Sponsors (119)
The bill funds development, demonstration, and guidance to get PFAS‑free turnout gear to firefighters—improving safety and encouraging industry innovation—while increasing federal spending and risking short‑term costs and uneven access for smaller departments.
Firefighters and other first responders will gain access to PFAS‑free turnout gear and receive funded training and decontamination guidance, reducing occupational chemical exposure and long‑term health risks.
Federal R&D and demonstration funding can spur industry innovation and domestic production of safer turnout gear, potentially lowering long‑term maintenance and contamination remediation costs for departments.
Requiring partnerships with organizations that represent non‑managerial firefighters increases the likelihood that new gear and protocols meet front‑line needs and are practically adopted.
The program increases federal spending (approximately $25M/year for the grant program and $2M/year for the center), which could add to budgetary pressures or displace other priorities.
Transitioning to new PFAS‑free turnout gear could raise short‑term procurement and maintenance costs for departments if replacement gear is more expensive or requires different care.
If funding is limited or eligibility is restricted, smaller and rural fire departments may not benefit quickly, worsening inequities in protective equipment access.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Establishes NIOSH-run grant programs to develop, test, and train on PFAS‑free turnout gear, authorizing $25M/year (FY2025–29) for research and $2M/year (FY2027–31) for training.
Creates NIOSH-run grant programs to speed development, testing, training, and guidance for PFAS-free turnout gear for firefighters and first responders. It funds multi-year research grants and later training/contracts to help get safer, next-generation protective gear into use. Sets definitions for key terms, requires grant applications to show partnerships with organizations representing nonmanagerial firefighters, directs HHS to weigh specific innovation attributes when choosing awards, and requires a progress report to Congress within two years. Funding authorizations begin in FY2025 for research and FY2027 for training.
Introduced May 5, 2025 by Debbie Dingell · Last progress May 5, 2025