117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 231 

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. 
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†S 231 ES

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 ‘‘Protecting Firefighters 

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

6 SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON HOW TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO 

7 AND RELEASE OF PFAS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

9 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 

10 Security, in consultation with the Administrator of the 

11 United States Fire Administration, the Administrator of 

12 the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of the 

13 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 

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

15 (1) develop and publish guidance for firefighters 

16 and other emergency response personnel on training, 

17 education programs, and best practices; 

18 (2) make available a curriculum designed to— 

19 (A) reduce and eliminate exposure to per20 and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly re21 ferred to as ‘‘PFAS’’) from firefighting foam 

22 and personal protective equipment; 

23 (B) prevent the release of PFAS from fire24 fighting foam into the environment; and 
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1 (C) educate firefighters and other emer2 gency response personnel on foams and non3 foam alternatives, personal protective equip4 ment, and other firefighting tools and equip5 ment that do not contain PFAS; and 

6 (3) create an online public repository, which 

7 shall be updated on a regular basis, on tools and 

8 best practices for firefighters and other emergency 

9 response personnel to reduce, limit, and prevent the 

10 release of and exposure to PFAS. 

11 (b) CURRICULUM.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of devel13 oping the curriculum required under subsection 

14 (a)(2), the Administrator of the United States Fire 

15 Administration shall make recommendations to the 

16 Secretary of Homeland Security as to the content of 

17 the curriculum. 

18 (2) CONSULTATION.—For the purpose of mak19 ing recommendations under paragraph (1), the Ad20 ministrator of the United States Fire Administration 

21 shall consult with interested entities, as appropriate, 

22 including— 

23 (A) firefighters and other emergency re24 sponse personnel, including national fire service 

25 and emergency response organizations; 
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1 (B) impacted communities dealing with 

2 PFAS contamination; 

3 (C) scientists, including public and occupa4 tional health and safety experts, who are study5 ing PFAS and PFAS alternatives in fire6 fighting foam; 

7 (D) voluntary standards organizations en8 gaged in developing standards for firefighter 

9 and firefighting equipment; 

10 (E) State fire training academies; 

11 (F) State fire marshals; 

12 (G) manufacturers of firefighting tools and 

13 equipment; and 

14 (H) any other relevant entities, as deter15 mined by the Secretary of Homeland Security 

16 and the Administrator of the United States 

17 Fire Administration. 

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

19 on which the guidance and curriculum required under sub20 section (a) is issued, and not less frequently than once 

21 every 3 years thereafter, the Secretary of Homeland Secu22 rity, in consultation with the Administrator of the United 

23 States Fire Administration, the Administrator of the En24 vironmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the 

25 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 
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1 shall review the guidance and curriculum and, as appro2 priate, issue updates to the guidance and curriculum. 

3 (d) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advi4 sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 

5 this Act. 

6 (e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

7 shall be construed to require the Secretary of Homeland 

8 Security to promulgate or enforce regulations under sub9 chapter II of chapter 5 of title 5, United States Code 

10 (commonly known as the ‘‘Administrative Procedure 

11 Act’’). 

Passed the Senate July 29, 2021. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 231 

AN ACT 

To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emerother purposes. release of PFAS into the environment, and for exposure to PFAS and to limit and prevent the personnel on best practices to protect them from for firefighters and other emergency response gency Management Agency to develop guidance