[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4687 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4687

    To award a Congressional Gold Medal to wildland firefighters in 
 recognition of their strength, resiliency, sacrifice, and service to 
protect the forests, grasslands, and communities of the United States, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                July 11 (legislative day, July 10), 2024

Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Ms. Lummis, Mr. Bennet, Mr. King, Mr. Risch, 
Mr. Wicker, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Heinrich, and Mr. Daines) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
            Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To award a Congressional Gold Medal to wildland firefighters in 
 recognition of their strength, resiliency, sacrifice, and service to 
protect the forests, grasslands, and communities of the United States, 
                        and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildland Firefighters Congressional 
Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Wildland fires have increased in intensity and severity 
        over the 30-year period preceding the date of enactment of this 
        Act, causing catastrophic destruction to homes, infrastructure, 
        and valuable Federal, State, and private lands. More than 
        1,000,000,000 acres of land across the United States are at 
        risk of wildfire, including approximately 117,000,000 acres of 
        Federal land that have been identified as high or very high 
        risk for wildfire potential.
            (2) The Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the 
        National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
        Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs collectively employ 
        more than 18,700 wildland firefighters to combat wildfires 
        across millions of acres of public and private lands each year, 
        while thousands more workers and volunteers serve as State, 
        local, and contract wildland firefighters.
            (3) As the wildland-urban interface expands, wildfires 
        increasingly find their way out of the backcountry and into the 
        backyards of communities across the United States. Wildland 
        firefighters are evolving their skillsets, tactics, and 
        strategies to address the growing threat of wildfire in the 
        21st century.
            (4) While the protection of life and property remains a top 
        priority, wildland firefighters also have an important role in 
        responsible forest management and conservation. Wildland 
        firefighters perform prescribed burns and other forest 
        management activities, including timber harvests, contribute to 
        healthy forests, and reduce catastrophic wildfire risk.
            (5) Each wildland firefighter is specialized and trained to 
        work in dynamic and extraordinarily dangerous environments. 
        Wildland firefighters routinely work long days while on a 2-
        week rotation, often sleeping in inhospitable conditions.
            (6) According to the Forest Service, firefighters generally 
        work 16-hour days while fighting a fire, and they typically 
        exceed 2,500 operational hours in a 6-month period.
            (7) Wildland firefighter crews are all-hazards frontline 
        emergency responders that use any means necessary to protect 
        life and property while responding to floods, hurricanes, 
        pandemics, and acts of terrorism.
            (8) Engine and hand crews, the primary firefighting 
        workforce, come in varying sizes and modules that can be 
        tailored to fit the specific needs and terrain obstacles that 
        each fire presents.
            (9) Interagency hotshot crews are highly skilled mobile 
        hand crews with elite knowledge about fire suppression tactics.
            (10) Pilots and aerial fire suppression crews take to the 
        skies with air tankers and helicopters to drop water and fire 
        retardant, supporting decision-makers on the ground.
            (11) Aerially-delivered firefighters, including helitack 
        crews and smokejumpers, exit helicopters and jump from planes 
        into remote and difficult-to-reach areas, providing quick and 
        targeted fire suppression and emergency medical short-haul 
        extraction. These fire personnel provide oversight and direct 
        action on initial and extended attack incidents.
            (12) Wildland firefighters in the United States also answer 
        the call to fight wildfires internationally. During the record-
        setting fires in Australia in 2020, the United States sent 362 
        firefighters to help. During Canada's historic 2023 fire 
        season, more than 2,000 Federal wildland firefighters answered 
        the call.
            (13) As of the date of enactment of this Act, the United 
        States maintains mutual assistance and cooperation agreements 
        for wildland firefighting efforts with Canada, Mexico, 
        Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal.
            (14) The increases in the severity of wildfires and in 
        annual fire season active months have also increased the demand 
        for wildland firefighters and associated employees. Recruitment 
        and retention of wildland firefighters has been a national 
        issue for many years.
            (15) Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to 
        keep the people of the United States safe, and some pay the 
        ultimate sacrifice to do so. In the 5-year period preceding the 
        date of enactment of this Act, 91 wildland firefighters have 
        lost their lives fighting fires. Acute and secondary effects 
        from wildfire, such as wildfire smoke exposure, are directly 
        linked to tens of thousands of firefighter and civilian deaths 
        each year.
            (16) June 30 to July 6 of each year is recognized as a Week 
        of Remembrance to honor the fallen wildland firefighters who 
        sacrificed their lives to protect the wildlands of the United 
        States.
            (17) National Wildland Firefighter Day is held annually on 
        July 2 to recognize all who are devoted to wildland 
        firefighting.
            (18) The exemplary efforts of wildland firefighters are 
        deserving of recognition, and it is appropriate and proper to 
        honor those who have previously served, as well as current and 
        future firefighters. Wildland firefighters showcase principles 
        of duty, respect, and integrity in every aspect of service. 
        Each firefighter exhibits strength, resiliency, and grit to 
        protect the forests, grasslands, and communities of the United 
        States. Wildland firefighters do not shy away from dangerous 
        situations, but instead risk life and limb to help others. The 
        outstanding accomplishments of these brave individuals continue 
        an unparalleled legacy of public service.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, 
of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of wildland 
firefighters, collectively, in recognition of their strength, 
resiliency, sacrifice, and service to protect the forests, grasslands, 
and communities of the United States.
    (b) Design and Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to 
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary, in consultation with the National Interagency Fire Center.
    (c) Disposition of Medal.--
            (1) In general.--Following the presentation of the gold 
        medal under subsection (a), the gold medal shall be given to 
        the National Interagency Fire Center, where the gold medal 
        shall be displayed, as appropriate, and made available for 
        research.
            (2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that 
        the National Interagency Fire Center should ensure that the 
        display and availability of the medal described in paragraph 
        (1) be at appropriate locations, particularly locations 
        associated with wildland firefighters.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

    The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
of the medals, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.
    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) Authority To Use Fund Amounts.--There is authorized to be 
charged against the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund such 
amounts as may be necessary to pay for the costs of the medals struck 
under this Act.
    (b) Proceeds of Sales.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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