Wildland Firefighter Hazard Pay Correction Act
- Bill Number
- S. 4824
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-07T04:53:30Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation aims to ensure that certain federal wildland firefighters receive hazard pay for duties involving prescribed burns and smokejumper operations, recognizing the risks involved as comparable to those in wildfire suppression.
Key Provisions
- Adds a new subsection to section 5545 of title 5, United States Code, classifying the ignition, control, or suppression of prescribed burns and parachute jumps by smokejumper firefighters as duties involving unusual physical hardship or hazard.
- Sets the pay differential for these duties equal to the rate provided for fighting forest and range fires on the fireline.
- Defines a "prescribed burn" as the intentional application of fire to vegetation or landscapes for land or resource management.
- Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to issue implementing regulations within 90 days of enactment.
- Specifies that the changes apply to pay periods beginning after the regulations are issued or 90 days after enactment, whichever is earlier.
- Includes a rule of construction to preserve existing hazard pay determinations under the same section, except where adjustments are needed for the new duties.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill amends 5 U.S.C. § 5545 by adding explicit coverage for prescribed burn activities and smokejumper parachute jumps, extending the hazardous duty pay differential previously limited to other fire-related tasks. It does not alter other existing pay differentials.
Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Requires the Office of Personnel Management to update pay systems and may increase compensation costs for agencies employing federal firefighters, such as those involved in land management.
- On citizens: Provides additional pay to eligible federal employees, potentially improving recruitment and retention in wildland firefighting roles.
- On international relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal wildland firefighters performing prescribed burns or smokejumper duties.
- The Office of Personnel Management, responsible for regulations.
- Federal land management agencies that oversee fire preparedness and suppression.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure represents a targeted expansion of federal employee compensation rules under existing statutory authority for hazardous duty pay, with no apparent constitutional issues. It includes a sense of Congress emphasizing the importance of prescribed fire management and fair compensation for associated risks.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO], Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO], Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-18: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Wildland Firefighter Hazard Pay Correction Act — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (3 pages)