Plain Language Summary
# Tim's Act Summary **What It Does:** Tim's Act would increase pay for federal wildland firefighters and add new benefits to their compensation packages. The bill would raise base salaries for wildland firefighters across most pay levels, provide extra "premium pay" when firefighters are deployed far from home to fight major fires, and establish paid time off for rest and recovery. These changes would apply to firefighters employed by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and tribal governments. **Who It Affects:** The bill primarily affects federal wildland firefighters—the men and women who fight large-scale forest fires on public lands. It also indirectly affects the federal agencies that employ them (the Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior) through increased labor costs.
The bill references addressing health concerns like cancer and respiratory issues associated with wildfire smoke exposure, suggesting it aims to improve working conditions for this workforce. **Current Status:** As of now, the bill (S. 279) remains in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full Senate. It was introduced by Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), a state heavily affected by wildfires. The bill has not yet become law.
CRS Official Summary
Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act or Tim's ActThis bill increases compensation and establishes additional benefits and programs for federal wildland firefighters. (These individuals are employed by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, or tribal governments.) The bill increases the minimum rate of basic pay for wildland firefighters at General Schedule (GS) levels 1 through 15 by percentages specified in the bill, with smaller increases for higher GS levels. The bill also requires comparable increases to the hourly rates paid to prevailing rate employees who are wildland firefighters. It also establishes premium pay for wildland firefighters who respond to certain prolonged fire incidents and are deployed outside of their normal duty stations or to an area adjacent to the incident. These changes take effect after other temporary pay increases for wildland firefighters expire.The bill also (1) establishes paid rest and recuperation leave; (2) allows certain prior service to be credited for retirement purposes; and (3) provides housing allowances, tuition assistance, and other benefits for wildland firefighters.Further, the bill directs the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs within the Department of Labor to ensure that psychological stress-related injuries and illnesses correlated to fire response are compensated and to expedite related claims.The bill also establishes programs to (1) assist the next-of-kin of wildland firefighters and fire support personnel who are critically injured or killed while in the line of duty, and (2) support the mental and physical health of wildland firefighters.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.