,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bebe  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ai1
 #bjai,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself and   
,mr4 ,gardner7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to require the ,director of the      
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology to conduct a study of       
personal protective equipment worn by   
firefighters to determine the prevalence
 and concentration of per- and          
polyfluoroalkyl substances1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,guaranteeing  
,equipment ,safety for ,firefighters    
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,national ,institute
 of ,standards and ,technology study on 
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in  
personal protective equipment worn by   
firefighters  7a7 ,in general ,not later
 than #ij days after the enactment of   
this ,act1 the ,director of the         

,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology shall1 in consultation with 
the ,director of the ,national          
,institute for ,occupational ,safety and
 ,health1 commence a study of the       
contents and composition of new and     
unused personal protective equipment    
worn by firefighters4  7b7 ,contents of 
study ,in carrying out the study        
required by subsection 7a71 the         
,director of the ,national ,institute of
 ,standards and ,technology shall       
examine--  7#a7 the identity1           
prevalence1 and concentration of per-   
and polyfluoroalkyl substances 7commonly
 known as ,,pfas7 in the personal       
protective equipment worn by            
firefighters2  7#b7 the conditions and  
extent to which per- and polyfluoroalkyl
 substances are released into the       
environment over time from the          
degradation of personal protective      
equipment from normal use by            
firefighters2 and  7#c7 the relative    
risk of exposure to per- and            

polyfluoroalkyl substances faced by     
firefighters from-- 7,a7 their use of   
personal protective equipment2 and  7,b7
 degradation of personal protective     
equipment from normal use by            
firefighters4  7c7 ,report ,not later   
than #a year after the date of the      
enactment of this ,act1 the ,director   
shall submit to ,congress a report      
describing--  7#a7 the findings of the  
,director with respect to the study     
carried out under subsection 7a72 and   
7#b7 recommendations on what additional 
research or technical improvements to   
personal protective equipment materials 
or components should be pursued to avoid
 unnecessary occupational exposure among
 firefighters to per- and               
polyfluoroalkyl substances through      
personal protective equipment4  #c4     
,research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl   
substances in personal protective       
equipment worn by firefighters  7a7 ,in 
general ,not later than #edj days after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 

the ,director of the ,national          
,institute of ,standards and ,technology
 shall--  7#a7 issue a solicitation for 
research proposals to carry out the     
research recommendations identified in  
the report submitted under section      
#b7;c72 and  7#b7 award grants to       
applicants that submit research         
proposals to develop safe alternatives  
to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  
in personal protective equipment4  7b7  
,criteria ,the ,director shall select   
research proposals to receive a grant   
under subsection 7a7 on the basis of    
merit1 using criteria identified by the 
,director1 including the likelihood that
 the research results will address the  
findings of the ,director with respect  
to the study conducted under section    
#b7;a74  7c7 ,eligible entities ,any    
entity or group of #b or more entities  
may submit to the ,director a research  
proposal in response to the solicitation
 for research proposals under subsection
 7a71 including--  7#a7 ,state and local

 agencies2  7#b7 public institutions1   
including public institutions of higher 
education2  7#c7 private corporations2  
and  7#d7 nonprofit organizations4  7d7 
,funding  7#a7 ,requests ,beginning in  
the first full fiscal year following the
 date of the enactment of this ,act1 and
 not less frequently than once each year
 thereafter for #b years1 the ,director 
may request such funding as the         
,director considers necessary to carry  
out this section4  7#b7 ,limitation ,in 
carrying out this section1 the ,director
 may not expend or obligate more than   
#e1jjj1jjj in any #a fiscal year4  #d4  
,authority for ,director of the         
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology to consult with experts on  
matters relating to per- and            
polyfluoroalkyl substances ,in carrying 
out this ,act1 the ,director of the     
,national ,institute of ,standards and  
,technology may consult with ,federal   
agencies1 nongovernmental organizations1
 ,state and local governments1 and      

science and research institutions       
determined by the ,director to have     
scientific or material interest in      
reducing unnecessary occupational       
exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl    
substances by firefighters4