,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hgbd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #b1        
#bjbj,mr4 ,rush 7for himself and ,mr4   
,norman7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,oversight and ,reform  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1  
to establish ,first ,responders ,day as 
a ,federal holiday1 and for other       
purposes4  #a4 ,short title2 findings   
7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,first ,responders ,day ,act4   
7b7 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3 7#a7 ,during times of        
national crisis1 first responders have  
consistently been a source of aid1 hope1
 and comfort for all ,americans4  7#b7  
,the ,national ,fire ,protection        
,association estimates that there are   
#a1aej1jjj either career or volunteer   
firefighters in the ,united ,states4    
7#c7 ,the ,centers for ,disease ,control
 and ,prevention 7,,cdc7 estimate that  
there were #bdj1hjj full-time ,emergency

 ,management ,services 7,,ems7 workers  
as of #bjah1 including paramedics and   
emergency medical technicians4  7#d7    
,according to the ,federal ,bureau of   
,investigation's ,criminal ,justice     
,information ,services division1 there  
were #fgj1bgi law enforcement officers  
in the ,united ,states as of #bjag4     
7#e7 #ddf firefighters1 paramedics1 and 
police officers were killed while       
selflessly attempting to save others on 
,september #aa1 #bjja4  7#f7 ,as of     
,september #bjbj1 #bbg members of the   
,fire ,department of the city of ,new   
,york have lost their lives due to      
illnesses related to their heroic work  
at ,ground ,zero during or in the wake  
of the ,september #aa1 #bjja1 terrorist 
attacks4  7#g7 ,according to ,,cbs #b   
,new ,york1 two-thirds of ,ground ,zero 
first responders have at least one      
certified health condition in connection
 to their service4  7#h7 ,since #bjaj1  
there have been #fgj firefighter deaths 
in the line of duty1 according to the   

,national ,fire ,protection             
,association4  7#i7 ,research from the  
,,cdc in #bjag found a #ad percent      
higher rate of deaths from cancer for   
firefighters in comparison to the       
general population4  7#aj7 ,the exposure
 to traumatic events in the line of duty
 has led to an estimated #ae percent of 
police officers experiencing            
post-traumatic stress disorder1         
according to the ,united ,states        
,department of ,justice's ,office of    
,community ,policing ,service's         
newsletter1 ,the ,dispatch4  7#aa7 ,a   
#bjah survey of #g1jjj firefighters in  
,new ,york and ,california found that   
#ai percent had experienced suicidal    
thoughts1 and #fe percent are haunted by
 traumatic situations in the line of    
duty1 highlighting the emotional toll of
 these essential and lifesaving jobs4   
7#ab7 ,firefighters have been bravely   
battling the fatal and destructive      
wildfires in the ,western ,states1 which
 have killed dozens of people1 burned   

over #c1bjj1jjj acres of land1 and      
destroyed #d1bjj structures in          
,california in #bjbj alone4  7#ac7 ,the 
over #af1jjj firefighters working to    
contain the #bh major fires in          
,california have been on the front lines
 of this crisis1 working around the     
clock to salvage any lives1 land1 and   
property that they can4  7#ad7          
,firefighters have battled physical and 
emotional exhaustion1 and in some       
instances given their lives1 while      
combating the destructive wildfires on  
the ,west ,coast4  7#ae7 ,the mental    
burden carried by police officers and   
firefighters is somberly demonstrated by
 the statistic that1 in #bjag1 there    
were more firefighter and police officer
 deaths by suicide than in the line of  
duty1 according to the ,ruderman ,family
 ,foundation4  7#af7 ,as of ,september  
#bjbj1 there have been at least #ajj    
confirmed police officer deaths as a    
result of contracting ,,covid-#ai in the
 line of duty1 according to the ,officer

 ,down ,memorial ,page4  7#ag7 ,,ems    
workers provide critical and lifesaving 
care1 often at great risk to themselves4
  7#ah7 ,the ,,cdc notes that ,,ems     
workers are at risk for physical injury 
and exposure to blood and harmful bodily
 fluids4  7#ai7 ,the ,,cdc estimates    
that #ba1bjj ,,ems were treated in      
emergency rooms for work-related        
illnesses and injuries in #bjag4  7#bj7 
,the serious dangers faced by ,,ems     
workers during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic 
are highlighted by the #cf reported     
,,ems worker deaths from ,,covid-#ai as 
of ,september #ag1 #bjbj1 according to  
,,ems#a1 an online resource for ,e,m,ts 
and ,paramedics4  7#ba7 ,it is the sense
 of ,congress that the sacrifices made  
by first responders and frontline       
workers warrants the designation of     
making ,october #bhth a national holiday
 entitled ,first ,responders ,day4  #b4 
,first ,responders ,day ,section        
#fajc7;a7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code1 is amended by inserting after the

 item relating to ,columbus ,day1 the   
following3  ,first ,responders ,day4  4