H.R. 5091: To amend section 5545 of title 5, United States Code, to provide hazard pay for carrying out prescribed burns, and for other purposes.

This bill, designated as H.R. 5091, aims to amend title 5 of the United States Code concerning the provision of hazard pay for certain firefighters involved in prescribed burns. Here are the key points of the bill:

Recognition of Risks

The bill starts by stating that the control and suppression of prescribed fires is a vital component of fire preparedness and land management. It acknowledges that firefighters who work on these controlled burns face significant risks, comparable to those encountered in suppressing wildfires, and therefore should receive hazard pay. This also applies to smokejumpers, who are firefighters that parachute into fire areas, performing dangerous work that justifies additional compensation.

Amendments to Hazard Pay Regulations

The bill proposes the following changes to the existing laws regarding hazard pay:

• Definition of Hazardous Duties: It specifically states that duties related to the ignition, control, or suppression of prescribed burns, as well as parachute jumps performed by smokejumpers, are to be recognized as involving unusual physical hardship or hazard. Consequently, these duties would qualify for a salary differential that is equivalent to what is received by firefighters directly involved in fighting forest and range fires.
• Definition of Prescribed Burns: The bill defines a "prescribed burn" as the intentional application of fire to vegetation or landscapes for land or resource management purposes.

Implementation Timeline

The Director of the Office of Personnel Management is required to issue regulations necessary to enforce these amendments within 90 days following the bill's enactment. The new regulations will apply to pay periods starting after either:

• The date on which the necessary regulations are issued;
• Or 90 days after the enactment of the bill, whichever comes first.

Exclusions in Interpretation

The bill includes a clause clarifying that these amendments should not be interpreted as changing any existing definitions or determinations related to pay differentials for hazardous duties, except as necessary to ensure compliance with the newly defined hazardous duties mentioned above.

Relevant Companies

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