[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 26, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DAINES (for himself and Ms. Cantwell):
  S. 949. A bill to require the Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management to create a classification that more accurately reflects the 
vital role of wildland firefighters; to the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 949

       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 Firefighter 
     Recognition Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act--
       (1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office 
     of Personnel Management;
       (2) the term ``employee'' has the meaning given the term in 
     section 2105 of title 5, United States Code;
       (3) the term ``Federal land management agency'' means--
       (A) within the Department of the Interior--
       (i) the Bureau of Land Management;
       (ii) the Bureau of Indian Affairs;
       (iii) the National Park Service; and
       (iv) the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
       (B) within the Department of Agriculture, the Forest 
     Service;
       (4) the term ``wildland fire''--
       (A) means any non-structure fire that occurs in vegetation 
     or natural fuels; and
       (B) includes prescribed fire and wildfire; and
       (5) the term ``wildland firefighter'' means--
       (A) an employee of a Federal land management agency, the 
     duties of whose position are primarily to perform work 
     directly related to the prevention, control, suppression, or 
     management of wildland fires, including an employee of a 
     Federal land management agency who is assigned to support 
     wildland fire activities; and
       (B) an employee of a Federal land management agency who is 
     transferred to a supervisory or administrative position from 
     a position described in subparagraph (A).

     SEC. 3. CLASSIFICATION OF WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS.

       (a) Requirements.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Director, in cooperation with the 
     Federal land management agencies, shall commence development 
     of a distinct wildland firefighter occupational series that 
     more accurately reflects the variety of duties performed by 
     wildland firefighters.
       (2) Designation.--The official title assigned to any 
     occupational series established under paragraph (1) shall 
     include the designation of ``Wildland Firefighter''.
       (3) Positions described.--Paragraph (1) shall apply with 
     respect to any class or other category of positions that 
     consists primarily or exclusively of forestry technician 
     positions, range technician positions, or any other positions 
     the duties and responsibilities of which include--
       (A) significant prevention, preparedness, control, 
     suppression, or management activities for wildland fires; or
       (B) activities necessary to meet any other emergency 
     incident to which assigned.
       (4) Consultation.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     Director should consult with employee associations and any 
     other groups that represent wildland firefighters in carrying 
     out this subsection.
       (5) Implementation.--Not later than 2 years after the date 
     of enactment of this Act--
       (A) the Director shall complete the development of the 
     wildland firefighter occupational series required under 
     paragraph (1); and
       (B) the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of 
     Agriculture shall use the wildland firefighter occupational 
     series developed under paragraph (1) in the advertising and 
     hiring of a wildland firefighter.
       (b) Hazardous Duty Differential Not Affected.--Section 
     5545(d)(1) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``except'' and all that follows and inserting the 
     following: ``except--
       ``(A) an employee in an occupational series covering 
     positions for which the primary duties involve the 
     prevention, control, suppression, or management of wildland 
     fires, as determined by the Office; and
       ``(B) in such other circumstances as the Office may by 
     regulation prescribe; and''.
       (c) Current Employees.--Any individual employed as a 
     wildland firefighter on the date on which the occupational 
     series established under subsection (a) takes effect may 
     elect to--
       (1) remain in the occupational series in which the 
     individual is working; or
       (2) be included in the wildland firefighter occupational 
     series established under subsection (a).
                                 ______