H.R. 9444House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Support our Firefighters Act

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting, and for other purposes.

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 1, 2026 at 6:12 AM UTC

The Support our Firefighters Act adds a new federal benefit that gives paid rest‑and‑recuperation (R&R) leave to employees who fight wildland fires for the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior. It also lets the Agriculture and Interior secretaries set uniform rules for how that leave works, moves up to $5 million of unused fire‑management money to keep firefighter salary increases funded, and extends the overtime‑pay waiver for wildland firefighters beyond 2024.

Key Provisions

Creates a new section (6329e) in Title 5 that defines a “covered employee” as a Forest Service or DOI worker who is a qualified wildland firefighter or certified to perform fire‑incident duties.
Allows covered employees to receive paid R&R leave right after a qualifying fire incident, with the secretaries setting policies on maximum deployment periods and required rest days (e.g., 3 days after 14 days of deployment, 4 days after 21 days).
Specifies that R&R leave is paid like annual leave, must be used immediately, cannot be saved for later, and unused leave is not paid out.
Provides the same R&R benefits to employees on intermittent work schedules, treating them as if they had taken the leave.
Authorizes the transfer of up to $5 million of unused USDA wildland‑fire funds to the Interior Department to maintain uninterrupted firefighter base‑salary increases and related premium pay.
Amends the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act to extend the waiver of overtime caps for wildland firefighters to any future calendar year.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

June 24, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 24, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

June 24, 2026

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 9444 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Kelly MorrisonD-MN-3 · Sep 18, 2025

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to read a letter from more than 20 survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. I implore my colleagues and all Americans to listen to their words. Dear Members of…

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to read a letter from more than 20 survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. I implore my colleagues and all Americans to listen to their words.

Dear Members of the Republican Women's Caucus:

We write to you today with urgency, respect, and hope.

Strong American women are serving in the House of

Representatives, and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and

Ghislaine Maxwell's abuse need you to stand with them.

It is difficult to articulate the appreciation that we have

for each member of the Democratic Women's Caucus who took the

time to meet with us on September 3, 2025. Because of the

intrepid leadership of Chairwoman Teresa Leger Fernandez and

the Congresswomen who gathered together to support us, we

left the Capitol with dignity and resolve. We are likewise

eternally grateful to Congresswomen Marjorie Taylor Greene,

Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace, as well as to Congressman

Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, for taking bold steps to help us

in our quest for justice. While we are at a loss for how

supporting survivors or transparency could ever be seen as a

``hostile act,'' what you are doing is not only right, it is

necessary. This is not a partisan issue. It is a human issue.

Jeffrey Epstein abused hundreds of women. The United States

Government itself held evidence that he had sexually abused

40 children. Some of us are those children. Any other

American man would have been imprisoned for life, yet Epstein

was not. Instead, he was shielded by a nonprosecution

agreement that blatantly violated the rights of children, and

he was set free to continue abusing women in this country for

another 9 years before his death.

Our government conspired with him and, in doing so, failed

to protect hundreds of girls who would never have been harmed

had our government simply done its job.

Those children are now grown women. We stand together in

pain and resilience, and we are asking for your help. We have

a right to feel safe in this country. We have a right to know

why a serial sexual predator was treated with more humanity

than we have ever experienced from our own government.

You now have the chance to be on the right side of history.

Unlike past administrations, you are uniquely positioned to

tell us that our voices matter and that we have finally been

heard. Some of us live in your districts. We look to you to

represent us. We deserve for you to represent us.

We implore you to stop protecting those who enabled

Epstein's crimes and instead stand firm in protecting the

women and children he harmed. Stand up against abuse of

power. Take action to end the silence and speculation

surrounding this criminal. There should be equal protection

under the laws in the United States of America. This is one

country, not two. The rich and powerful should answer for

their crimes the same way that everyone else does. And when

they don't, we deserve to know why.

Ghislaine Maxwell was tried by a jury of her peers for the

crimes that she committed, and she was convicted. That is how

the American justice system works. The idea of a pardon is

beyond the comprehension of the victims who mustered the

courage to testify against her and should be beyond the

comprehension of the American people. No one should live

above the law. Ghislaine Maxwell is certainly no exception.

You may be wondering how you can help us in this fight. At

least we hope that you are. As American women, please hear

our voices, for yourselves, for your daughters, for women,

and for the future of our country.

First, we ask that you vote in favor of the Epstein

transparency act and that you help us ensure with its passing

that the identities of survivors are protected and the

identities of the perpetrators or enablers are not. Remind us

that America is the country that we thought it was when we

were little girls, before we were let down repeatedly by our

own government.

Second, start with H.R. 9444 and rewrite the Crime Victims'

Rights Act, as codified in 18 United States Code section 3771

to protect future generations of Americans.

