Sponsors (9)
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Amends subsection (d) of 42 U.S.C. 5165f by (1) replacing the word "Administration" with "Administrator" in paragraph (1) and (2) adding a new paragraph (4) establishing criteria for mental health assistance for task forces (requirements for inclusion of mental health practitioners, peer support training and content, consultation with nonprofit organizations, grants for training, and an authorization to obligate and expend funds).
Adds a new subsection (i) to 29 U.S.C. 671 establishing a NIOSH research and development program focused on firefighter respiratory health, PFAS and other carcinogen exposure in wildfire and wildland-urban interface incidents and related settings; requires stakeholder consultation with specified officials and entities; requires reporting to specified congressional committees within 180 days of enactment and annually; and authorizes $20,000,000 per year for FY2026–FY2031.
This bill focuses on getting local “structural” firefighters ready for wildfires and for fires where homes meet forests or brush, and on tightening teamwork across federal, state, and local agencies. It directs the Forest Service to publish a national training plan within one year and offers competitive grants to nonprofits to build and deliver that training, funded at $5 million per year from 2026–2031. It also creates a new senior wildfire coordinator at the Department of Agriculture and adds a firefighter labor representative to key federal wildfire groups within 60 days to improve on-the-ground coordination. Department of Defense firefighters may assist during wildfires when asked, with costs repaid and a report on any barriers required.
To protect health, the bill funds a NIOSH program to study firefighter breathing risks and to detect PFAS and other cancer-causing chemicals in wildfire areas and gear, with $20 million per year from 2026–2031 and regular progress reports. It boosts mental health support for responder task forces by requiring on-team mental health professionals and peer-support training, with up to $10 million per year from 2026–2031. It also sets up a supplemental grant program so fire departments and EMS can buy wildfire‑ready protective gear and training, with grant caps tied to local population ($1M–$9M) and $100 million authorized for 2026 . A separate report to Congress is due within one year on how well local departments train for wildfires and on obstacles to working together, with real-world examples.
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, Armed Services, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced August 1, 2025 by Josh Harder · Last progress August 1, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, Armed Services, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House