,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cedd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #i1  
#bjaf ,mr4 ,daines introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,homeland
 ,security and ,governmental ,affairs   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #e1 ,united  
,states ,code1 to ensure that certain   
firefighters retain retirement benefits 
while injured or disabled1 and for other
 purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act
 may be cited as the ,wildland          
,firefighter ,retirement and ,disability
 ,compensation ,benefits ,act of #bjaf4 
#b4 ,civil service retention rights     
,section #haea of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended by striking   
subsection 7b7 and inserting the        
following3  7b7 ,regulations  7#a7      
,definitions ,in this subsection-- 7,a7 
the term covered employee means an      
employee who--  7i7 held a position with
 the ,forest ,service or the ,department
 of the ,interior as a wildland         

firefighter2 and  7ii7 sustained an     
injury while in the performance of duty1
 as determined by the ,director of the  
,office of ,personnel ,management1 that 
prevents the employee from performing   
the physical duties of a firefighter2   
7,b7 equivalent position includes a     
position for a covered employee that    
allows the covered employee to-- 7i7    
receive the same retirement benefits    
under subchapter ,,iii of chapter #hc or
 chapter #hd that the covered employee  
would receive in the former position had
 the covered employee not been injured  
or disabled2 and  7ii7 does not require 
the covered employee to complete any    
more years of service that the covered  
employee would be required to complete  
to receive the benefits described in    
clause 7i7 had the covered employee not 
been injured or disabled2 and  7,c7 the 
term firefighter has the meaning given  
the term in section #hcca4  7#b7        
,regulations ,under regulations issued  
by the ,office of ,personnel            

,management--  7,a7 the department or   
agency which was the last employer shall
 immediately and unconditionally accord 
the employee1 if the injury or          
disability has been overcome within #a  
year after the date of commencement of  
compensation or from the time           
compensable disability recurs if the    
recurrence begins after the injured     
employee resumes regular full-time      
employment with the ,united ,states1 the
 right to resume the former or an       
equivalent position of the employee1 as 
well as all other attendant rights which
 the employee would have had1 or        
acquired1 in the former position of the 
employee had the employee not been      
injured or disabled1 including the      
rights to tenure1 promotion1 and        
safeguards in reductions-in-force       
procedures2  7,b7 the department or     
agency which was the last employer      
shall1 if the injury or disability is   
overcome within a period of more than #a
 year after the date of commencement of 

compensation1 make all reasonable       
efforts to place1 and accord priority to
 placing1 the employee in the former or 
equivalent position of the employee     
within such department or agency1 or    
within any other department or agency2  
and  7,c7 a covered employee who was    
injured during the #bj-year period      
ending on the date of enactment of the  
,wildland ,firefighter ,retirement and  
,disability ,compensation ,benefits ,act
 of #bjaf may not receive the same      
retirement benefits described in        
paragraph 7#a77;,b77ii7 unless the      
covered employee first makes a payment  
to the ,forest ,service or the          
,department of the ,interior1 as        
applicable1 equal to the amount that    
would have been deducted from pay under 
section #hccd or #hddb1 as applicable1  
had the covered employee not been       
injured or disabled4  4  #c4            
,computation of pay  7a7 ,in general    
,section #haad of title #e1 ,united     
,states ,code1 is amended by striking   

subsection 7e7 and inserting the        
following3  7e7 ,overtime  7#a7         
,definitions ,in this subsection1 the   
term covered overtime pay means pay     
received by an employee who holds a     
position with the ,forest ,service or   
the ,department of the ,interior as a   
wildland firefighter while engaged in   
wildland fire suppression activity4     
7#b7 ,overtime ,the value of subsistence
 and quarters1 and of any other form of 
remuneration in kind for services if its
 value can be estimated in money1 and   
covered overtime pay and premium pay    
under section #eede7;c77#a7 of this     
title are included as part of the pay1  
but account is not taken of--  7,a7     
overtime pay2  7,b7 additional pay or   
allowance authorized outside the ,united
 ,states because of differential in cost
 of living or other special             
circumstances2 or  7,c7 bonus or premium
 pay for extraordinary service including
 bonus or pay for particularly hazardous
 service in time of war4  4  7b7        

,effective date ,the amendment made by  
subsection 7a7 shall take effect on     
,october #a1 #bjaf4