This bill boosts pay, time off, health support, and retirement rules for federal wildland firefighters. It raises base pay above the normal General Schedule at every grade, from about 42% higher at GS‑1 down to 1.5% at GS‑15, replacing the usual base rate going forward . When firefighters are deployed to certain fires or related incidents away from their regular duty station (or at a field camp), they can get extra “incident response” premium pay each day, up to $9,000 per year, with possible later adjustments to keep overall pay near recent levels . After major deployments, paid rest-and-recovery leave is allowed and must be used right away; this starts on or after October 1, 2025 . The bill also lets agencies raise some pay caps during wildfire emergencies, while keeping a high overall limit and allowing waivers in special cases .

Health and family supports expand, too. Agencies must build a public database to track long‑term cancer and heart disease risks, set up a mental health program by January 1, 2026, and provide seven straight days of paid mental health leave each year. Federal workers’ comp must recognize PTSD and related conditions tied to fire work and speed up claims handling . There is a new casualty assistance program to notify families, reimburse travel to see injured firefighters, and coordinate federal benefits after serious injury or death . Retirement rules improve by counting some past service, treating certain exposure‑related diseases as disabilities, and including firefighter overtime in retirement calculations going forward . The bill also requires pay and benefits for federal structural (non‑wildland) firefighters to be comparable within a year .

Key points:

• Who is affected: Federal wildland firefighters at the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, including seasonal and permanent staff, plus Tribal firefighters; some parts also apply to federal structural firefighters and support personnel .
• What changes: Higher base pay; daily premium pay during deployments; paid rest-and-recovery leave; annual cost‑of‑living raises; recruitment bonuses; housing allowances when deployed 50+ miles from home; tuition help for career transition; hazardous duty pay for risky tasks; stronger mental health and long‑term illness support; improved retirement credit and disability coverage; family casualty assistance .
• When: Various start dates; some pay changes begin after current temporary increases end; rest‑and‑recovery leave begins on or after October 1, 2025; the mental health program must start by January 1, 2026; certain premium‑pay limit changes begin in 2026 fileciteturn0file