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Higher Pay for Wildland Firefighters: Lifting Federal Salary Caps.

This law aims to increase compensation for federal wildland firefighters and incident meteorologists. It allows most overtime and hazard pay earned during emergency wildfire suppression to be excluded from standard annual federal salary caps. This change enables these critical personnel to earn significantly more for their dangerous and demanding service, improving recruitment and retention necessary for public safety and environmental protection.
Key points
Premium pay (overtime, hazard pay) for wildland firefighters will be disregarded when calculating the standard annual federal pay limit.
A new, higher aggregate pay limit (basic pay plus premium pay) is established, capped at the rate for Level II of the Executive Schedule.
The changes apply to employees of the Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and National Weather Service involved in active wildfire suppression.
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Additional Information
Print number: 118_S_3221
Sponsor: Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA]
Process start date: 2023-11-02
Lustra uses Artificial Intelligence. Verify details in source documents.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025
Source data: api.congress.gov
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OFFICIAL LEGAL TITLE

Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is 118_S_3221.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2023-11-02.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • Premium pay (overtime, hazard pay) for wildland firefighters will be disregarded when calculating the standard annual federal pay limit.
  • A new, higher aggregate pay limit (basic pay plus premium pay) is established, capped at the rate for Level II of the Executive Schedule.
  • The changes apply to employees of the Forest Service, Department of the Interior, and National Weather Service involved in active wildfire suppression.
What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-26.

CATEGORIES

Labor Environment