Alex Padilla (D-CA)
Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act
A Democratic bill with 2 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
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
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
- Scored +7
Would union members be better off under this?
The legislation includes labor union representation on advisory panels and strengthens workplace health and safety protections for firefighters.
- Scored +7
Does this put more money into medical research?
The legislation provides dedicated funding for occupational health and safety research regarding wildland firefighting.
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
Veterans who frequently transition into wildland firefighting roles will benefit from enhanced occupational health standards and specialized workers' compensation claims handling.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
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. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The legislation includes labor union representation on advisory panels and strengthens workplace health and safety protections for firefighters. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Veterans who frequently transition into wildland firefighting roles will benefit from enhanced occupational health standards and specialized workers' compensation claims handling. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Middle-aged wildland firefighters benefit from long-term health tracking and early cancer screenings established by the bill. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Rural communities heavily impacted by wildfires benefit from having a healthier, better-protected federal wildland firefighting workforce. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Younger adults working as seasonal or permanent wildland firefighters benefit directly from health monitoring, hygiene time, and safety protections. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Seasonal and temporary wildland firefighters, who often earn lower wages, receive guaranteed paid hygiene time and improved workers' compensation access.
- Healthcare
- Does this put more money into medical research? — The legislation provides dedicated funding for occupational health and safety research regarding wildland firefighting. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill establishes regular medical screenings, baseline health exams, and monitoring protocols for federal wildland firefighters.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The legislation supports wildland fire personnel and enhances operational safety during wildfire and disaster responses. Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill improves health, safety, and infrastructure protections for wildland firefighters who frequently operate in rural and forested communities.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates regular reporting by the GAO, OWCP, and program directors regarding progress, claims processing, and health metrics. Does this give the federal government more power? — The legislation establishes new federal task forces, wellness programs, and OSHA standards governing wildland firefighting operations.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill establishes grant programs and research offices dedicated to studying long-term firefighting health outcomes and protective technologies.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill authorizes significant new appropriations of federal funds for wellbeing programs, research, and task forces.
- 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