Bill comes after Phoenix hit a record-breaking 118 degrees last week
WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) reintroduced his Extreme Heat Emergency Act to add extreme heat to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) list of major disaster qualifying events. The bill was co-led by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Representative Sylvia Garcia (TX-29).
READ MORE: The June heat dome broke records. Lawmakers are now trying to classify extreme heat as a disaster
“Each year, extreme heat kills more Americans than every other form of extreme whether combined. But still the federal government sits on the sideline, leaving state and local governments to drain their funds trying to keep people safe,” said Senator Gallego. “By adding extreme heat to FEMA’s list of major disasters, we can unlock the funds and support our communities desperately need.”
“Last year, more than 500 people died in one single county in Nevada from heat-related illnesses,” said Senator Rosen. “Current federal policy ignores the physical and health risks that such extremely high temperatures have on our communities, which is why I’m introducing a bill to change that. By classifying extreme heat as a major disaster, our communities will be able to receive the federal funding needed to respond and prepare for future extreme heat events.”
“If you found out that thousands of Americans were dying every year from a single cause, you’d be shocked to learn that the federal government has no plan. But that’s exactly what’s happening with extreme heat. Without a disaster declaration, federal response teams and experts are forced to sit on the sidelines while people suffer and die. That’s unconscionable and it needs to change,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia. “I’m proud to sponsor the Extreme Heat Emergency Act with Senators Rosen and Gallego to ensure local and state governments don’t have to face this challenge alone. Federal law must catch up to the reality we’re living.”
The Extreme Heat Emergency Act would ensure that local governments are not left to deal with these types of disasters on their own by adding extreme heat to the list of natural catastrophes that qualify for major disaster assistance. Senator Gallego first introduced this legislation as a member of the House in 2023.
“The Stafford Act provides crucial federal resources that help states during climate-driven disasters, and in the state of Arizona, extreme heat is a leading risk impacting public health. A goal of the Governor’s 2024 Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan is to advocate for Stafford Act reforms that comprehensively address the needs of communities amid more frequent and more severe extreme heat. In Arizona, we see 90-degree weather in February, triple digits in April, and in 2023, triple digits extended into the middle of October. The increasing duration of extreme heat necessitates infrastructure resilience that cannot wait. Energy grids are protected from major disruption from extreme cold weather, and Arizona needs similar assurance that our energy grids are protected from extreme heat,” said Arizona Chief Heat Officer, Dr. Eugene Livar.
“Here in Phoenix, we know the dangers of extreme heat all too well. In 2024, Maricopa County saw 602 heat-related deaths, and nationally, heat causes more deaths each year than most other natural hazards combined. Since 2023, I have advocated for heat to be added as a qualifying event for FEMA disaster assistance—and it is increasingly important as our summers continue to intensify. This reform will save lives across the country, and I commend the sponsors of this bill for championing this effort,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
“It’s only mid-July, and the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and New England have already experienced record high temperatures. Each year, extreme heat causes thousands of deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars in damages to critical infrastructure and economic productivity and overwhelms the capabilities of local governments,” said Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at the Federation of American Scientists. “The Extreme Heat Emergency Act recognizes extreme heat for what it is – an emergency – that the federal government needs to be ready to support response to before, during, and after the disaster. Recognizing extreme heat as an emergency is critical to a heat-ready nation, as FAS emphasizes in its 2025 Heat Policy Agenda.”
Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related hazard, killing 608 people just in Maricopa County, Arizona in 2024. This year, there are already 275 heat-related deaths under investigation – more than at this time last year.
Also this year, Senator Gallego introduced the Excess Urban Heat Mitigation Actto fund community solutions to urban heat islands; the Extreme Heat Economic Study Act to study the impact of extreme heat on public health, infrastructure, and the economy; and the LIHEAP Parity Act to ensure states like Arizona get their fair share of federal energy assistance.
7/17/25