Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
Latest action · May 12, 2022 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedApr 14, 2021
- Passed HouseMay 11, 2022
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
This bill makes it easier for federally employed firefighters who contract certain illnesses to qualify for federal workers' compensation.
Specifically, the bill provides that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mesothelioma, and specified other cancers of those employed in fire protection activities for at least five years are presumed to be proximately caused by such employment for purposes of a disability or death claim under the federal workers' compensation program. This presumption also applies to federal employees employed in fire protection activities for at least five years who experience a sudden cardiac event or stroke within 24 hours of performing a fire protection activity.
The bill also requires the Department of Labor to conduct a review to determine whether breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and rhabdomyolysis should be included under the presumption and to conduct periodic reviews to determine whether other diseases should be included. In addition, a person may petition Labor to include another disease under the presumption.
An employee in fire protection activities is a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker who (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishing of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk, including the prevention, control, suppression, or management of wildland fires; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility.
Recorded votes 4
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
| Roll call | Question | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House 149 | On Passage | Passed288–131 | May 11, 2022 |
| House 148 | On Agreeing to the Amendment | Failed180–242 | May 11, 2022 |
| House 147 | On Agreeing to the Amendment | Agreed to419–0 | May 11, 2022 |
| House 146 | On Agreeing to the Amendment | Agreed to224–195 | May 11, 2022 |
Cosponsors 203
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Apr 14, 2021 to May 6, 2022; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-PA | Brian K. Fitzpatrick | Original | Apr 14, 2021 |
| R-NE | Don Bacon | Original | Apr 14, 2021 |
| D-CA | Mark Takano | Original | Apr 14, 2021 |
| D-PA | Mary Gay Scanlon | May 4, 2021 | |
| R-OH | Michael R. Turner | May 4, 2021 | |
| D-IL | Bill Foster | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Brad Sherman | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-ME | Chellie Pingree | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-MO | Cori Bush | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-DC | Eleanor Holmes Norton | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Eric Swalwell | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-CA | Scott H. Peters | May 25, 2021 | |
| D-PA | Susan Wild | May 25, 2021 | |
| R-NJ | Christopher H. Smith | May 28, 2021 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Apr 14, 2021Markup Mar 16, 2022Reported May 6, 2022 |
| Senate | Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | Referred May 12, 2022 |
Actions 19
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 12, 2022Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- May 11, 2022Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 1097. (consideration: CR H4816-4831)
- May 11, 2022Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 903, H.R. 2499, H.R. 5129 and H.R. 7691. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 903, H.R. 2499, and H.R. 5129 under a structured rule. H.R. 7691 is considered under a closed rule. Bills considered under the rule are debatable for one hour. The rule provides that H. Res. 1096 is adopted and amends H. Res. 188 by striking May 13, 2022 and inserting June 10, 2022.
- May 11, 2022DEBATE - The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H.R. 2499.
- May 11, 2022DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 1097, the House proceeded with 20 minutes of debate on the Scott (VA) amendment en bloc No. 1.
In the Congressional Record 3
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House · Extensions | Debate and remarks E492, H4875 | Joe Neguse D-CO, Vicente Gonzalez D-TX | May 12, 2022 |
| House | Debate and remarks H4816–H4831Text printed H4816Amendments H4822, H4823, H4826Recorded votes H4828, H4829, H4830enactJoyce of Ohio amendment (increase time period claimant under Federal Employee Compensation Act may supply supporting documentation to Office of Workers' Compensation)Scott of Virginia amendment (en bloc)Lists H4828, H4829, H4830, H4831Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness ActVotes recorded by proxy on Joyce of Ohio amendment to H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness ActVotes recorded by proxy on Keller amendment to H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness ActVotes recorded by proxy on Scott of Virginia amendment to H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness Act | Al Green D-TX, André Carson D-IN, Bill Pascrell, Jr. D-NJ, Bruce Westerman R-AR, Chrissy Houlahan D-PA (amendment), David P. Joyce R-OH (amendment), Fred Keller R-PA (amendment), Greg Stanton D-AZ (amendment), Marjorie Taylor Greene R-GA, Mikie Sherrill D-NJ, Norma J. Torres D-CA (amendment), Rashida Tlaib D-MI (amendment), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott D-VA, Salud O. Carbajal D-CA, Sheila Jackson Lee D-TX (amendment), Steny H. Hoyer D-MD, Susan Wild D-PA, Suzanne Bonamici D-OR, Teresa Leger Fernandez D-NM, Virginia Foxx R-NC | May 11, 2022 |
| House | Debate and remarks H4764–H4774Text printed H4764Amendments H4773Recorded votes H4773consideration (H. Res. 1097), previous questionLists H4773, H4774Votes recorded by proxy on H. Res. 1097, consideration of H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness ActVotes recorded by proxy on previous question to H. Res. 1097, consideration of H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness Act | Abigail Davis Spanberger D-VA, Jamie Raskin D-MD, Michelle Fischbach R-MN (amendment) | May 10, 2022 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimate
- Apr 19, 2022H.R. 2499, Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022As ordered reported by the House Committee on Education and Labor on March 16, 2022
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 64, April 14, 2021, page H1790.
Printed hearings 3
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
Amendments 4
Amendments offered to this bill.
Related bills 2
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
Titles 5
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to create a presumption that a disability or death of a Federal employee in fire protection activities caused by any of certain diseases is the result of the performance of such employees duty, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2021
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Government Operations and Politics.
- Blood and blood diseases
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular and respiratory health
- Digestive and metabolic diseases
- Disability and paralysis
- Disability assistance
- Emergency medical services and trauma care
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Evidence and witnesses
- Fires
- First responders and emergency personnel
- Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
- Government Operations and Politics
- Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
- Health personnel
- HIV/AIDS
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Musculoskeletal and skin diseases
- Neurological disorders
- Worker safety and health
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 12, 2022Referred in Senate
- May 11, 2022Engrossed in House
- May 6, 2022Reported in House
- Apr 14, 2021Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
