I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6946 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a compensation fund for 
military firefighters exposed to PFAS. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 10, 2024 
Ms. STRICKLAND (for herself and Mr. POSEY) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a 
compensation fund for military firefighters exposed to PFAS. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. COMPENSATION FUND FOR MILITARY FIRE-
FIGHTERS. 
(a) PROGRAM AND FUND ESTABLISHED.—Not later 
than two years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Defense shall establish a program and 
fund to be known as the ‘‘Military Firefighters Compensa-
tion Fund’’. 
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(b) PURPOSE OF PROGRAM.—The purpose of the 
compensation program is to provide for timely, uniform, 
and adequate compensation to current and former military 
firefighters and, where applicable, survivors of such em-
ployees, suffering from illnesses incurred by such employ-
ees in the performance of duty for the Department of De-
fense and certain of its contractors and subcontractors due 
to exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or 
PFAS. 
(c) PFAS EXPOSURE.—Current and former military 
firefighters shall, in the absence of substantial evidence 
to the contrary, be determined to have been exposed to 
PFAS in the performance of duty for the purposes of the 
compensation program if such firefighter was employed at 
a military installation, facility of the National Guard, of 
formerly used defense site during a period when PFAS 
would have been present at such facility. 
(d) COMPENSATION PROVIDED.—A current or former 
military firefighter, or the survivor of such firefighter if 
the firefighter is deceased, shall receive compensation for 
the disability or death of that employee from that employ-
ee’s occupational illness. 
(e) PAYMENTS IN THE CASE OF DECEASED PER-
SONS.— 
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(1) CLAIM FILED.—In the case of a military 
firefighter who is deceased at the time of payment 
of compensation under this section, whether or not 
the death is the result of the firefighter’s occupa-
tional illness, such payment may be made only as 
follows: 
(A) If the military firefighter is survived 
by a spouse who is living at the time of pay-
ment, such payment shall be made to such sur-
viving spouse. 
(B) If there is no surviving spouse de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), such payment 
shall be made in equal shares to all children of 
the military firefighter who are living at the 
time of payment. 
(C) If there is no surviving spouse de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) and if there are no 
children described in subparagraph (B), such 
payment shall be made in equal shares to the 
parents of the military firefighter who are living 
at the time of payment. 
(D) If there is no surviving spouse de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), and if there are 
no children described in subparagraph (B) or 
parents described in subparagraph (C), such 
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payment shall be made in equal shares to all 
grandchildren of the military firefighter who are 
living at the time of payment. 
(E) If there is no surviving spouse de-
scribed in subparagraph (A), and if there are 
no children described in subparagraph (B), par-
ents described in subparagraph (C), or grand-
children described in subparagraph (D), then 
such payment shall be made in equal shares to 
the grandparents of the military firefighter who 
are living at the time of payment. 
(F) Notwithstanding the other provisions 
of this paragraph, if there is— 
(i) a surviving spouse described in 
subparagraph (A); and 
(ii) at least one child of the military 
firefighter who is living and a minor at the 
time of payment and who is not a recog-
nized natural child or adopted child of 
such surviving spouse, then half of such 
payment shall be made to such surviving 
spouse, and the other half of such payment 
shall be made in equal shares to each child 
of the military firefighter who is living and 
a minor at the time of payment. 
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(2) BEFORE FILING OF CLAIM.—If a current or 
former military firefighter eligible for payment dies 
before filing a claim under this section, a survivor of 
that firefighter who may receive payment under 
paragraph (1) may file a claim for such payment. 
(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘child’’ includes a recognized 
natural child, a stepchild who lived with an in-
dividual in a regular parent-child relationship, 
or an adopted child. 
(B) The term ‘‘grandchild’’ means the 
child of a child of an individual. 
(C) The term ‘‘grandparent’’ means the 
parent of a parent of an individual. 
(D) The term ‘‘parent’’ includes fathers 
and mothers through adoption. 
(E) The term ‘‘spouse’’ means the wife or 
husband of a deceased individual who was mar-
ried to such individual for at least one year im-
mediately before such death. 
(f) MEDICAL BENEFITS PROVIDED.—The Secretary 
shall furnish, to an individual receiving medical benefits 
under this section for an illness, the services, appliances, 
and supplies prescribed or recommended by a qualified 
physician for that illness. 
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(g) TRANSPORTATION AND EXPENSES.—The indi-
vidual may be furnished necessary and reasonable trans-
portation and expenses incident to the securing of such 
services, appliances, and supplies. 
(h) COMMENCEMENT OF BENEFITS.—An individual 
receiving benefits under this section shall be furnished 
those benefits as of the date on which that individual sub-
mitted the claim for those benefits in accordance with this 
section. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘military firefighter’’ means a 
member of the Armed Forces or a civilian employee 
of the Department of Defense whose military occu-
pational specialty or primary duties are fire suppres-
sion and prevention. 
(2) The term ‘‘military installation’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 2801(c)(4) of 
title 10, United States Code. 
(3) The term ‘‘PFAS’’ means perfluoroalkyl 
and polyfluoroalkyl substances. 
(4) The term ‘‘perfluoroalkyl substance’’ means 
a man-made chemical of which all the carbon atoms 
are fully fluorinated carbon atoms. 
(5) The term ‘‘polyfluoroalkyl substance’’ 
means a man-made chemical with at least one fully 
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fluorinated 
carbon 
atom 
and 
at 
least 
one 
nonfluorinated carbon atom. 
(j) AUTHORIZATION FOR COMPENSATION FUND.— 
There is hereby authorized such sums as may be necessary 
to carry out this section. 
Æ 
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