[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3105-S3106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 5966. Mr. SCHIFF submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:

     SEC. 1___. SAFETY STANDARDS FOR WILDLAND FIREFIGHTERS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Covered permissible exposure limits.--The term 
     ``covered permissible exposure limits'' means--
       (A) the permissible smoke exposure limit established by the 
     National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health; and
       (B) the permissible occupational smoke exposure limit 
     established by the Occupational Health and Safety 
     Administration.
       (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
     Service.

[[Page S3106]]

       (3) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
     means--
       (A) the Secretary, with respect to wildland firefighters 
     under the direction of the Secretary;
       (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to wildland 
     firefighters under the direction of the Secretary of the 
     Interior; and
       (C) the Secretary of Defense, with respect to wildland 
     firefighters under the direction of the Secretary of Defense.
       (4) Wildland firefighter.--The term ``wildland 
     firefighter'' means any person who participates in wildland 
     firefighting activities under the direction of the Secretary, 
     the Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary of Defense, 
     including under a contract with the Secretary, the Secretary 
     of the Interior, or the Secretary of Defense.
       (b) Safety Standards.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2)--
       (A) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
     this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the National 
     Wildfire Coordinating Group, the Secretary of the Interior, 
     and other appropriate Federal agencies, shall develop a 
     strategy to make commercially available appropriate 
     respiratory personal protective equipment for wildland 
     firefighters and supporting staff in settings in which smoke 
     exposure surpasses covered permissible exposure limits;
       (B) the Secretary, in consultation with the National 
     Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the 
     Occupational Safety and Health Administration, shall 
     determine appropriate respiratory personal protective 
     equipment for wildland firefighters and supporting staff in 
     settings in which smoke exposure surpasses covered 
     permissible exposure limits; and
       (C) the Secretary concerned shall require each wildland 
     firefighter and supporting staff to use the respiratory 
     personal protective equipment determined under subparagraph 
     (B) in settings in which smoke exposure surpasses covered 
     permissible exposure limits.
       (2) Review.--The Secretary shall--
       (A) in consultation with the National Institute for 
     Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety 
     and Health Administration--
       (i) periodically review standards relating to personal 
     protective equipment and other safety standards for wildland 
     firefighters and supporting staff, including the respiratory 
     personal protective equipment determined under paragraph 
     (1)(B); and
       (ii) develop an appropriate permissible exposure limit or 
     occupational exposure limit for wildfire smoke for wildland 
     firefighters and supporting staff participating in settings 
     described in paragraph (1)(A) if the Secretary determines 
     that the covered permissible exposure limits are not tailored 
     to those settings; and
       (B) incorporate into the standards described in 
     subparagraph (A)(i), by reference, the most recent edition of 
     standard NFPA 1984, entitled ``Standard on Respirators for 
     Wildland Fire-Fighting and Wildland Urban Interface 
     Operations'' (and any subsequent editions), as necessary, for 
     the safety and personal protection of wildland firefighters 
     and supporting staff, subject to the limit described in 
     subsection (a)(1)(A).
       (3) Applicability.--The standards described in paragraph 
     (2)(A)(i) shall apply--
       (A) on Department of Defense installations; and
       (B) in cases in which Department of Defense personnel 
     provide mutual aid assistance.
       (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are 
     necessary to carry out this section for each fiscal year.
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