,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,january #af1       
#bjbe,mr4 ,barrasso 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,sheehy1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 
,lummis1 ,mr4 ,warnock1 ,mr4 ,bennet1   
,ms4 ,klobuchar1 and ,mr4 ,crapo7       
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,banking1 ,housing1 and   
,urban ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to award a 
,congressional ,gold ,medal to wildland 
firefighters in recognition of their    
strength1 resiliency1 sacrifice1 and    
service to protect the forests1         
grasslands1 and communities of the      
,united ,states1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,wildland ,firefighters    
,congressional ,gold ,medal ,act4  #b4  
,findings ,congress finds the following3
 7#a7 ,wildland fires have increased in 
intensity and severity over the #cj-year
 period preceding the date of enactment 
of this ,act1 causing catastrophic      

destruction to homes1 infrastructure1   
and valuable ,federal1 ,state1 and      
private lands4 ,more than #a1jjj1jjj1jjj
 acres of land across the ,united       
,states are at risk of wildfire1        
including approximately #aag1jjj1jjj    
acres of ,federal land that have been   
identified as high or very high risk for
 wildfire potential4  7#b7 ,the ,forest 
,service1 the ,bureau of ,land          
,management1 the ,national ,park        
,service1 the ,united ,states ,fish and 
,wildlife ,service1 and the ,bureau of  
,indian ,affairs collectively employ    
more than #ah1gjj wildland firefighters 
to combat wildfires across millions of  
acres of public and private lands each  
year1 while thousands more workers and  
volunteers serve as ,state1 local1 and  
contract wildland firefighters4  7#c7   
,as the wildland-urban interface        
expands1 wildfires increasingly find    
their way out of the backcountry and    
into the backyards of communities across
 the ,united ,states4 ,wildland         

firefighters are evolving their         
skillsets1 tactics1 and strategies to   
address the growing threat of wildfire  
in the #bast century4  7#d7 ,while the  
protection of life and property remains 
a top priority1 wildland firefighters   
also have an important role in          
responsible forest management and       
conservation4 ,wildland firefighters    
perform prescribed burns and other      
forest management activities1 including 
timber harvests1 contribute to healthy  
forests1 and reduce catastrophic        
wildfire risk4  7#e7 ,each wildland     
firefighter is specialized and trained  
to work in dynamic and extraordinarily  
dangerous environments4 ,wildland       
firefighters routinely work long days   
while on a #b-week rotation1 often      
sleeping in inhospitable conditions4    
7#f7 ,according to the ,forest ,service1
 firefighters generally work #af-;hour  
days while fighting a fire1 and they    
typically exceed #b1ejj operational     
hours in a #f-month period4  7#g7       

,wildland firefighter crews are         
all-hazards frontline emergency         
responders that use any means necessary 
to protect life and property while      
responding to floods1 hurricanes1       
pandemics1 and acts of terrorism4  7#h7 
,engine and hand crews1 the primary     
firefighting workforce1 come in varying 
sizes and modules that can be tailored  
to fit the specific needs and terrain   
obstacles that each fire presents4  7#i7
 ,interagency hotshot crews are highly  
skilled mobile hand crews with elite    
knowledge about fire suppression        
tactics4  7#aj7 ,pilots and aerial fire 
suppression crews take to the skies with
 air tankers and helicopters to drop    
water and fire retardant1 supporting    
decision-makers on the ground4  7#aa7   
,aerially delivered firefighters1       
including helitack crews and            
smokejumpers1 exit helicopters and jump 
from planes into remote and             
difficult-to-reach areas1 providing     
quick and targeted fire suppression and 

emergency medical short-haul extraction4
 ,these fire personnel provide oversight
 and direct action on initial and       
extended attack incidents4  7#ab7       
,wildland firefighters in the ,united   
,states also answer the call to fight   
wildfires internationally4 ,during the  
record-setting fires in ,australia in   
#bjbj1 the ,united ,states sent #cfb    
firefighters to help4 ,during ,canada's 
historic #bjbc fire season1 more than   
#b1jjj ,federal wildland firefighters   
answered the call4  7#ac7 ,as of the    
date of enactment of this ,act1 the     
,united ,states maintains mutual        
assistance and cooperation agreements   
for wildland firefighting efforts with  
,canada1 ,mexico1 ,australia1 ,new      
,zealand1 and ,portugal4  7#ad7 ,the    
increases in the severity of wildfires  
and in annual fire season active months 
have also increased the demand for      
wildland firefighters and associated    
employees4 ,recruitment and retention of
 wildland firefighters has been a       

