Bennet, Neguse Renew Calls for Tim’s Act, Bipartisan Bill to Improve Working Conditions for Federal Firefighters

Apr 5, 2025|Press Releases
Washington, D.C.— Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Colorado U.S. Representative Joe Neguse, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, reintroduced the Tim’s Act to overhaul federal wildland firefighter compensation and benefits, as the wildland firefighting workforce continues to face increasing uncertainty as a result of the Trump Administration’s reckless attacks on federal employees. The legislation — named in honor of Tim Hart, a brave smokejumper from Cody, Wyoming who tragically lost his life on May 24, 2021, while battling the Eicks Fire in New Mexico — bolsters recruitment, retention, and well-being within this vital workforce.
“As climate change fuels increasingly frequent and destructive wildfires across the West, we rely more and more on wildland firefighters to protect our homes and communities,”said Bennet. “These brave firefighters deserve support for their mental and physical health and more time to recover. This legislation ensures they receive the benefits they deserve for their life-saving work.”
“Federal wildland firefighters are our nation’s unsung heroes. This workforce is underpaid and undervalued, despite putting their lives on the line to protect our homes, families, and communities. Unconscionable. We’re calling on Democrats and Republicans alike to take decisive action to implement much-needed reforms in how we recognize their sacrifices, and join us in championing Tim’s Act,”said Neguse. “Congress has now finally enacted a permanent pay fix, but the work continues as we now turn to other critical issues—addressing recruitment and retention, housing, mental health benefits, rest, recuperation, and the overall well-being of our nation’s wildland firefighting workforce.”
Federal wildland firefighters are severely overworked and underpaid, often tasked with laborious and grueling conditions to protect communities across the country. The Tim’s Act takes a holistic approach to recognizing the immense sacrifices made by this workforce.
Specifically, the Tim’s Act would:
In 2021, President Biden enacted elements of Tim’s Act through the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created a new classification series specifically for wildland firefighters, temporarily increased pay, and established new support systems for firefighters through mental health services.
Additional provisions, such as presumptive health coverage and ensuring that federal firefighters qualify for full retirement benefits if they are injured on the job, were also signed into law by President Biden in 2022. That year, Bennet led 12 Senate colleaguesurgingU.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to make wildland firefighter pay increases permanent andcalledon Congress to address the wage cuts as pay increases were set to lapse. In 2023, after introducing the Tim’s Act, Bennetleda bipartisan group of Western senators in urging the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to consider a long-term solution to increase wildland firefighter recruitment and retention. In 2025, Bennet U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), alongside 13 of their Senate colleagues,urgedthe Trump Administration to exempt seasonal firefighters from the federal hiring freeze.
The text of the bill is availableHERE. A summary is availableHERE.
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