Third, extend the same opportunity that the Democratic

Women's Caucus did and invite us to meet with you so that we

can try to convince you that we matter. We will come back to

Washington. We will tell you why we matter. We will tell you

why this matters.

We are not a ``hoax.'' We are mothers, daughters, sisters,

friends, and wives. We are America. We have sought justice

for decades to no avail. We have been denied the basic rights

that should be afforded to every American citizen time and

time again. The fact that it took this long for anyone to

care about us is a true American tragedy. Please stand with

us, help us uncover the truth, and give us the respect and

justice that we deserve. We deserve to put this chapter

behind us. Americans deserve to move forward knowing that

they have rights in this country that will be enforced even

in the face of power; in fact, especially in the face of

power.

With hope and resolve.

Signed by more than 20 survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 24, 2026

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 9444

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 24, 2026

Mr. Panetta (for himself, Mr. Bresnahan, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Bergman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend title 5, United States Code, to provide rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Support our Firefighters Act.

Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting

(a)

In general

Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

6329e.

Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting

(a)

Definitions

In this section—

(1)

the term applicable Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable to a covered employee;

(2)

the term covered employee means an employee of the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior who—

(A)

qualifies as a wildland firefighter based on the definitions of the terms firefighter and wildland firefighter in section 5332a(a) (applying the definition of employee in section 6301(2) in lieu of the definition of employee in section 5331(a)); or

(B)

is certified by the applicable Secretary to perform wildland fire incident-related duties during the period the employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident; and

(3)

the term qualifying incident has the meaning given the term in section 5545c(a).

(b)

Rest and recuperation leave

(1)

In general

A covered employee may receive paid rest and recuperation leave following the completion of service in which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, subject to the policies prescribed under this subsection.

(2)

Prescription of policies

The Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall, in the sole and exclusive discretion of the Secretaries acting jointly, prescribe uniform policies described in paragraph (1) after consulting with the other applicable Secretary.

(3)

Content of policies

The policies prescribed under paragraph (2) may include—

(A)

a maximum period of days in which a covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, which shall—

(i)

begin on the date on which the covered employee departs from the official duty station of the covered employee and end on the date on which the covered employee returns to the official duty station of the covered employee; and

(ii)

be followed by a minimum number of days of rest and recuperation for the covered employee;

(B)

a requirement to use 3 days of rest and recuperation leave after a 14-day period during which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, excluding travel to and from assignments; or

(C)

a requirement to use 4 days of rest and recuperation leave after a 21-day period during which the covered employee is deployed to respond to a qualifying incident, including travel to and from assignments.

(c)

Use of leave

(1)

In general

Rest and recuperation leave granted under this section—

(A)

shall be used during scheduled hours within the tour of duty of the applicable covered employee established for leave-charging purposes;

(B)

shall be paid in the same manner as annual leave;

(C)

shall be used immediately after a qualifying incident; and

(D)

may not be set aside for later use.

(2)

No payment

A covered employee may not receive any payment for unused rest and recuperation leave granted under this section.

(d)

Intermittent work schedule

A covered employee with an intermittent work schedule—

(1)

shall be excused from duty during the same period of time that other covered employees in the same circumstances are entitled to rest and recuperation leave; and

(2)

shall receive a payment as if the covered employee were entitled to rest and recuperation leave under subsection (b).

(b)

Technical and conforming amendment

The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6329d the following:

6329e. Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting.

Transfer authority

Notwithstanding section 40803(c)(2) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(2)), not more than $5,000,000 of the unobligated balances of amounts made available under the heading Wildland Fire Management under the heading Forest Service under the heading Department of Agriculture in title VI of division J of that Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1410) pursuant to section 40803(c)(2)(B) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(2)(B)) may, as necessary to continue uninterrupted the Federal wildland firefighter base salary increase described in section 40803(d)(4)(B) of that Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(d)(4)(B)), including premium pay authorized under section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) (as amended by this Act), be transferred to and merged with the amounts made available under the heading Wildland Fire Management under the heading Department-Wide programs under the heading Department of the Interior in title VI of division J of that Act (Public Law 117–58; 135 Stat. 1393).

Waiver of overtime caps for wildland firefighters

Section 1701 of the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (5 U.S.C. 5547 note) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)(1)—

(A)

in the first sentence, by striking or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting or any calendar year thereafter; and

(B)

in the second sentence—

(i)

by striking Services and inserting services; and

(ii)

by striking subsection and inserting subsection.;

(2)

in subsection (b), by striking 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting the applicable calendar year; and

(3)

in subsection (c), by striking 2021 or 2022 or 2023 or 2024 and inserting the applicable calendar year.