Extreme Heat Economic Study Act of 2025

H.R. 3702, the Extreme Heat Economic Study Act of 2025, would require the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (NOAA), via the Climate Program Office, to conduct an economic impact study on the financial costs of extreme heat. The study would quantify the dollar value of losses tied to extreme heat, including deaths, injuries, property damage, medical costs, insurance claims, workers’ compensation, labor productivity losses, business interruptions, and infrastructure and energy costs. It would involve coordination with a wide range of federal agencies and non-federal partners, use existing data, and may be conducted through an external organization. A public report with findings and recommendations would be due within four years, with the results published on HEAT.gov and, open-access, in a peer-reviewed journal. The bill authorizes $3.5 million for its implementation. The bill aims to provide a comprehensive economic assessment of extreme heat to inform policy, public health planning, infrastructure, energy costs, and climate adaptation efforts. By standardizing methods to value health impacts and by proposing a national tracking system for heat-related costs, it seeks to improve understanding of heat’s financial burden and guide decision-making at federal, state, and local levels.