[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1221 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1221
To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to create
a classification that more accurately reflects the vital role of
wildland firefighters.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 20, 2021
Mr. Daines (for himself and Mrs. Feinstein) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to create
a classification that more accurately reflects the vital role of
wildland firefighters.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Wildland Firefighter Recognition
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Personnel Management;
(2) the term ``employee'' has the meaning given the term in
section 2105 of title 5, United States Code;
(3) the term ``Federal land management agency'' means--
(A) within the Department of the Interior--
(i) the Bureau of Land Management;
(ii) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
(iii) the National Park Service; and
(iv) the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service; and
(B) within the Department of Agriculture, the
Forest Service;
(4) the term ``wildland fire''--
(A) means any non-structure fire that occurs in
vegetation or natural fuels; and
(B) includes prescribed fire and wildfire; and
(5) the term ``wildland firefighter'' means--
(A) an employee of a Federal land management
agency, the duties of whose position are primarily to
perform work directly related to the prevention,
control, suppression, or management of wildland fires,
including an employee of a Federal land management
agency who is assigned to support wildland fire
activities; and
(B) an employee of a Federal land management agency
who is transferred to a supervisory or administrative
position from a position described in subparagraph (A).
SEC. 3. CLASSIFICATION OF WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS.
(a) Requirements.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director, in cooperation with the
Federal land management agencies, shall commence development of
a distinct wildland firefighter occupational series that more
accurately reflects the variety of duties performed by wildland
firefighters.
(2) Designation.--The official title assigned to any
occupational series established under paragraph (1) shall
include the designation of ``Wildland Firefighter''.
(3) Positions described.--Paragraph (1) shall apply with
respect to any class or other category of positions that
consists primarily or exclusively of forestry technician
positions, range technician positions, or any other positions
the duties and responsibilities of which include--
(A) significant prevention, preparedness, control,
suppression, or management activities for wildland
fires; or
(B) activities necessary to meet any other
emergency incident to which assigned.
(4) Consultation.--It is the sense of Congress that the
Director should consult with employee associations and any
other groups that represent wildland firefighters in carrying
out this subsection.
(5) Implementation.--Not later than 2 years after the date
of enactment of this Act--
(A) the Director shall complete the development of
the wildland firefighter occupational series required
under paragraph (1); and
(B) the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary
of Agriculture shall use the wildland firefighter
occupational series developed under paragraph (1) in
the advertising and hiring of a wildland firefighter.
(b) Hazardous Duty Differential Not Affected.--Section 5545(d)(1)
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``except'' and
all that follows and inserting the following: ``except--
``(A) an employee in an occupational series
covering positions for which the primary duties involve
the prevention, control, suppression, or management of
wildland fires, as determined by the Office; and
``(B) in such other circumstances as the Office may
by regulation prescribe; and''.
(c) Current Employees.--Any individual employed as a wildland
firefighter on the date on which the occupational series established
under subsection (a) takes effect may elect to--
(1) remain in the occupational series in which the
individual is working; or
(2) be included in the wildland firefighter occupational
series established under subsection (a).
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