117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2499 
AN ACT 
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to 
create a presumption that a disability or death of a 
Federal employee in fire protection activities caused by 
any of certain diseases is the result of the performance 
of such employees duty, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Federal Firefighters 
Fairness Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. CERTAIN DISEASES PRESUMED TO BE WORK-RE-
LATED CAUSE OF DISABILITY OR DEATH FOR 
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES IN FIRE PROTECTION 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) PRESUMPTION RELATING
TO EMPLOYEES
IN 
FIRE PROTECTION ACTIVITIES.—Subchapter I of chapter 
81 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after section 8143a the following: 
‘‘§ 8143b. Employees in fire protection activities. 
‘‘(a) CERTAIN DISEASES DEEMED TO BE PROXI-
MATELY CAUSED BY EMPLOYMENT IN FIRE PROTECTION 
ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For a claim under this sub-
chapter of disability or death of an employee who 
has been employed for a minimum of 5 years in ag-
gregate as an employee in fire protection activities, 
a disease specified on the list established under 
paragraph (2) shall be deemed to be proximately 
caused by the employment of such employee. 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF INITIAL LIST.—There 
is established under this section the following list of 
diseases: 
‘‘(A) Bladder cancer.
by rule, upon a showing by a petitioner or on 
the Secretary’s own determination, in accord-
ance with this paragraph. 
‘‘(B) BASIS
FOR
DETERMINATION.—The 
Secretary shall add a disease to the list upon a 
showing by a petitioner or the Secretary’s own 
determination, based on the weight of the best 
available scientific evidence, that there is a sig-
nificant risk to employees in fire protection ac-
tivities of developing such disease. 
‘‘(C) AVAILABLE
EXPERTISE.—In deter-
mining significant risk for purposes of subpara-
graph (B), the Secretary may accept as authori-
tative and may rely upon recommendations, risk 
assessments, and scientific studies (including 
analyses of National Firefighter Registry data 
pertaining to Federal firefighters) by the Na-
tional Institute for Occupational Safety and 
Health, the National Toxicology Program, the 
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine, and the International Agency for 
Research on Cancer. 
‘‘(4) PETITIONS TO ADD TO THE LIST.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any person may peti-
tion the Secretary to add a disease to the list 
under this section. 
‘‘(B) CONTENT OF PETITION.—Such peti-
tion shall provide information to show that 
there is sufficient evidence of a significant risk 
to employees in fire protection activities of de-
veloping such illness or disease from their em-
ployment. 
‘‘(C) TIMELY
AND
SUBSTANTIVE
DECI-
SIONS.—Not later than 18 months after receipt 
of a petition, the Secretary shall either grant or 
deny the petition by publishing in the Federal 
Register a written explanation of the reasons 
for the Secretary’s decision. The Secretary may 
not deny a petition solely on the basis of com-
peting priorities, inadequate resources, or insuf-
ficient time for review. 
‘‘(D) NOTIFICATION TO CONGRESS.—Not 
later than 30 days after making any decision to 
approve or deny a petition under this para-
graph, the Secretary shall notify the Committee 
on Education and Labor of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Homeland
Security and Government Affairs of the Senate 
of such decision. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) EMPLOYEE IN FIRE PROTECTION ACTIVI-
TIES.—The term ‘employee in fire protection activi-
ties’ means an employee employed as a firefighter, 
paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue 
worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material 
worker, who— 
‘‘(A) is trained in fire suppression; 
‘‘(B) has the legal authority and responsi-
bility to engage in fire suppression; 
‘‘(C) is engaged in the prevention, control, 
and extinguishment of fires or response to 
emergency situations where life, property, or 
the environment is at risk, including the pre-
vention, control, suppression, or management of 
wildland fires; and 
‘‘(D) performs such activities as a primary 
responsibility of his or her job. 
‘‘(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ means 
Secretary of Labor.’’. 
(b) RESEARCH COOPERATION.—Not later than 120 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Labor shall establish a process by which a Federal em-
ployee in fire protection activities filing a claim related to 
a disease on the list established by section 8143b of title 
5, United States Code, will be informed about and offered 
the opportunity to contribute to science by voluntarily en-
rolling in the National Firefighter Registry or a similar 
research or public health initiative conducted by the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention. 
(c) AGENDA FOR FURTHER REVIEW.—Not later than 
3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) evaluate the best available scientific evi-
dence of the risk to an employee in fire protection 
activities of developing breast cancer, gynecological 
cancer, and rhabdomyolysis; 
(2) add breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and 
rhabdomyolysis to the list established under section 
8143b of title 5, United States Code, by rule in ac-
cordance with subsection (a)(3) of such section, if 
the Secretary determines that such evidence sup-
ports such addition; and 
(3) submit a report of the Secretary’s findings 
under paragraph (1) and the Secretary’s determina-
tion under paragraph (2) to the Committee on Edu-
cation and Labor of the House and the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of 
the Senate. 
