HR9444
Referred to committee
Support our Firefighters Act
- Federal
- House
- Introduced Jun 24, 2026
- Session 119
Bill Text
Version IHThis Act may be cited as the Support our Firefighters Act.
Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
In this section—
the term applicable Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable to a covered employee;
the term covered employee means an employee of the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior who—
qualifies as a wildland firefighter based on the definitions of the terms firefighter and wildland firefighter in section 5332a(a) (applying the definition of employee in section 6301(2) in lieu of the definition of employee in section 5331(a)); or
is certified by the applicable Secretary to perform wildland fire incident-related duties during the period the employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident; and
the term qualifying incident has the meaning given the term in section 5545c(a).
A covered employee may receive paid rest and recuperation leave following the completion of service in which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, subject to the policies prescribed under this subsection.
The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall, in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Secretaries acting jointly, prescribe uniform policies described in paragraph (1) after consulting with the other applicable Secretary.
The policies prescribed under paragraph (2) may include—
a maximum period of days in which a covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, which shall—
begin on the date on which the covered employee departs from the official duty station of the covered employee and end on the date on which the covered employee returns to the official duty station of the covered employee; and
be followed by a minimum number of days of rest and recuperation for the covered employee;
a requirement to use 3 days of rest and recuperation leave after a 14-day period during which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, excluding travel to and from assignments; or
a requirement to use 4 days of rest and recuperation leave after a 21-day period during which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, including travel to and from assignments.
Rest and recuperation leave granted under this section—
shall be used during scheduled hours within the tour of duty of the applicable covered employee established for leave-charging purposes;
shall be paid in the same manner as annual leave;
shall be used immediately after a qualifying incident; and
may not be set aside for later use.
A covered employee may not receive any payment for unused rest and recuperation leave granted under this section.
A covered employee with an intermittent work schedule—
shall be excused from duty during the same period of time that other covered employees in the same circumstances are entitled to rest and recuperation leave; and
shall receive a payment as if the covered employee were entitled to rest and recuperation leave under subsection (b).
The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6329d the following:
Notwithstanding section 40803(c)(2) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(2)), not more than $5,000,000 of the unobligated balances of amounts made available under the heading Wildland Fire Management under the heading Forest Service under the heading Department of Agriculture in title VI of division J of that Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1410) pursuant to section 40803(c)(2)(B) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(2)(B)) may, as necessary to continue uninterrupted the Federal wildland firefighter base salary increase described in section 40803(d)(4)(B) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(d)(4)(B)), including premium pay authorized under section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) (as amended by this Act), be transferred to and merged with the amounts made available under the heading Wildland Fire Management under the heading Department-Wide programs under the heading Department of the Interior in title VI of division J of that Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1393).
Section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1)—
in the first sentence, by striking or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting or any calendar year thereafter; and
in the second sentence—
by striking Services and inserting services; and
by striking subsection and inserting subsection.;
in subsection (b), by striking 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting the applicable calendar year; and
in subsection (c), by striking 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting the applicable calendar year.
Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
In this section—
the term applicable Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable to a covered employee;
the term covered employee means an employee of the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior who—
qualifies as a wildland firefighter based on the definitions of the terms firefighter and wildland firefighter in section 5332a(a) (applying the definition of employee in section 6301(2) in lieu of the definition of employee in section 5331(a)); or
is certified by the applicable Secretary to perform wildland fire incident-related duties during the period the employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident; and
the term qualifying incident has the meaning given the term in section 5545c(a).
A covered employee may receive paid rest and recuperation leave following the completion of service in which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, subject to the policies prescribed under this subsection.
The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall, in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Secretaries acting jointly, prescribe uniform policies described in paragraph (1) after consulting with the other applicable Secretary.
The policies prescribed under paragraph (2) may include—
a maximum period of days in which a covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, which shall—
begin on the date on which the covered employee departs from the official duty station of the covered employee and end on the date on which the covered employee returns to the official duty station of the covered employee; and
be followed by a minimum number of days of rest and recuperation for the covered employee;
a requirement to use 3 days of rest and recuperation leave after a 14-day period during which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, excluding travel to and from assignments; or
a requirement to use 4 days of rest and recuperation leave after a 21-day period during which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, including travel to and from assignments.
Rest and recuperation leave granted under this section—
shall be used during scheduled hours within the tour of duty of the applicable covered employee established for leave-charging purposes;
shall be paid in the same manner as annual leave;
shall be used immediately after a qualifying incident; and
may not be set aside for later use.
A covered employee may not receive any payment for unused rest and recuperation leave granted under this section.
A covered employee with an intermittent work schedule—
shall be excused from duty during the same period of time that other covered employees in the same circumstances are entitled to rest and recuperation leave; and
shall receive a payment as if the covered employee were entitled to rest and recuperation leave under subsection (b).
The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6329d the following:
Notwithstanding section 40803(c)(2) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(2)), not more than $5,000,000 of the unobligated balances of amounts made available under the heading Wildland Fire Management under the heading Forest Service under the heading Department of Agriculture in title VI of division J of that Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1410) pursuant to section 40803(c)(2)(B) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(2)(B)) may, as necessary to continue uninterrupted the Federal wildland firefighter base salary increase described in section 40803(d)(4)(B) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(d)(4)(B)), including premium pay authorized under section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) (as amended by this Act), be transferred to and merged with the amounts made available under the heading Wildland Fire Management under the heading Department-Wide programs under the heading Department of the Interior in title VI of division J of that Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1393).
Section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1)—
in the first sentence, by striking or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting or any calendar year thereafter; and
in the second sentence—
by striking Services and inserting services; and
by striking subsection and inserting subsection.;
in subsection (b), by striking 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting the applicable calendar year; and
in subsection (c), by striking 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting the applicable calendar year.
Legislative Timeline
5 actions-
Introduced in House
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Introduced in House
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Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
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Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.