II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2353 

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. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2019 

Mr. PETERS (for himself, Mr. GARDNER, Ms. HASSAN, and Mr. SULLIVAN) 

introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 

Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

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. 

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


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•S 2353 IS

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 from Adverse Substances Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘PFAS Act 

4 of 2019’’. 

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

6 AND RELEASE OF PFAS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 

9 Federal Emergency Management Agency, in consultation 

10 with the Administrator of the United States Fire Adminis11 tration, the Administrator of the Environmental Protec12 tion Agency, the Director of the National Institute for Oc13 cupational Safety and Health, and the heads of any other 

14 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 to— 

18 (A) reduce the exposure to per- and 

19 polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly referred 

20 to as ‘‘PFAS’’) from firefighting foam and per21 sonal protective equipment; and 

22 (B) limit or prevent the release of PFAS 

23 from firefighting foam into the environment; 

24 (2) develop and issue guidance to firefighters 

25 and other emergency response personnel on alter26 native foams, personal protective equipment, and 


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1 other firefighting tools and equipment that do not 

2 contain PFAS; and 

3 (3) create an online public repository, which 

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

5 best practices for firefighters and other emergency 

6 response personnel to reduce, limit, and prevent the 

7 release of and exposure to PFAS. 

8 (b) REQUIRED CONSULTATION.—In developing the 

9 guidance required under subsection (a), the Administrator 

10 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall con11 sult with appropriate interested entities, including— 

12 (1) firefighters and other emergency response 

13 personnel, including national fire service and emer14 gency response organizations; 

15 (2) impacted communities dealing with PFAS 

16 contamination; 

17 (3) scientists, including public and occupational 

18 health and safety experts, who are studying PFAS 

19 and PFAS alternatives in firefighting foam; 

20 (4) voluntary standards organizations engaged 

21 in developing standards for firefighter and fire22 fighting equipment; 

23 (5) State fire training academies; 

24 (6) State fire marshals; 


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1 (7) manufacturers of firefighting tools and 

2 equipment; and 

3 (8) any other relevant entities, as determined 

4 by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 

5 Management Agency and the Administrator of the 

6 United States Fire Administration. 

7 (c) REVIEW OF GUIDANCE.—Not later than 3 years 

8 after the date on which the guidance required under sub9 section (a) is issued, and not less frequently than once 

10 every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator of the Federal 

11 Emergency Management Agency, in consultation with the 

12 Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, 

13 the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agen14 cy, and the Director of the National Institute for Occupa15 tional Safety and Health, shall review the guidance and, 

16 as appropriate, issue updates to the guidance. 

17 (d) APPLICABILITY OF FACA.—The Federal Advi18 sory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 

19 this Act. 

Æ 


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