H.R. 4671: Ensuring Casualty Assistance for our Firefighters Act

This bill, named the Ensuring Casualty Assistance for our Firefighters Act, aims to create a government program dedicated to providing support to the families of firefighters and wildland fire support personnel who become critically injured or killed while on duty. The key points of this legislation are as follows:

Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program

The bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish a program within six months of its enactment. This program will provide various forms of assistance to the next-of-kin of:

• Firefighters who suffer illness or are critically injured or killed while performing their duties.
• Wildland fire support personnel who are critically injured or killed while on duty.

Key Aspects of the Program

The program will address a range of services, which include:

• Notification: Initial and subsequent notifications to the next-of-kin of an injured or deceased firefighter or support personnel.
• Travel Reimbursement: Covering expenses for family members traveling to visit injured personnel or attend to the affairs of the deceased.
• Qualifications for Assistance Officers: Outlining the roles, training, and supervision of officers responsible for providing assistance.
• Relief Transfer for Officers: Managing the transfer of casualty assistance officers and their duties concerning survivors.
• Case Management: Providing centralized procedures for both short-term and long-term case management, allowing survivors access to expert help.
• Information Access: Offering personalized information on federal benefits and assistance available to survivors through a user-friendly website at no cost.
• Complaint Mechanisms: Establishing processes for survivors to lodge complaints or request additional assistance.
• Inter-Agency Liaison: Ensuring coordination with various federal departments to resolve issues related to benefits for survivors effectively.
• Data Collection: Gathering data in collaboration with the United States Fire Administration and other organizations to assess the quality of casualty assistance.

Line of Duty Death Benefits

The proposed program will not alter existing benefits provided to federal firefighters and wildland fire support personnel who die in the line of duty.

Definition of Next-of-Kin

The term "next-of-kin" is defined in the bill to ensure clarity regarding who will receive assistance. The priority order is:

1. Surviving legal spouse.
2. Children aged 18 and older, in order of age.
3. Father or mother, unless custody has been granted to another.
4. Siblings aged 18 and older, in order of age.
5. Grandparents.
6. Any other relative, determined by state law at the time of death.

Relevant Companies

None found.