[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 231 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        S.231

                    One Hundred Seventeenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE SECOND SESSION

           Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday,
          the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two


                                 An Act


 
 To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
   to develop guidance for firefighters and other emergency response 
personnel on best practices to protect them from exposure to PFAS and to 
  limit and prevent the release of PFAS into the environment, and for 
                             other purposes.

    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 ``Protecting Firefighters from Adverse 
Substances Act'' or the ``PFAS Act''.
SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO AND RELEASE OF PFAS.
    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with 
the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of 
the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the 
heads of any other relevant agencies, shall--
        (1) develop and publish guidance for firefighters and other 
    emergency response personnel on training, education programs, and 
    best practices;
        (2) make available a curriculum designed to--
            (A) reduce and eliminate exposure to per- and 
        polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly referred to as ``PFAS'') 
        from firefighting foam and personal protective equipment;
            (B) prevent the release of PFAS from firefighting foam into 
        the environment; and
            (C) educate firefighters and other emergency response 
        personnel on foams and non-foam alternatives, personal 
        protective equipment, and other firefighting tools and 
        equipment that do not contain PFAS; and
        (3) create an online public repository, which shall be updated 
    on a regular basis, on tools and best practices for firefighters 
    and other emergency response personnel to reduce, limit, and 
    prevent the release of and exposure to PFAS.
    (b) Curriculum.--
        (1) In general.--For the purpose of developing the curriculum 
    required under subsection (a)(2), the Administrator of the United 
    States Fire Administration shall make recommendations to the 
    Secretary of Homeland Security as to the content of the curriculum.
        (2) Consultation.--For the purpose of making recommendations 
    under paragraph (1), the Administrator of the United States Fire 
    Administration shall consult with interested entities, as 
    appropriate, including--
            (A) firefighters and other emergency response personnel, 
        including national fire service and emergency response 
        organizations;
            (B) impacted communities dealing with PFAS contamination;
            (C) scientists, including public and occupational health 
        and safety experts, who are studying PFAS and PFAS alternatives 
        in firefighting foam;
            (D) voluntary standards organizations engaged in developing 
        standards for firefighter and firefighting equipment;
            (E) State fire training academies;
            (F) State fire marshals;
            (G) manufacturers of firefighting tools and equipment; and
            (H) any other relevant entities, as determined by the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security and the Administrator of the 
        United States Fire Administration.
    (c) Review.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which the 
guidance and curriculum required under subsection (a) is issued, and 
not less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary 
of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Administrator of the 
United States Fire Administration, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, shall review the guidance 
and curriculum and, as appropriate, issue updates to the guidance and 
curriculum.
    (d) Applicability of FACA.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to this Act.
    (e) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to promulgate or enforce 
regulations under subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5, United States 
Code (commonly known as the ``Administrative Procedure Act'').

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.