(d) REPORT
ON
FEDERAL
WILDLAND
FIRE-
FIGHTERS.—The Director of the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health shall conduct a com-
prehensive study on long-term health effects that Federal 
wildland firefighters who are eligible to receive workers’ 
compensation under chapter 81 of title 5, United States 
Code, experience after being exposed to fires, smoke, and 
toxic fumes when in service. Such study shall include— 
(1) the race, ethnicity, age, gender, and time of 
service of such Federal wildland firefighters partici-
pating in the study; and 
(2) recommendations to Congress on what legis-
lative actions are needed to support such Federal 
wildland firefighters in preventing health issues from 
this toxic exposure, similar to veterans that are ex-
posed to burn pits. 
(e) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by this 
section shall apply to claims for compensation filed on or 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(f) REPORT ON AFFECTED EMPLOYEES.—Beginning 
1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sec-
retary shall include in each annual report on implementa-
tion of the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act pro-
gram and issues arising under it that the Secretary makes 
pursuant to section 8152 of title 5, United States Code, 
the total number and demographics of employees with dis-
eases and conditions described in the amendments made 
by this Act as of the date of such annual report, 
disaggregated by the specific condition or conditions, for 
the purposes of understanding the scope of the problem. 
The Secretary may include any information they deem 
necessary and, as appropriate, may make recommenda-
tions for additional actions that could be taken to mini-
mize the risk of adverse health impacts for Federal em-
ployees in fire protection activities. 
SEC. 3. SUBROGATION OF CONTINUATION OF PAY. 
(a) SUBROGATION OF THE UNITED STATES.—Sec-
tion 8131 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘continuation 
of pay or’’ before ‘‘compensation’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c), by inserting ‘‘continuation 
of pay or’’ before ‘‘compensation already paid’’. 
(b) ADJUSTMENT AFTER RECOVERY FROM A THIRD 
PERSON.—Section 8132 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘continuation of pay or’’ before 
‘‘compensation’’ the first and second place it ap-
pears;
(2) by striking ‘‘in his behalf’’ and inserting 
‘‘on his behalf’’; 
(3) by inserting ‘‘continuation of pay and’’ be-
fore ‘‘compensation’’ the third place it appears; and 
(4) by striking the 4th sentence and inserting 
the following: ‘‘If continuation of pay or compensa-
tion has not been paid to the beneficiary, the money 
or property shall be credited against continuation of 
pay or compensation payable to him by the United 
States for the same injury.’’. 
SEC. 4. PROTECTION OF FIREFIGHTERS FROM TOXIC 
CHEMICALS AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall submit to the Committee on 
Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate a report that evaluates the health and 
safety impacts on employees engaged in fire protection ac-
tivities that result from the employees’ exposure to toxic 
chemicals and other contaminants that could cause human 
health problems. The report may include information on— 
(1) the degree to which such programs and poli-
cies include consideration of the possibility of toxic 
exposure of such employees who may come into con-
tact with residue from fibers, combusted building 
materials such as asbestos, household chemicals, 
polymers, flame-retardant chemicals, and other po-
tentially toxic contaminants; 
(2) the availability and proper maintenance of 
professional protective equipment and secure storage 
of such equipment in employees’ homes and auto-
motive vehicles; 
(3) the availability of home instructions for em-
ployees regarding toxins and contaminants, and the 
appropriate procedures to counteract exposure to 
same; 
(4) the employees’ interests in protecting the 
health and safety of family members from exposure 
to toxic chemicals and other contaminants to which 
the employees may have been exposed; and 
(5) other related factors. 
(b) CONTEXT.—In preparing the report required 
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the 
United States may, as appropriate, provide information in 
a format that delineates high risk urban areas from rural 
communities. 
(c) DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR CONSIDERATION.— 
After issuance of the report required under subsection (a), 
the Secretary of Labor shall consider such report’s find-
ings and assess its applicability for purposes of the amend-
ments made by section 2. 
SEC. 5. INCREASE IN TIME-PERIOD FOR FECA CLAIMANT 
TO SUPPLY SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION 
TO OFFICE OF WORKER’S COMPENSATION. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Labor shall— 
(1) amend section 10.121 of title 20, Code of 
Federal Regulations, by striking ‘‘30 days’’ and in-
serting ‘‘60 days’’; and 
(2) modify the Federal Employees Compensa-
tion Act manual to reflect the changes to such sec-
tion made by the Secretary pursuant to paragraph 
(1). 
Passed the House of Representatives May 11, 2022. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2499 
AN ACT 
To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States 
Code, to create a presumption that a disability or 
death of a Federal employee in fire protection ac-
tivities caused by any of certain diseases is the 
result of the performance of such employees 
duty, and for other purposes.