,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #afbh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,october #ca1  
#bjac,mr4 ,merkley introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to provide      
,federal death and disability benefits  
for contractors who serve as            
firefighters of the ,forest ,service1   
,department of the ,interior agencies1  
or any ,state or local entity4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,fallen ,wildland ,firefighters     
,fair ,compensation ,act of #bjac4  #b4 
,death and disability benefits for      
contracted firefighters of the ,forest  
,service1 ,department of the ,interior  
agencies1 or any ,state or local entity 
7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,aerial and ground crew 
firefighters used to fight wildfires    
often work on a contract basis with a   
,state1 local1 or ,federal agency and1  
as a result1 are not eligible for death 

or disability benefits should they be   
killed or injured in the line of duty4  
7#b7 ,employer death benefits and life  
insurance for exclusive-use firefighters
 are expensive1 and the families of     
these heroes have to cope not only with 
the loss of a loved one1 but also the   
additional financial loss of a wage     
earner4  7#c7 ,it is vital that         
,congress continue to encourage the     
recruitment and retention of brave1     
skilled firefighters4  7b7 ,eligibility 
for death and disability benefits       
,section #cjh of the ,federal ,land     
,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf   
7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agch7 is amended by     
adding at the end the following3  7c7   
,eligibility of contracted firefighters 
for death and disability benefits  7#a7 
,eligibility ,an individual shall be    
eligible for a death or disability      
benefit under section #abja of the      
,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe      
,streets ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#cgif7 if such individual-- 7,a7 serves 

a public agency specified in paragraph  
7#b7 as a contractor or subcontractor of
 such a public agency1 in an official   
capacity1 with or without compensation2 
7,b7 performs under an exclusive use1   
call when needed1 or equipment rental   
agreement contract with the public      
agency2 and  7,c7 directly performs fire
 suppression activities as a member of  
an aerial or ground-based firefighting  
crew or equipment operator in the direct
 fire suppression1 or en route to or    
return from such direct fire suppression
 activity4  7#b7 ,covered public        
agencies ,subsection 7a7 applies with   
respect to the ,forest ,service1 any    
agency of the ,department of the        
,interior1 and any ,state and local     
firefighting entity4  7#c7              
,applicability ,this subsection shall   
apply with respect to death or injuries 
occurring on or after ,january #a1      
#aihe4 ,the amount of the benefit paid  
shall be the eligible amount under      
section #abja of the ,omnibus ,crime    

,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of     
#aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cgif7 at the time 
of death or injury4  4  #c4 ,eligibility
 of firefighters for public safety      
officer death benefits  7a7 ,in general 
,paragraph 7#i7 of section #abjd of the 
,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe      
,streets ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#cgif;b7 is amended-- 7#a7 in           
subparagraph 7,c7 by striking or at the 
end2  7#b7 in subparagraph 7,d7 by      
striking the period at the end and      
inserting 2 or2 and  7#c7 by adding at  
the end the following new subparagraph3 
7,e7 an individual performing under     
exclusive use1 call when needed1 or     
equipment rental agreement contract with
 the ,forest ,service1 any agency of the
 ,department of the ,interior1 or any   
,state or local firefighting entity in  
direct performance of fire suppression  
activities as an aerial or ground-based 
member of a firefighting crew or        
equipment operator in the direct fire   
suppression1 or en route to or return   

from such direct fire suppression       
activity4  4  7b7 ,applicability ,the   
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
apply with respect to death or injuries 
occurring on or after ,january #a1      
#aihe4 ,the amount of the benefit paid  
shall be the eligible amount under      
section #abja of the ,omnibus ,crime    
,control and ,safe ,streets ,act of     
#aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cgif7 at the time 
of death or injury4