Environment

California sets maximum indoor temperature standard

The first-in-the-nation measure was one of several climate-related bills Newsom signed into law.
Tourists take photographs with the thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center during a dangerous heat wave, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, in Death Valley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a measure that makes the state the first in the nation to set a maximum indoor temperature standard, one of a raft of climate-related bills he approved this year.

The bill makes it state policy to require residential housing units to maintain a maximum indoor temperature. The measure does not specify a temperature but refers to a report issued this year by the state Department of Housing and Community Development that recommended lawmakers set a maximum safe indoor air temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

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