Florida cities and counties will be barred from requiring businesses to give water breaks or other “cooling measures” to employees who work outside, now that Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed HB 433.
The measure also removes the power of local governments to require contractors to pay higher wages or use higher pay as an incentive in awarding bids. The new law, which takes effect July 1, also bars cities and counties from requiring employers to give workers their work hours ahead of time.
The votes mostly fell along party lines, with Republicans in support and Democrats opposed, but a handful of GOP lawmakers in each chamber also voted against it.
Sens. Alexis Calatayud, Ileana Garcia, Ed Hooper and Ana Maria Rodriguez joined Democrats voting against it. In the House, Reps. Mike Beltran, Linda Chaney, Vicki Lopez and James Mooney were the Republicans to vote “no.”
In a statement explaining his vote, Beltran wrote that it was the preemption of the heat protections that led him to oppose it.
“Due to Florida’s unusually hot climate, the variation thereof throughout the state, and the diverse economy, I believe that local regulation may be appropriate,” Beltran stated. “Weather, working conditions, and the nature of work performed vary considerably throughout the state. Regulations promulgated in Washington or Tallahassee are less likely to be appropriate than in almost any other area of regulation.”
The measure was supported by business groups, which opposed a push by Miami Dade County to impose heat protection on businesses and contractors.
“Running a small business is never easy, but it’s even harder when owners have to contend with a patchwork of local and sometimes contradictory rules and regulations,” said Bill Herrle, National Federation of Independent Business Florida state director, in a written statement supporting the bill signing. “Big corporations can afford to hire compliance officers to ensure they follow every ordinance in every city and county where they do business.”
Unions and worker advocates had opposed the bill and called on DeSantis to veto the measure.