I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3363 

To implement reforms to the Federal land management agency fire programs 

in order to address the complexities of 21st century wildfires in a more 

cost-effective and efficient manner. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 29, 2015 

Mr. LAMALFA (for himself, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. STEWART, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. 

HUFFMAN, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Ms. DEGETTE, and Ms. SINEMA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

A BILL 

To implement reforms to the Federal land management agency fire programs in order to address the complexities 

of 21st century wildfires in a more cost-effective and 

efficient manner. 

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. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Wildland Fire5 fighter Recognition Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 For the purposes of this Act— 


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1 (1) the term ‘‘wildland firefighter’’ means an 

2 employee of a Federal land management agency, the 

3 duties of whose position are primarily to perform 

4 work directly related to the prevention, control, sup5 pression, and management of wildfires, including an 

6 employee who is transferred to a supervisory or ad7 ministrative position from a position of wildland fire8 fighter (as defined by the preceding provisions of 

9 this paragraph); 

10 (2) the term ‘‘Federal land management agen11 cy’’ means— 

12 (A) within the Department of the Interior: 

13 the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau 

14 of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service, 

15 and the Fish and Wildlife Service; and 

16 (B) within the Department of Agriculture: 

17 the Forest Service; and 

18 (3) the term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning given 

19 such term by section 2105 of title 5, United States 

20 Code. 

21 SEC. 3. CLASSIFICATION OF WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS. 

22 (a) REQUIREMENTS.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—Within 30 days after the 

24 date of the enactment of this Act, the Office of Per25 sonnel Management in the administration of chapter 


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1 51 of title 5, United States Code, and in cooperation 

2 with the Federal land management agencies, shall 

3 commence development of a separate and distinct 

4 Wildland Firefighter occupational series that will 

5 more accurately reflect the variety of duties per6 formed by wildland firefighters. 

7 (2) DESIGNATION.—The Office of Personnel 

8 Management shall ensure that the official title as9 signed to any occupational series established pursu10 ant to paragraph (1) shall include ‘‘wildland fire11 fighter’’, with appropriate subtitles such as hand 

12 crew, hotshot, smokejumper, battalion chief, 

13 helitack, fuels, and engine module. 

14 (3) POSITIONS DESCRIBED.—Paragraph (1) ap15 plies with respect to any class or other category of 

16 positions that consists primarily or exclusively of for17 estry technician positions, range technician posi18 tions, or any other positions the duties and respon19 sibilities of which include— 

20 (A) significant wildfire preparedness, sup21 pression, and hazardous fuels reduction activi22 ties; or 

23 (B) activities necessary to meet any other 

24 emergency incident to which such employee may 

25 be assigned. 


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1 (4) REQUIREMENTS.—Section 5545(d)(1) of 

2 title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking 

3 all after ‘‘except’’ and inserting an em dash and the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘(A) an employee in an occupational series 

6 covering positions for which the primary duties 

7 are wildland firefighting, as determined by the 

8 Office; and 

9 ‘‘(B) in such other circumstances as the 

10 Office may by regulation prescribe; and’’. 

11 (b) EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY IN THE 401 FIRE MAN12 AGEMENT SPECIALIST SERIES.—Any individual who, as of 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, holds a position 

14 of wildland firefighter shall have the option of either re15 maining in the 401 series (as in effect on such date under 

16 chapter 51 of title 5, United States Code) or being in17 cluded in the new wildland firefighter series, as established 

18 pursuant to subsection (a). 

19 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

20 shall be considered to require any change in the pay, bene21 fits, or other terms or conditions of employment that apply 

22 with respect to any category of employees or positions de23 scribed herein. Furthermore, nothing in this Act shall pre24 clude a Federal wildland firefighter who attains age 57 

25 (the maximum age for Federal firefighters to continue 


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1 serving) from cross-training into another occupational se2 ries not subject to mandatory retirement limitations to 

3 maintain employment with any Federal land management 

4 agency. 

Æ 


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