Support our Firefighters Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9444
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-24: 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-08T16:32:45Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation aims to support federal employees involved in wildland firefighting by establishing paid rest and recuperation leave, facilitating funding transfers for salary adjustments, and extending overtime pay flexibilities.
Key Provisions
- Rest and Recuperation Leave: Adds a new section (6329e) to title 5 of the United States Code, allowing covered employees (Forest Service or Department of the Interior staff who qualify as wildland firefighters or are certified for fire incident duties) to receive paid leave after deployment to a qualifying incident.
- Policy Framework: The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior must jointly set uniform policies, which may include limits on deployment periods followed by mandatory rest days (such as 3 days after 14 days of deployment or 4 days after 21 days).
- Leave Rules: This leave must be used immediately after an incident during scheduled duty hours, is compensated like annual leave, and cannot be saved for later use or paid out if unused. Intermittent employees receive equivalent time off and pay.
- Funding Transfer: Allows up to $5,000,000 in unobligated funds from the Forest Service's wildland fire management account to be shifted to the Department of the Interior for uninterrupted base salary increases.
- Overtime Adjustments: Amends section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act to make overtime cap waivers permanent for wildland firefighters in any calendar year thereafter.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Introduces a new statutory entitlement for rest and recuperation leave in chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, which previously lacked this specific category for wildland firefighters.
- Permanently extends temporary overtime pay flexibilities that were previously limited to specific years (2021–2024).
- Creates a one-time transfer authority that overrides restrictions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for salary continuity purposes.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Requires coordination between the Forest Service and Department of the Interior for policy development and may affect operational scheduling during fire seasons.
- On citizens: Primarily benefits federal wildland firefighters by providing structured recovery time, with indirect effects on public safety through potentially reduced employee fatigue.
- No direct impacts on international relations are specified in the bill.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal wildland firefighters employed by the Forest Service and Department of the Interior.
- The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, along with their respective agencies.
- Congress, through oversight of the referenced funding and code amendments.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- The bill operates within existing congressional authority to amend federal personnel laws under title 5 and reallocate appropriations, without altering constitutional structures.
- It emphasizes joint agency discretion in policy creation while mandating uniform standards.
- No provisions address state, local, or private sector entities.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (8)
Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Bergman, Jack [R-MI-1], Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17], Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6], Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-24: 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.
- 2026-06-24: 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.
- 2026-06-24: 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.
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Support our Firefighters Act — issued 2026-06-24 — PDF (7 pages)