I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1235 

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for pay equality and 

the more accurate computation of retirement benefits for certain firefighters employed by the Federal Government, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 

Mr. CONNOLLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Oversight and Accountability 

A BILL 

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for pay 

equality and the more accurate computation of retirement benefits for certain firefighters employed by the 

Federal Government, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; PURPOSES. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act’’. 

6 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 


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1 (1) to improve pay equality between Federal 

2 firefighters, other Federal employees, and municipal 

3 and other public sector firefighters; 

4 (2) to enhance recruitment and retention of 

5 firefighters in order to maintain the highest quality 

6 of Federal fire service; 

7 (3) to include the pay of all regularly reoccur8 ring scheduled hours during the firefighter workweek 

9 when computing such retirement benefits of fire10 fighters; and 

11 (4) to establish the regular workweek for Fed12 eral firefighters. 

13 SEC. 2. COMPUTATION OF PAY. 

14 Section 5545b(c)(1)(B) of title 5, United States 

15 Code, is amended by striking ‘‘2756’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘2087’’. 

17 SEC. 3. COMPUTATION OF ANNUITY BASED ON CERTAIN 

18 FIREFIGHTER SERVICE. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5545b of title 5, United 

20 States Code, as amended by section 2, is further amended 

21 by adding at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(e) For purposes of any determination of ‘average 

23 pay’ under section 8331(4) or 8401(3), in the case of a 

24 firefighter who is subject to subsection (b), the rate of 

25 basic pay in effect for such firefighter for a year of credVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:54 Mar 14, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1235.IH H1235

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1 itable service (or, in the case of an annuity under sub2 section (d) or (e)(1) of section 8341 or under chapter 84 

3 based on less than 3 years of creditable service, for any 

4 other period of creditable service) shall, in addition to the 

5 amount determined under subsection (b) for such year (or 

6 other period), include an amount equal to one-half the 

7 firefighter’s basic hourly rate (as computed under sub8 section (b)(1)(A)) for such year (or other period) times 

9 the number of overtime hours included as part of such 

10 firefighter’s regular tour of duty during such year (or 

11 other period).’’. 

12 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Sections 8331(4) 

13 and 8401(3) of title 5, United States Code, are amended 

14 by striking the semicolon at the end and inserting ‘‘, sub15 ject to section 5545b(e);’’. 

16 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A MAXIMUM HOURS OF FED17 ERAL FIREFIGHTERS’ REGULAR WORKWEEK. 

18 Section 5545b of title 5, United States Code, as 

19 amended by section 3, is further amended by adding at 

20 the end the following: 

21 ‘‘(f) Not later than one year after the date of enact22 ment of the Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act, the Office 

23 of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations es24 tablishing the maximum number of regularly reoccurring 

25 hours which comprise a workweek for a firefighter covered 


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1 by this section. The maximum number of such hours shall 

2 not exceed an average of 60 hours per week.’’. 

3 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

4 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

5 respect to any annuity entitlement to which is based on 

6 a separation from service occurring after the end of the 

7 60-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of 

8 this Act. 

Æ 


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