national issue for many years4  7#ae7   
,wildland firefighters put their lives  
on the line to keep the people of the   
,united ,states safe1 and some pay the  
ultimate sacrifice to do so4 ,between   
,january #a1 #bjai1 and ,january #a1    
#bjbe1 #ih wildland firefighters have   
lost their lives fighting fires4 ,acute 
and secondary effects from wildfire1    
such as wildfire smoke exposure1 are    
directly linked to tens of thousands of 
firefighter and civilian deaths each    
year4  7#af7 ,june #cj to ,july #f of   
each year is recognized as a ,week of   
,remembrance to honor the fallen        
wildland firefighters who sacrificed    
their lives to protect the wildlands of 
the ,united ,states4  7#ag7 ,national   
,wildland ,firefighter ,day is held     
annually on ,july #b to recognize all   
who are devoted to wildland             
firefighting4  7#ah7 ,the exemplary     
efforts of wildland firefighters are    
deserving of recognition1 and it is     
appropriate and proper to honor those   

who have previously served1 as well as  
current and future firefighters4        
,wildland firefighters showcase         
principles of duty1 respect1 and        
integrity in every aspect of service4   
,each firefighter exhibits strength1    
resiliency1 and grit to protect the     
forests1 grasslands1 and communities of 
the ,united ,states4 ,wildland          
firefighters do not shy away from       
dangerous situations1 but instead risk  
life and limb to help others4 ,the      
outstanding accomplishments of these    
brave individuals continue an           
unparalleled legacy of public service4  
#c4 ,congressional ,gold ,medal  7a7    
,presentation ,authorized ,the ,speaker 
of the ,house of ,representatives and   
the ,president pro tempore of the       
,senate shall make appropriate          
arrangements for the presentation1 on   
behalf of ,congress1 of a single gold   
medal of appropriate design in honor of 
wildland firefighters1 collectively1 in 
recognition of their strength1          

resiliency1 sacrifice1 and service to   
protect the forests1 grasslands1 and    
communities of the ,united ,states4  7b7
 ,design ,and ,striking ,for purposes of
 the presentation described in          
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of the   
,treasury 7referred to in this ,act as  
the ,secretary7 shall strike a gold     
medal with suitable emblems1 devices1   
and inscriptions1 to be determined by   
the ,secretary1 in consultation with the
 ,national ,interagency ,fire ,center4  
7c7 ,disposition of ,medal  7#a7 ,in    
,general ,following the presentation of 
the gold medal under subsection 7a71 the
 gold medal shall be given to the       
,national ,interagency ,fire ,center1   
where the gold medal shall be displayed1
 as appropriate1 and made available for 
research4  7#b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it 
is the sense of ,congress that the      
,national ,interagency ,fire ,center    
should ensure that the display and      
availability of the medal described in  
paragraph 7#a7 be at appropriate        

locations1 particularly locations       
associated with wildland firefighters4  
#d4 ,duplicate medals ,the ,secretary   
may strike and sell duplicates in bronze
 of the gold medal struck under section 
#c1 at a price sufficient to cover the  
costs thereof1 including labor1         
materials1 dies1 use of machinery1 and  
overhead expenses4  #e4 ,status of      
medals  7a7 ,national ,medals ,the      
medals struck under this ,act are       
national medals for purposes of chapter 
#ea of title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4
  7b7 ,numismatic ,items ,for purposes  
of sections #eacd and #eacf of title    
#ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 all medals  
struck under this ,act shall be         
considered to be numismatic items4  #f4 
,authority to use fund amounts2 proceeds
 of sale  7a7 ,authority ,to ,use ,fund 
,amounts ,there is authorized to be     
charged against the ,united ,states     
,mint ,public ,enterprise ,fund such    
amounts as may be necessary to pay for  
the costs of the medals struck under    

this ,act4  7b7 ,proceeds of ,sales     
,amounts received from the sale of      
duplicate bronze medals authorized under
 section #d shall be deposited into the 
,united ,states ,mint ,public           
,enterprise ,fund4