Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 1943
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-19T09:07:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 aims to establish permanent pay incentives and benefits for federal wildland firefighters to improve recruitment, retention, and working conditions. It replaces temporary salary increases with ongoing special pay rates, introduces premium pay for high-risk deployments, and provides rest leave after intense fire responses, focusing on employees of the U.S. Forest Service (under the Department of Agriculture) and the Department of the Interior.
Key Provisions
- Special Base Rates of Pay (Section 2):
- Defines "wildland firefighters" as federal firefighters primarily handling wildland (not structure) fires, including certain supervisory roles and those certified by the Office of Personnel Management.
- Entitles eligible wildland firefighters to a "special base rate" that increases their standard General Schedule (GS) pay by fixed percentages based on grade level: 42% for GS-1, decreasing to 1.5% for GS-15 (e.g., 30% for GS-5).
- This rate replaces the regular GS base pay but is treated as basic pay for benefits like locality adjustments; it adjusts annually with GS changes.
- For "prevailing rate" employees (non-GS wage workers, like some technicians), secretaries of Agriculture and Interior must apply similar percentage increases, capped at Executive Schedule Level IV (about $183,500 annually in 2024 terms).
- Effective after temporary pay boosts end (tied to prior laws like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act extensions).
- Incident Response Premium Pay (Section 3):
- Applies to "covered employees," including wildland firefighters and those certified for fire-related duties during deployments.
- Provides premium pay at 450% of the employee's hourly basic pay rate for each day deployed to a "qualifying incident" (wildfires, planned prescribed burns, high-risk pre-positioning; excludes quick-containment fires under 36 hours).
- Deployment must be away from the duty station or to a field camp; pay is capped at $9,000 per calendar year and limited for higher-grade employees (based on GS-10 Step 10 rate).
- Secretaries must assess pay impacts after one year and may adjust rates to match 2023 compensation levels, notifying Congress of changes.
- Premium pay is not basic pay; it doesn't count toward overtime, leave payouts, or minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
- Extends to prevailing rate employees under similar terms.
- Rest and Recuperation Leave (Section 4):
- Grants paid leave to covered employees (wildland firefighters or certified support staff) after deployment to a qualifying incident.
- Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior jointly set policies, such as limiting deployment to a maximum number of days (from leaving to returning to duty station) followed by mandatory rest, or capping average work at 16 hours per day over 14 days.
- Leave is paid like annual leave, must be used immediately during scheduled hours after the incident, and cannot be saved or paid out if unused.
- Intermittent (on-call) workers get excused from duty and equivalent pay during rest periods.
- Transfer Authority (Section 5):
- Allows up to $5 million transfer from unobligated Forest Service wildland fire management funds to the Department of the Interior to sustain base salary increases without interruption.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Title 5 of the U.S. Code (federal employee pay and leave rules) by adding new sections (5332a for base pay, 5545c for premium pay, 6329e for rest leave) and updating clerical tables.
- Replaces temporary pay hikes (from 2021 Infrastructure Act and 2024-2025 appropriations) with permanent structures, ensuring continuity.
- Expands premium pay eligibility beyond standard overtime (e.g., unlike section 5542's 1.5x overtime), introducing a unique 450% rate for fire incidents.
- Introduces a new leave type distinct from annual or sick leave, focused on recovery from hazardous deployments, with strict use-it-or-lose-it rules.
- Modifies prevailing rate pay (section 5343) to align with GS increases, previously not tied to firefighter-specific boosts.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases costs for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior (e.g., higher salaries and premiums could add millions annually), but may reduce turnover and training expenses by attracting/retaining skilled workers amid rising wildfire frequency due to climate change.
- Citizens: Enhances federal wildfire response capabilities, potentially leading to faster containment, reduced property damage, and safer communities in fire-prone areas like the western U.S.; indirect benefits include better forest management through prescribed burns.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though stronger U.S. wildland fire capacity could support cross-border cooperation (e.g., with Canada or Mexico on shared fire risks).
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Wildland Firefighters and Support Staff: Primary beneficiaries, gaining higher pay (up to 42% base increase for entry-level), hazard premiums, and recovery leave to address burnout and risks.
- Federal Agencies: U.S. Forest Service (Department of Agriculture) and Department of the Interior (e.g., Bureau of Land Management), responsible for implementation, funding, and policy-setting.
- Taxpayers and Congress: Bear costs via federal budget; involves multiple committees (e.g., Oversight, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Appropriations in both chambers) for oversight and funding.
- Unions and Employee Groups: Federal firefighter associations may advocate for or monitor enforcement.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens federal personnel laws by codifying firefighter-specific incentives, ensuring compliance with equal pay principles under Title 5; caps and exclusions prevent overuse of funds and align with Fair Labor Standards Act limits. Potential for administrative challenges if secretaries' discretion on adjustments is contested.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; supports Article I spending power and due process in employment conditions, promoting workforce equity without infringing rights.
- Political: Bipartisan sponsorship (Democrats and Republicans) reflects consensus on wildfire urgency post-severe seasons; builds on temporary fixes, signaling long-term commitment amid debates on federal spending and climate adaptation. Could influence future appropriations for emergency responders.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (15)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1], Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. [D-VA-11], Rep. Ciscomani, Juan [R-AZ-6], Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Costa, Jim [D-CA-21], Rep. Valadao, David G. [R-CA-22], Rep. Whitesides, George [D-CA-27], Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2], Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
Recent Actions
- 2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- 2025-03-06: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, 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.
- 2025-03-06: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, 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.
- 2025-03-06: Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Agriculture, 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.
- 2025-03-06: Introduced in House
- 2025-03-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 — issued 2025-03-06 — PDF (20 pages)