Bill > S1743

This bill requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere to conduct a comprehensive economic impact study on extreme heat, focusing on its financial consequences across multiple sectors. The study, to be carried out through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will quantify the economic losses associated with extreme heat, including direct costs like medical expenses, life and health insurance claims, property damage, and workers' compensation, as well as indirect costs such as labor productivity losses, infrastructure disruptions, and agricultural impacts. The Under Secretary will collaborate with over 20 federal agencies and non-governmental partners, gathering data on health effects, mortality rates, and economic disruptions caused by extreme heat events. The study will develop recommendations for a national system to track and publicly report heat-related healthcare costs, improve heat death reporting, and measure productivity losses. Within four years of enactment, the findings will be published on the HEAT.gov website and in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. The bill authorizes $3.5 million to support this research and allows the Under Secretary to work with external organizations like the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct the study. The ultimate goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the economic impact of extreme heat events in the United States.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1743/all-info