I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8170 
To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to create 
a classification that more accurately reflects the vital role of wildland 
firefighters. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 
Mr. LAMALFA (for himself and Mr. DESAULNIER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform 
A BILL 
To require the Director of the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment to create a classification that more accurately re-
flects the vital role of wildland firefighters. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wildland Firefighter 
Recognition Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 
the Office of Personnel Management; 
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(2) the term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 2105 of title 5, United States 
Code; 
(3) the term ‘‘Federal land management agen-
cy’’ means— 
(A) within the Department of the Inte-
rior— 
(i) the Bureau of Land Management; 
(ii) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; 
(iii) the National Park Service; and 
(iv) the United States Fish and Wild-
life Service; and 
(B) within the Department of Agriculture, 
the Forest Service; 
(4) the term ‘‘wildland fire’’— 
(A) means any non-structure fire that oc-
curs in vegetation or natural fuels; and 
(B) includes prescribed fire and wildfire; 
and 
(5) the term ‘‘wildland firefighter’’ means— 
(A) an employee of a Federal land man-
agement agency, the duties of whose position 
are primarily to perform work directly related 
to the prevention, control, suppression, or man-
agement of wildland fires, including an em-
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ployee of a Federal land management agency 
who is assigned to support wildland fire activi-
ties; and 
(B) an employee of a Federal land man-
agement agency who is transferred to a super-
visory or administrative position from a position 
described in subparagraph (A). 
SEC. 3. CLASSIFICATION OF WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS. 
(a) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in 
cooperation with the Federal land management 
agencies, shall commence development of a distinct 
wildland firefighter occupational series that more ac-
curately reflects the variety of duties performed by 
wildland firefighters. 
(2) DESIGNATION.—The official title assigned 
to any occupational series established under para-
graph (1) shall include the designation of ‘‘Wildland 
Firefighter’’. 
(3) POSITIONS
DESCRIBED.—Paragraph (1) 
shall apply with respect to any class or other cat-
egory of positions that consists primarily or exclu-
sively of forestry technician positions, range techni-
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cian positions, or any other positions the duties and 
responsibilities of which include— 
(A) significant prevention, preparedness, 
control, suppression, or management activities 
for wildland fires; or 
(B) activities necessary to meet any other 
emergency incident to which assigned. 
(4) CONSULTATION.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Director should consult with employee 
associations and any other groups that represent 
wildland firefighters in carrying out this subsection. 
(5) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act— 
(A) the Director shall complete the devel-
opment of the wildland firefighter occupational 
series required under paragraph (1); and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall use the wildland 
firefighter occupational series developed under 
paragraph (1) in the advertising and hiring of 
a wildland firefighter. 
(b) HAZARDOUS DUTY DIFFERENTIAL NOT AF-
FECTED.—Section 5545(d)(1) of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended by striking ‘‘except’’ and all that follows 
and inserting the following: ‘‘except— 
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‘‘(A) an employee in an occupational series 
covering positions for which the primary duties 
involve the prevention, control, suppression, or 
management of wildland fires, as determined by 
the Office; and 
‘‘(B) in such other circumstances as the 
Office may by regulation prescribe; and’’. 
(c) CURRENT EMPLOYEES.—Any individual employed 
as a wildland firefighter on the date on which the occupa-
tional series established under subsection (a) takes effect 
may elect to— 
(1) remain in the occupational series in which 
the individual is working; or 
(2) be included in the wildland firefighter occu-
pational series established under subsection (a). 
Æ 
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