Sponsors (3)
The bill strengthens pay, paid rest, and administrative clarity for federal wildland firefighters—supporting safety, retention, and consistent rules—at the cost of higher federal personnel spending, potential diversion of IIJA funds, and operational trade-offs around staffing and bargaining input.
Wildland firefighters (Forest Service and Interior) gain guaranteed paid rest/recuperation after long deployments (3 days after 14 days or 4 days after 21), paid like annual leave and applied to intermittent/seasonal employees as well, improving recovery and reducing short-term fatigue-related risks.
Federal wildland firefighters keep a base salary increase and related premium pay (funded up to $5 million) that helps retain and recruit personnel while using unobligated IIJA balances so no new appropriations are required.
Wildland firefighting pay rules receive a permanent overtime-cap waiver for future years, preserving overtime pay flexibility for deployed personnel.
Taxpayers and federal budgets face higher near-term personnel and payroll costs because of paid rest, continued overtime waivers, and preserved pay increases, potentially requiring reallocation of agency funds.
Shifting up to $5 million from unobligated IIJA balances reduces funds available for other infrastructure projects and may complicate budgeting and planning for programs originally intended to use those balances.
Mandatory rest maximums and simultaneous entitlements could reduce available staffing during high-demand fire seasons, and making overtime exceptions permanent may reduce pressure to pursue longer-term staffing or structural pay solutions.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Adds paid rest-and-recuperation leave for federal wildland firefighters, allows a small IIJA funds transfer to preserve a pay increase, and makes overtime-cap waivers permanent.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress March 26, 2026
Creates paid "rest and recuperation" (R&R) leave for federal wildland firefighters employed by the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior, to be used immediately after deployment and paid as annual leave. It also permits a limited transfer (up to $5 million) of unobligated IIJA funds to continue a previously established federal wildland firefighter base pay increase, and makes existing overtime-cap waiver language for wildland firefighters open‑ended rather than limited to specific years.