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Support our Firefighters Act

USA119th CongressS-4271| Senate 
| Updated: 3/26/2026
Alex Padilla

Alex Padilla

Democratic Senator

California

Cosponsors (1)
Tim Sheehy (Republican)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
This bill introduces a new provision to Title 5, United States Code, establishing paid rest and recuperation leave for federal employees engaged in wildland firefighting. Specifically, it covers employees of the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior who qualify as wildland firefighters or are certified for incident-related duties. The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior are directed to jointly prescribe uniform policies for this leave, which may include requirements for a minimum number of rest days following a specified deployment period, such as three days of leave after a 14-day deployment or four days after a 21-day deployment. The granted leave must be used immediately after a qualifying incident, is paid in the same manner as annual leave, and cannot be saved for later use or paid out if unused. For intermittent workers, the bill ensures they are excused from duty and receive payment equivalent to the rest and recuperation leave. Furthermore, the legislation authorizes the transfer of up to $5,000,000 in unobligated funds from the Forest Service to the Department of the Interior to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of federal wildland firefighter base salary increases and premium pay. Finally, it amends existing law to indefinitely extend the waiver of overtime caps for wildland firefighters, removing previous calendar year limitations.
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Timeline
Mar 26, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Mar 26, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  • March 26, 2026
    Introduced in Senate


  • March 26, 2026
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Support our Firefighters Act

USA119th CongressS-4271| Senate 
| Updated: 3/26/2026
This bill introduces a new provision to Title 5, United States Code, establishing paid rest and recuperation leave for federal employees engaged in wildland firefighting. Specifically, it covers employees of the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior who qualify as wildland firefighters or are certified for incident-related duties. The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior are directed to jointly prescribe uniform policies for this leave, which may include requirements for a minimum number of rest days following a specified deployment period, such as three days of leave after a 14-day deployment or four days after a 21-day deployment. The granted leave must be used immediately after a qualifying incident, is paid in the same manner as annual leave, and cannot be saved for later use or paid out if unused. For intermittent workers, the bill ensures they are excused from duty and receive payment equivalent to the rest and recuperation leave. Furthermore, the legislation authorizes the transfer of up to $5,000,000 in unobligated funds from the Forest Service to the Department of the Interior to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of federal wildland firefighter base salary increases and premium pay. Finally, it amends existing law to indefinitely extend the waiver of overtime caps for wildland firefighters, removing previous calendar year limitations.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Mar 26, 2026
Introduced in Senate
Mar 26, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  • March 26, 2026
    Introduced in Senate


  • March 26, 2026
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Alex Padilla

Alex Padilla

Democratic Senator

California

Cosponsors (1)
Tim Sheehy (Republican)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted