Bill · S. 5433· Senate(119-S-5433)
Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act
- Introduced
- 9/17/2026
- Last activity
- 9/17/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Sponsored by
- Alex Padilla
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act, creates a comprehensive initiative to improve the health and wellbeing of federal wildland firefighters. It establishes an interagency Wildland Firefighter Health Task Force and an advisory panel to develop and update a coordinated health strategy. The legislation also creates the Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program to assess risks, provide medical screenings, and track occupational exposures. Additionally, the bill sets up a new Office of Firefighter Health And Safety within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to conduct research and pilot programs. The Secretary of Labor is directed to issue interim and final occupational safety and health standards for wildland firefighters. Finally, the measure guarantees paid duty time for hygiene and gear decontamination and mandates regular oversight and studies by the Government Accountability Office.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would union members be better off under this?+7
The legislation includes labor union representation on advisory panels and strengthens workplace health and safety protections for firefighters.
Does this put more money into medical research?+7
The legislation provides dedicated funding for occupational health and safety research regarding wildland firefighting.
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?+6
Veterans who frequently transition into wildland firefighting roles will benefit from enhanced occupational health standards and specialized workers' compensation claims handling.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-2
The bill authorizes significant new appropriations of federal funds for wellbeing programs, research, and task forces.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Paid Hygiene and Decontamination Time: Section 8 ensures that permanent, seasonal, temporary, and emergency wildland firefighters receive regular duty time without loss of pay or benefits to shower, clean personal protective equipment, and decontaminate vehicles and equipment following exposure to smoke, ash, or hazardous substances.
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Health Screenings and Medical Monitoring: Section 4 establishes comprehensive medical exams upon hiring and annually thereafter, providing wildland firefighters with regular medical screenings for early detection of illnesses, chronic cardiopulmonary disease, and cancer.
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Specialized Workers' Compensation Claims Handling: Section 7 creates a special claims handling unit within the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs that is specifically trained on firefighting operational conditions and occupational exposures to process disability and death claims in a timely manner.
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Targeted Safety Research and Office Creation: Section 5 permanently establishes an Office of Firefighter Health And Safety within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to rapidly identify new hazards, study long-term health outcomes, and award competitive grants for innovative personal protective equipment.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Administrative and Compliance Costs: The bill authorizes significant appropriations—including $15,000,000 annually through fiscal year 2032 for the Task Force, $34,000,000 annually for the Wellbeing Program, and $10,000,000 for the Office of Firefighter Health And Safety—which represent a major use of taxpayer funds.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Union Workers+7Good For Veterans+6Good For Middle Aged+5Good For Rural Residents+5Good For Young Adults+5Good For Low Income Households+4
- Healthcare
- Increases Research Funding+7Improves Healthcare Access+6
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+5Improves Rural Development+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+6Increases Federal Power+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+6
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending-2
- 9/17/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
John CurtisRepublican · Utah
Jeff MerkleyDemocrat · Oregon
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana