city and county workers and for companies that contract with local governments. Now, GOP lawmakers are moving to remove the exemption for contract workers.

A final vote on the bill is expected Friday. The Senate version of the bill (SB 1492) is ready for a floor vote in that chamber, but it only preempts heat exposure ordinances and doesn’t include wage preemption for contractors.