Tim’s Act
Key claim: Tim’s Act proposes to increase pay, establish premium pay, expand benefits (housing, tuition, mental health), and improve workers’ compensation for federal wildland firefighters employed by USDA, Interior, or tribal governments.
Abstract
(HR743 · 119th Congress) Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act or Tim’s Act This bill increases compensation and establishes additional benefits and programs for federal wildland firefighters. (These individuals are employed by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, or tribal governments.) The bill increases the minimum rate of basic pay for wildland firefighters at General Schedule (GS) levels 1 through 15 by percentages specified in the bill, with smaller increases for higher GS levels. The bill also requires comparable increases to the hourly rates paid to prevailing rate employees who are wildland firefighters. It also establishes premium pay for wildland firefighters who respond to certain prolonged fire incidents and are deployed outside of their normal duty stations or to an area adjacent to the incident. These changes take effect after other temporary pay increases for wildland firefighters expire. The bill also (1) establishes paid rest and recuperation leave; (2) allows certain prior service to be credited for retirement purposes; and (3) provides housing allowances, tuition assistance, and other benefits for wildland firefighters. Further, the bill directs the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs within the Department of Labor to ensure that psychological stress-related injuries and illnesses correlated to fire response are compensated and to expedite related claims. The bill also establishes programs to (1) assist the next-of-kin of wildland firefighters and fire support personnel who are critically injured or killed while in the line of duty, and (2) support the mental and physical health of wildland firefighters. Latest action (2025-03-07): Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
Why this matters
Federal wildland firefighters are largely employed by USDA’s Forest Service, making their compensation structure a core rural workforce and public-lands management issue. Chronic pay and retention problems have been linked to reduced fire response capacity, which affects rural communities, agricultural lands, and timber resources. Tim’s Act would reshape the cost structure and staffing pipeline for federal fire operations if enacted.