Tim's Act is a comprehensive reform package designed to significantly improve pay, benefits, and support for federal wildland firefighters who work for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. The bill recognizes that these firefighters have been underpaid compared to other federal employees and tackles this through several major changes.

The core of the bill increases base pay for wildland firefighters across all salary grades, with bigger raises for lower-paid positions—entry-level firefighters get a 42% raise while higher-grade positions get smaller increases. The bill also creates a new premium pay system that gives firefighters an extra payment (up to $9,000 per year) when they're deployed to fight major wildfires or work in high-risk fire conditions. Additionally, wildland firefighters now get paid rest and recuperation leave after completing dangerous fire assignments, and they're entitled to seven days of mental health leave per year without losing pay.

Beyond pay, the bill establishes new support programs including mental health services specifically designed for wildland firefighters and their families, a tuition assistance program offering at least $4,000 annually for education, and housing allowances when firefighters are deployed far from home. The bill also creates a casualty assistance program to help firefighters and their families when someone is injured or killed on the job. For retirement purposes, the bill allows firefighters to count certain past service toward their pensions and makes it easier for those with service-related illnesses to qualify for disability benefits. Finally, the bill requires the government to track occupational health issues like cancer and heart disease among wildland firefighters and to ensure their pay stays competitive with inflation and with other types of federal firefighters.

Tim’s Act

Bennet, Michael F.

Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act or Tim's ActThis bill increases compensation and establishes additional benefits and programs for federal wildland firefighters. (These individuals are employed by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, or tribal governments.)&nbsp;The bill increases the minimum rate of basic pay for wildland firefighters at General Schedule (GS) levels 1 through 15 by percentages specified in the bill, with smaller increases for higher GS levels. The bill also requires comparable increases to the hourly rates paid to prevailing rate employees who are wildland firefighters. It also establishes premium pay for wildland firefighters who respond to certain prolonged fire incidents and are deployed outside of their normal duty stations or to an area adjacent to the incident. These changes take effect after other temporary pay increases for wildland firefighters expire.The bill also (1) establishes paid rest and recuperation leave; (2) allows certain prior service to be credited for retirement purposes; and (3) provides housing allowances, tuition assistance, and other benefits for wildland firefighters.Further, the bill directs the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs within the Department of Labor to ensure that psychological stress-related injuries and illnesses correlated to fire response are compensated and to expedite related claims.The bill also establishes programs to (1) assist the next-of-kin of wildland firefighters and fire support personnel who are critically injured or killed while in the line of duty, and (2) support the mental and physical health of wildland firefighters.