I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5619 
To ensure continuity of pay and allowances for Federal firefighters and 
protect Federal firefighters from reductions in force in the event of 
a lapse in appropriations, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 30, 2025 
Ms. BYNUM (for herself, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. WHITESIDES, Ms. ANSARI, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Mr. CARTER of Louisiana, Mr. DELUZIO, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. 
ELFRETH, Mr. FIELDS, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. 
HOYLE of Oregon, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Ms. MCCLELLAN, Mr. 
PETERS, Ms. ROSS, Ms. SALINAS, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. STANTON, Mr. 
SWALWELL, Mr. THANEDAR, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. THOMP-
SON of California, and Ms. SCHRIER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To ensure continuity of pay and allowances for Federal fire-
fighters and protect Federal firefighters from reductions 
in force in the event of a lapse in appropriations, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Firefighter 
Paycheck Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR PAY AND AL-
LOWANCES FOR FIREFIGHTERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are hereby appropriated for 
fiscal year 2026, out of any money in the Treasury not 
otherwise appropriated, for any period during which in-
terim or full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are 
not in effect, such sums as are necessary to provide pay 
and allowances to Federal firefighters. 
(b) TERMINATION.—Appropriations and funds made 
available and authority granted pursuant to this section 
shall be available until the earlier of— 
(1) the date of the enactment of an appropria-
tion (including a continuing appropriation) for any 
purpose for which amounts are made available under 
subsection (a); 
(2) the date of the enactment of the applicable 
regular or continuing appropriations resolution or 
other Act without any appropriation for such pur-
pose; or 
(3) January 1, 2027. 
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SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON REDUCTIONS IN FORCE OF FIRE-
FIGHTERS 
DURING 
GOVERNMENT 
SHUT-
DOWNS. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during 
any period in which there is a lapse in discretionary appro-
priations, no Federal firefighter may be removed from the 
civil service due to a reduction in force. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CIVIL SERVICE, EXECUTIVE AGENCY; MILI-
TARY
DEPARTMENT.—The terms ‘‘civil service’’, 
‘‘Executive agency’’, and ‘‘military department’’ 
have the meanings given such term in sections 2101, 
105, and 102, respectively, of title 5, United States 
Code. 
(2) FEDERAL FIREFIGHTER.—The term ‘‘Fed-
eral firefighter’’ means an employee of an Executive 
agency or military department, the duties of whose 
position are primarily to perform work directly con-
nected with the control and extinguishment of fires. 
Æ 
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