By Susan
April 29, 2026
One-size-fits-all federal mandates would hurt small businesses
NFIB State Director Leah Long today thanked U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy for sponsoring legislation that would protect Main Street businesses from costly new federal mandates.
The Heat Workforce Standards Act, sponsored by Cassidy and U.S. Rep. Mark Messmer of Indiana, would protect small business owners from new compliance costs and allow them to continue making workplace safety decisions based on their unique needs.
“The proposed OSHA Heat Standard won’t increase workplace safety but would instead place new and costly burdens on small businesses,” Long said. “Small business owners are already taking steps to protect their employees from heat-related illness. A one-size-fits-all federal rule ignores those efforts and makes it harder for Main Street businesses to operate.”
NFIB recently joined a group of 50 trade associations in sending a letter urging Congress to pass the legislation. The bill would prevent the heat rule from being finalized and block future administrations from issuing similar mandates.
“Senator Cassidy understands how important small businesses are to Louisiana’s economy,” Long said. “His legislation would help stop unnecessary regulations that could raise costs, limit flexibility, and put local businesses at a disadvantage.”
View NFIB’s letter of support to the U.S. Senate here.
According to a recent NFIB Member Ballot, 89% of NFIB members oppose the federal government regulating and restricting business operations when temperatures are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit at the worksite. Earlier this month, NFIB released an issue brief outlining why small businesses oppose the regulation.
