Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
This legislation aims to provide hazard pay for federal employees involved in specific high-risk land management activities, recognizing the inherent dangers of their work. It reflects a sense of Congress that controlling prescribed fires and the duties of smokejumpers involve risks comparable to wildfire suppression, warranting fair compensation for their efforts and hazards. The bill amends section 5545 of title 5, United States Code, to explicitly include duties related to the ignition, control, or suppression of prescribed burns and parachute jumps by smokejumper firefighters as duties involving unusual physical hardship or hazard. For these newly classified duties, the applicable pay differential will be equal to that for fighting forest and range fires on the fireline. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management is required to issue regulations to implement these changes within 90 days of enactment, ensuring the new pay provisions apply to pay periods beginning shortly thereafter.
This legislation aims to provide hazard pay for federal employees involved in specific high-risk land management activities, recognizing the inherent dangers of their work. It reflects a sense of Congress that controlling prescribed fires and the duties of smokejumpers involve risks comparable to wildfire suppression, warranting fair compensation for their efforts and hazards. The bill amends section 5545 of title 5, United States Code, to explicitly include duties related to the ignition, control, or suppression of prescribed burns and parachute jumps by smokejumper firefighters as duties involving unusual physical hardship or hazard. For these newly classified duties, the applicable pay differential will be equal to that for fighting forest and range fires on the fireline. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management is required to issue regulations to implement these changes within 90 days of enactment, ensuring the new pay provisions apply to pay periods beginning shortly thereafter.