[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3971 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3971

     To provide for an independent investigation of Forest Service 
 firefighter deaths that are caused by wildfire entrapment or burnover.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2002

 Mr. Hastings of Washington (for himself, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. 
  Nethercutt, Ms. Dunn of Washington, Mr. Inslee, Mr. Dicks, and Mr. 
Larsen of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                    to the Committee on Agriculture

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To provide for an independent investigation of Forest Service 
 firefighter deaths that are caused by wildfire entrapment or burnover.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATION OF 
              FOREST SERVICE FIREFIGHTER DEATHS.

    (a) Independent Investigation.--In the case of each fatality of an 
officer or employee of the Forest Service that occurs due to wildfire 
entrapment or burnover, the Inspector General of the Department of 
Agriculture shall conduct an investigation of the fatality. The 
investigation shall not rely on, and shall be completely independent 
of, any investigation of the fatality that is conducted by the Forest 
Service.
    (b) Submission of Results.--As soon as possible after completing an 
investigation under subsection (a), the Inspector General of the 
Department of Agriculture shall submit to Congress and the Secretary of 
Agriculture a report containing the results of the investigation.
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