Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
North Carolina state capitol image credit Flickr/OZinOH
Flickr/OZinOH
Project

Tracking State-Level Heat Legislation

Understanding Legislative Trends in Heat Resilience

As extreme heat intensifies across the United States, states are increasingly introducing policies to address its impacts. However, no centralized resource currently tracks how states legislate heat resilience, leaving policymakers, advocates, and the private sector without a clear picture of emerging trends, gaps, and best practices.

The Heat Policy Innovation Hub is leading the first State-Level Heat Legislation Inventory, systematically cataloging and analyzing state policies related to extreme heat. This project will provide decision-makers with a roadmap for advancing effective state-level heat governance by identifying trends, common policy approaches, and gaps.

Reports Issued To Date

Report

Heat Legislation in California: Gaps, Innovations, and Opportunities

This report examines California’s legislative record on extreme heat from 2014 through 2025. During this period, California introduced 128 bills addressing extreme heat mitigation and adaptation, of which 57 passed—a passage rate of approximately 45%. California has also committed funding at a scale no other state has approached, treating heat as a comprehensive public investment rather than a narrow regulatory problem.

Report

Heat Legislation in the Southeast: Gaps, Innovations, and Opportunities

High humidity, widespread energy poverty, and extensive outdoor labor converge to make the Southeast particularly susceptible to extreme heat’s ill effects. While there have been efforts to review heat governance and local government responses to heat, this report provides the first multistate review of extreme heat–related legislation across 11 Southeastern states.

Project Overview

Comprehensive Policy Inventory

The hub team is conducting a 50-state review of legislation related to extreme heat, spanning sectors such as public health, labor protections, energy policy, infrastructure adaptation, and emergency management.

Trend Analysis and Policy Gaps

Hub experts are assessing patterns in legislative action, identifying which states are leading on heat resilience and where gaps remain in regulatory frameworks. This will inform policy recommendations at the state and federal levels.

Public Database & Policy Reports

Findings will be compiled into an interactive, publicly accessible database, enabling users to explore state-specific policies, legislative trends, and model frameworks for heat governance. Additionally, hub experts will develop state-specific and comparative reports for policymakers and stakeholders.

Why This Matters

Bridging Policy Gaps

Without coordinated efforts, heat-related policies remain fragmented. This inventory will highlight where states are making progress and where opportunities exist to strengthen heat resilience.

Guiding Future Legislation

By identifying legislative trends and best practices, this project will serve as a critical resource for policymakers looking to develop effective heat governance strategies.

Empowering Decision-Makers

An interactive database will allow users to explore state-level policy approaches and compare legislative strategies across the country, facilitating informed decision-making for governments, businesses, and community leaders.

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