Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Support our Firefighters Act
A Democratic bill with 4 Republican cosponsors · See all 9 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The ``Support our Firefighters Act'' aims to amend title 5 of the United States Code to provide rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting. It establishes leave for covered employees of the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior following qualifying incidents. The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior are tasked with prescribing uniform policies for this leave. Additionally, the bill provides a transfer authority for funds related to wildland fire management. Finally, it amends existing law to waive certain overtime caps for wildland firefighters for applicable calendar years.
Yes
- Scored +4
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill provides specific leave benefits and protects overtime earnings for federal wildland firefighters.
- Scored +3
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?
The bill provides structured rest and recuperation leave and extends overtime cap waivers for wildland firefighters.
- Scored +2
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
By supporting the well-being and pay of wildland firefighters, the bill helps maintain the workforce essential for managing fire threats.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill authorizes the transfer of up to $5,000,000 between agencies to sustain firefighter salaries.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Paid Rest and Recuperation for Firefighters: Covered employees of the Forest Service or Department of the Interior may receive paid rest and recuperation leave following service during a qualifying incident (Section 2(b)(1)).
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Structured Leave Policies: The bill allows for specific rest requirements, such as 3 days of leave after a 14-day deployment or 4 days of leave after a 21-day deployment (Section 2(b)(3)).
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Protection for Intermittent Workers: Employees with an intermittent work schedule will be excused from duty and receive payment as if they were entitled to the rest and recuperation leave (Section 2(d)).
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Extended Overtime Provisions: The bill amends previous laws to ensure that overtime cap waivers apply to the applicable calendar year beyond 2024 (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Leave Use: Rest and recuperation leave must be used immediately after a qualifying incident and cannot be set aside for later use (Section 2(c)(1)).
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No Payment for Unused Leave: Employees may not receive any payment for rest and recuperation leave that remains unused (Section 2(c)(2)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The bill provides specific leave benefits and protects overtime earnings for federal wildland firefighters.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — The bill provides structured rest and recuperation leave and extends overtime cap waivers for wildland firefighters. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill authorizes the transfer of up to $5,000,000 between agencies to sustain firefighter salaries.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — By supporting the well-being and pay of wildland firefighters, the bill helps maintain the workforce essential for managing fire threats.
- 7/20/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/29/2026
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- 6/24/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
Don BaconRepublican · Nebraska
Jack BergmanRepublican · Michigan
Robert BresnahanRepublican · Pennsylvania
Josh HarderDemocrat · California
Susie LeeDemocrat · Nevada
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
Joe NeguseDemocrat · Colorado
Andrea SalinasDemocrat · Oregon
Derek TranDemocrat · California