Direct Hire To Fight Fires

Subjects: Government Operations and Politics


<html><body><pre>[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3499 Introduced in House (IH)]

&lt;DOC&gt;






118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3499

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide direct hire authority 
      to appoint individuals to Federal wildland firefighting and 
firefighting support positions in the Forest Service or the Department 
                of the Interior, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 18, 2023

 Mr. Issa (for himself and Mr. LaMalfa) introduced the following bill; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, 
      and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide direct hire authority 
      to appoint individuals to Federal wildland firefighting and 
firefighting support positions in the Forest Service or the Department 
                of the Interior, 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 ``Direct Hire To Fight Fires''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Veterans are an appreciated and sought after population 
        for positions within the Forest Service and in the positions 
        contained in this Act.
            (2) Veterans deserve expedited hiring and employment.
            (3) In fiscal year 2020, the use of the Fire Direct Hire 
        Authority (``DHA'') was on average 31 days compared to non-use 
        of the Fire DHA at 51 days and overall Forest Service (``FS'') 
        hiring at 65 days.
            (4) In fiscal year 2021, the use of the Fire DHA was on 
        average 40 days compared to non-use of Fire DHA at 94 days and 
        overall FS hiring at 73 days.
            (5) In fiscal year 2022, the use of the Fire DHA was on 
        average 58 days compared to non-use of Fire DHA at 96 days and 
        overall FS hiring at 104 days.
            (6) In fiscal year 2020, the number of days from 
        authorization to employee entry on duty averaged 55 days with 
        the use of the Fire DHA compared to non-use of the Fire DHA at 
        103 days and overall FS hiring at 92 days.
            (7) In fiscal year 2021, the number of days from 
        authorization to employee entry on duty averaged 57 days with 
        the use of the Fire DHA compared to non-use of the Fire DHA at 
        105 days and overall FS hiring at 94 days.
            (8) In fiscal year 2022, the number of days from 
        authorization to employee entry on duty averaged 101 days with 
        the use of the Fire DHA compared to non-use of the Fire DHA at 
        139 days and overall FS hiring at 146 days.

SEC. 3. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY TO APPOINT INDIVIDUALS TO FEDERAL 
              WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING AND FIREFIGHTING SUPPORT POSITIONS 
              IN THE FOREST SERVICE OR THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 96 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 9603. Direct hire authority to appoint individuals to Federal 
              wildland firefighting and firefighting support positions 
              in Forest Service and Department of the Interior
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 
of the Interior may appoint, without regard to the provisions of 
sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States Code (other than 
sections 3303 and 3328 of such chapter), and part 211 and part 337 of 
subpart A of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, qualified candidates 
to any position described in subsection (b) in the Forest Service or 
the Department of the Interior, respectively.
    ``(b) Positions.--A position described in this subsection is any 
Federal wildland firefighting position, or any position in support of 
such firefighting position, within any of the following occupational 
series (or any successor series):
            ``(1) Forestry Technician Series, GS-0462.
            ``(2) Aircraft Operation Series, GS-2181.
            ``(3) Miscellaneous Administration and Program Series, GS-
        0301, that supports firefighting and is eligible for primary or 
        secondary firefighter retirement coverage.
            ``(4) General Natural Resources Management and Biological 
        Sciences Series, GS-0401, that supports firefighting and is 
        eligible for primary or secondary firefighter retirement 
        coverage.
            ``(5) Aviation Management Specialist Series, GS-2101.
            ``(6) Engineering Equipment Operator, WG, WL, or WS-5716, 
        that supports firefighting and is eligible for primary or 
        secondary firefighter retirement coverage.
            ``(7) Dispatching Series, GS-2151, that supports 
        firefighting and is eligible for primary or secondary 
        firefighter retirement coverage.
            ``(8) Equipment Specialist, GS-1670.
            ``(9) Any additional occupational series developed 
        specifically for wildland firefighting.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for such chapter is 
amended by adding after the item relating to section 9602 the 
following:

``9603. Direct hire authority to appoint individuals to Federal 
                            wildland firefighting and firefighting 
                            support positions in Forest Service and 
                            Department of the Interior.''.

SEC. 4. STREAMLINING AND TRANSPARENCY IN FEDERAL WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING 
              HIRING AT THE FOREST SERVICE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE 
              INTERIOR.

    (a) Streamlined Hiring.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in consultation with the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall implement 
policies to recruit and retain wildland firefighters that--
            (1) reduce the amount of time required to hire wildland 
        firefighters and wildland firefighting support personnel;
            (2) address and eliminate redundancies in the Federal 
        hiring process for wildland firefighters and wildland 
        firefighting support personnel;
            (3) streamline the process for hiring wildland firefighters 
        and wildland firefighting support personnel who were employed 
        by the agencies in prior years; and
            (4) reduce barriers for wildland firefighters transferring 
        between agencies.
    (b) Transparency.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretaries 
        shall each submit a report to the relevant Congressional 
        Committees that includes the information described in paragraph 
        (2) no later than February 1st of each calendar year.
            (2) Requirements.--As part of the report submitted under 
        paragraph (1), the Secretaries shall include information 
        regarding--
                    (A) the number of wildland firefighters and 
                wildland firefighting support personnel the agency 
                anticipates it will need for that calendar year, 
                delineated by position;
                    (B) the number of hiring events the agency is 
                planning to hold that calendar year;
                    (C) the number of wildland firefighters and 
                wildland firefighting support personnel currently 
                employed by the agency, delineated by position;
                    (D) the number of wildland firefighting vacancies 
                by State;
                    (E) any barriers the agency is facing to meet the 
                hiring goal outlined in subsection (a);
                    (F) the implementation of the direct hiring 
                authority provided in section 3 of this Act;
                    (G) the implementation of the streamlined hiring 
                policies developed under subsection (a); and
                    (H) recommendations to Congress to further improve 
                the recruitment and retention of wildland firefighters 
                and wildland firefighting support personnel.
            (3) Public availability.--The Secretaries shall each 
        annually publish the report submitted under paragraph (1) on a 
        publicly available website.
            (4) Definitions.--In this section:
                    (A) Agency.--The term ``agency'' means--
                            (i) the Forest Service, with respect to 
                        National Forest System lands; and
                            (ii) the Department of the Interior, with 
                        respect to lands under the jurisdiction of the 
                        Secretary of the Interior.
                    (B) Relevant congressional committees.--The term 
                ``relevant Congressional Committees'' means--
                            (i) the Committees on Agriculture and 
                        Natural Resources of the House of 
                        Representatives; and
                            (ii) the Committees on Agriculture, 
                        Nutrition, and Forestry and Energy and Natural 
                        Resources of the Senate.
                    (C) Secretaries.--The term ``Secretaries'' means 
                the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
                Interior.
                                 &lt;all&gt;
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