[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2471 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2471

   To provide for the independent investigation of Federal wildland 
                        firefighter fatalities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 8, 2002

 Ms. Cantwell introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide for the independent investigation of Federal wildland 
                        firefighter fatalities.

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

SECTION 1. INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF FEDERAL WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER 
              FATALITIES.

    (a) Department of the Interior.--In each case of a fatality of a 
firefighter employed by any agency of the Department of the Interior 
that occurs due to wildfire entrapment or burnover, the Inspector 
General of the Department shall--
            (1) conduct an investigation of the fatality that does not 
        rely on, and is completely independent of, any investigation 
        conducted by an agency under the administrative jurisdiction of 
        the Secretary of the Interior; and
            (2) submit to the Secretary and Congress a report on the 
        fatality.
    (b) Department of Agriculture.--In each case of a fatality of a 
firefighter employed by the Forest Service that occurs due to wildfire 
entrapment or burnover, the Inspector General of the Department shall--
            (1) conduct an investigation of the fatality that does not 
        rely on, and is completely independent of, any investigation 
        conducted by the Forest Service; and
            (2) submit to the Secretary of Agriculture and Congress a 
        report on the fatality.
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