Amendment of Municipal Code Title 6, Chapter 140 regarding heat illness prevention in outdoor places of employment
Legislation tracker › Workforce Development › 49th Ward: Maria E. Hadden
Clerk's short name: Heat-Related Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment Ordinance
- Record number: SO2023-0004210
- Type: Ordinance; category: Municipal Code Amendments
- Status: Council Consideration (Deferred and Published)
- Sponsor: Maria E. Hadden (49th Ward)
- Co-sponsors (3): Matthew J. Martin (47th Ward), Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez (33rd Ward), Michael D. Rodriguez (22nd Ward)
- Committee: Committee on Workforce Development
- Submitted Date: Sep 14, 2023
- Introduction Date: Sep 14, 2023
- Official record: Office of the City Clerk
Impact report
Written by AI from the official document. AI can make mistakes; the official document always wins.
This ordinance would require Chicago employers to give outdoor workers shade, water, cool-down breaks, heat safety training, and emergency help when the heat index is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Who it affects
- Outdoor workers, including City and Sister Agency employees: They would get free water, access to shade, cool-down breaks, heat training in their preferred language, and a written heat safety plan.
- Employers with outdoor workers: They would have to provide shade and water, set up high-heat and emergency procedures, train staff, keep illness records for five years, and post notices of workers' rights.
- Workers designated to monitor others: They would receive annual training and watch up to 20 outdoor workers each for signs of heat-related illness.
- New outdoor workers: They would be observed by a designated worker during their first 14 days of work in hot months to make sure they adjust to the heat.
- Unionized construction workers: Construction workers covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement would not be covered by this ordinance.
- Emergency workers: Workers doing emergency operations and City Fire, Police, and Office of Emergency Management and Communications employees would not be covered.
What changes
- When the heat index is 90 degrees or higher, outdoor workers would get a mandatory 15-minute cool-down break in the shade every two hours.
- Employers would have to provide cool water at every shift, with water stations no more than 0.25 miles from where people work on large sites.
- Employers would have to adjust job quotas so workers can take cool-down rests, and these rests could not cut into meal breaks.
- Employers with three or more violations on three different days within 12 months could be found ineligible for City contracts or lose their license.
- Workers could file complaints through a system connected to the City's 311 service.
Money
- Employers who violate the rules would pay a fine of $500 to $1,000 per offense, with each day of a violation counted as a separate offense.
- Starting January 1, 2028, outdoor workers could sue employers for three times their lost wages from heat-related illness, plus medical costs, interest, court costs, and attorney's fees.
- Employers must provide water to outdoor workers at no cost.
When: January 1, 2027
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Timeline
- Sep 14, 2023: Referred, City Council. The matter was Referred to Committee.
- Sep 22, 2025: Recommended to Pass, Committee on Workforce Development. The matter was recommended to Pass by controlling legislative body.
- Sep 22, 2025: Substituted
- Sep 25, 2025: Deferred and Published, City Council. On request of Alderperson Rodriguez and Alderperson Hadden, the matter was Deferred and Published.
Documents
- Committe Letter SO2023-0004210 Workforce.pdf (Committee Letter)
- SO2023-0004210_Clean_(Ald. Hadden).pdf (Legislation)
- SO2023_0004210 Substitute Ordinance.pdf (Legislation)
- W49 - O4210 Code 6-140.pdf (Legislation)
Lobbying and money
Computed links; money near a vote is not evidence that it influenced the vote.
Who lobbied on it
- Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce: SO2026-0024043 (SUPPORT); SO2023-0004210 (OPPOSE); (1 filing, Apr 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2026; Carl Gutierrez; matched by record number)
- Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC: SO2023-0004210 (1 filing, Jul 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2026; Grant Klinzman; matched by record number)
Alderpersons who received money from these interests
| Member | Amount | From |
|---|---|---|
| James M. Gardiner | $2,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
| Debra L. Silverstein | $2,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
| Pat Dowell | $1,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
| Stephanie D. Coleman | $1,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
| Ronnie L. Mosley | $1,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
| Samantha Nugent | $1,000 | Chicagoland Chamber Of Commerce (company) |
Related legislation
More from Maria E. Hadden
- Amendment of Annual Appropriation Ordinance to transfer of funds from 49th Ward Aldermanic Expense Account to Wage Allowance Account for… (O2026-0029438, introduced Oct 14, 2026, Referred)
- Call on City of Chicago departments to prioritize heat mitigation, maintain and expand cooling centers, and install heat-resilient… (R2026-0028725, introduced Sep 23, 2026, Adopted)
- Call on Illinois General Assembly to pass POWER Act, House Bill 5513 (SR2026-0028728, introduced Sep 23, 2026, Adopted)
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