S. 231 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two 

An Act 

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 

develop guidance for firefighters and other emergency response personnel on 

best practices to protect them from exposure to PFAS and to limit and prevent 

the release of PFAS into the environment, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Firefighters from 

Adverse Substances Act’’ or the ‘‘PFAS Act’’. 

SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO AND RELEASE 

OF PFAS. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, 

the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health, and the heads of any other relevant agencies, shall— 

(1) develop and publish guidance for firefighters and other 

emergency response personnel on training, education programs, 

and best practices; 

(2) make available a curriculum designed to— 

(A) reduce and eliminate exposure to per- and 

polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly referred to as 

‘‘PFAS’’) from firefighting foam and personal protective 

equipment; 

(B) prevent the release of PFAS from firefighting foam 

into the environment; and 

(C) educate firefighters and other emergency response 

personnel on foams and non-foam alternatives, personal 

protective equipment, and other firefighting tools and 

equipment that do not contain PFAS; and 

(3) create an online public repository, which shall be 

updated on a regular basis, on tools and best practices for 

firefighters and other emergency response personnel to reduce, 

limit, and prevent the release of and exposure to PFAS. 

(b) CURRICULUM.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of developing the curriculum required under subsection (a)(2), the Administrator 

of the United States Fire Administration shall make recommendations to the Secretary of Homeland Security as to 

the content of the curriculum. 
S. 231—2 

(2) CONSULTATION.—For the purpose of making recommendations under paragraph (1), the Administrator of the 

United States Fire Administration shall consult with interested 

entities, as appropriate, including— 

(A) firefighters and other emergency response personnel, including national fire service and emergency 

response organizations; 

(B) impacted communities dealing with PFAS contamination; 

(C) scientists, including public and occupational health 

and safety experts, who are studying PFAS and PFAS 

alternatives in firefighting foam; 

(D) voluntary standards organizations engaged in 

developing standards for firefighter and firefighting equipment; 

(E) State fire training academies; 

(F) State fire marshals; 

(G) manufacturers of firefighting tools and equipment; 

and 

(H) any other relevant entities, as determined by the 

Secretary of Homeland Security and the Administrator of 

the United States Fire Administration. 

(c) REVIEW.—Not later than 3 years after the date on which 

the guidance and curriculum required under subsection (a) is issued, 

and not less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the 

Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, the Administrator 

of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the 

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, shall review 

the guidance and curriculum and, as appropriate, issue updates 

to the guidance and curriculum. 

(d) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advisory Committee 

Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to this Act. 

(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to promulgate 

or enforce regulations under subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 

5, United States Code (commonly known as the ‘‘Administrative 

Procedure Act’’). 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.