[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 57 (Thursday, March 26, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1672-S1673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mr. Sheehy):
  S. 4271. A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide rest 
and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting, 
and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the bipartisan 
Support Our Firefighters Act. This bill would ensure that our Federal 
wildland firefighters are given the rest, recuperation, and 
compensation they deserve after working around the clock when disaster 
strikes.
  We have all seen the devastation, destruction, and loss that has 
occurred in communities across the country as wildfires grow in 
frequency and intensity. Last year, we saw the Eaton and Palisades 
fires destroy thousands of structures and take 31 lives, making them 2 
of the worst fires in history.
  As a result of climate change, Californians have become all too 
familiar with wildfires. Containing them has proven to be a large 
undertaking that has required close local, State, and Federal 
coordination.
  Communities are able to make it through these horrific disasters 
thanks to the bravery and hard work of fire crews on the ground. During 
the LA

[[Page S1673]]

fires, firefighters from across the State, country, and even abroad 
answered our call for support, and it is thanks to their hard work and 
bravery that more structures, and most importantly more lives, were not 
lost.
  We owe it to these heroes to ensure they have the support and 
conditions they need to do their jobs safely and to ensure that they 
get fully paid for their courageous work. Specially, this legislation 
would provide 3 days of paid rest and recuperation leave after a 14-day 
period of work and 4 days of rest and recuperation following a 21-day 
period of work. It would also extend the waiver of overtime caps for 
wildland firefighters permanently.
  After these long periods of work, it is essential for our wildland 
firefighters to get the rest and recuperation they deserve. Mandating 
this time is an important first step to addressing the many mental and 
physical challenges our firefighters face as they operate under 
hazardous conditions.
  These emergency situations also necessitate our firefighters to work 
long hours, and given the yearly cap they face on total compensation, 
it sets up a situation where our heroes are sometimes required to go 
without pay. This is unacceptable, and we must end this arbitrary cap.
  I want to thank my colleague Senator Sheehy, for coleading this 
effort with me in the Senate. Finally, I want to thank our brave 
Federal firefighters for risking their lives to protect our communities 
when they need it the most. I look forward to working with my 
colleagues to advance the Support Our Firefighters Act as quickly as 
possible.
                                 ______