119-s142

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 142 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 142

 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to wildland firefighters in 
 recognition of their strength, resiliency, sacrifice, and service to 
protect the forests, grasslands, and communities of the United States, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 January 16, 2025

 Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Sheehy, Mr. Risch, Ms. Smith, Ms. 
 Lummis, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Klobuchar, and Mr. Crapo) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
 Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To award a Congressional Gold Medal to wildland firefighters in 
 recognition of their strength, resiliency, sacrifice, and service to 
protect the forests, grasslands, and communities of the United States, 
 and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Wildland Firefighters Congressional 
Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) Wildland fires have increased in intensity and severity 
 over the 30-year period preceding the date of enactment of this 
 Act, causing catastrophic destruction to homes, infrastructure, 
 and valuable Federal, State, and private lands. More than 
 1,000,000,000 acres of land across the United States are at 
 risk of wildfire, including approximately 117,000,000 acres of 
 Federal land that have been identified as high or very high 
 risk for wildfire potential.

    (2) The Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the 
 National Park Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife 
 Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs collectively employ 
 more than 18,700 wildland firefighters to combat wildfires 
 across millions of acres of public and private lands each year, 
 while thousands more workers and volunteers serve as State, 
 local, and contract wildland firefighters.

    (3) As the wildland-urban interface expands, wildfires 
 increasingly find their way out of the backcountry and into the 
 backyards of communities across the United States. Wildland 
 firefighters are evolving their skillsets, tactics, and 
 strategies to address the growing threat of wildfire in the 
 21st century.

    (4) While the protection of life and property remains a top 
 priority, wildland firefighters also have an important role in 
 responsible forest management and conservation. Wildland 
 firefighters perform prescribed burns and other forest 
 management activities, including timber harvests, contribute to 
 healthy forests, and reduce catastrophic wildfire risk.

    (5) Each wildland firefighter is specialized and trained to 
 work in dynamic and extraordinarily dangerous environments. 
 Wildland firefighters routinely work long days while on a 2-
 week rotation, often sleeping in inhospitable conditions.

    (6) According to the Forest Service, firefighters generally 
 work 16-hour days while fighting a fire, and they typically 
 exceed 2,500 operational hours in a 6-month period.

    (7) Wildland firefighter crews are all-hazards frontline 
 emergency responders that use any means necessary to protect 
 life and property while responding to floods, hurricanes, 
 pandemics, and acts of terrorism.

    (8) Engine and hand crews, the primary firefighting 
 workforce, come in varying sizes and modules that can be 
 tailored to fit the specific needs and terrain obstacles that 
 each fire presents.

    (9) Interagency hotshot crews are highly skilled mobile 
 hand crews with elite knowledge about fire suppression tactics.

    (10) Pilots and aerial fire suppression crews take to the 
 skies with air tankers and helicopters to drop water and fire 
 retardant, supporting decision-makers on the ground.

    (11) Aerially delivered firefighters, including helitack 
 crews and smokejumpers, exit helicopters and jump from planes 
 into remote and difficult-to-reach areas, providing quick and 
 targeted fire suppression and emergency medical short-haul 
 extraction. These fire personnel provide oversight and direct 
 action on initial and extended attack incidents.

    (12) Wildland firefighters in the United States also answer 
 the call to fight wildfires internationally. During the record-
 setting fires in Australia in 2020, the United States sent 362 
 firefighters to help. During Canada's historic 2023 fire 
 season, more than 2,000 Federal wildland firefighters answered 
 the call.

    (13) As of the date of enactment of this Act, the United 
 States maintains mutual assistance and cooperation agreements 
 for wildland firefighting efforts with Canada, Mexico, 
 Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal.

    (14) The increases in the severity of wildfires and in 
 annual fire season active months have also increased the demand 
 for wildland firefighters and associated employees. Recruitment 
 and retention of wildland firefighters has been a national 
 issue for many years.

    (15) Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to 
 keep the people of the United States safe, and some pay the 
 ultimate sacrifice to do so. Between January 1, 2019, and 
 January 1, 2025, 98 wildland firefighters have lost their lives 
 fighting fires. Acute and secondary effects from wildfire, such 
 as wildfire smoke exposure, are directly linked to tens of 
 thousands of firefighter and civilian deaths each year.

    (16) June 30 to July 6 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 
 States.

    (17) National Wildland Firefighter Day is held annually on 
 July 2 to recognize all who are devoted to wildland 
 firefighting.

    (18) The exemplary efforts of wildland firefighters are 
 deserving of recognition, and it is appropriate and proper to 
 honor those who have previously served, as well as current and 
 future firefighters. Wildland firefighters showcase principles 
 of duty, respect, and integrity in every aspect of service. 
 Each firefighter exhibits strength, resiliency, and grit to 
 protect the forests, grasslands, and communities of the United 
 States. Wildland firefighters do not shy away from dangerous 
 situations, but instead risk life and limb to help others. The 
 outstanding accomplishments of these brave individuals continue 
 an unparalleled legacy of public service.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

    (a) Presentation Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make 
appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, 
of a single gold medal of appropriate design in honor of wildland 
firefighters, collectively, in recognition of their strength, 
resiliency, sacrifice, and service to protect the forests, grasslands, 
and communities of the United States.

    (b) Design And Striking.--For purposes of the presentation 
described in subsection

    (a) , the Secretary of the Treasury (referred to 
in this Act as the ``Secretary'') shall strike a gold medal with 
suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the 
Secretary, in consultation with the National Interagency Fire Center.
            (c) Disposition of Medal.--

    (1) In general.--Following the presentation of the gold 
 medal under subsection

    (a) , the gold medal shall be given to 
 the National Interagency Fire Center, where the gold medal 
 shall be displayed, as appropriate, and made available for 
 research.

    (2) 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

    (1) be at appropriate locations, particularly locations 
 associated with wildland firefighters.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

 The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold 
medal struck under 

section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs 
thereof, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and 
overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. STATUS OF MEDALS.

    (a) National Medals.--The medals struck under this Act are national 
medals for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

    (b) Numismatic Items.--For purposes of sections 5134 and 5136 of 
title 31, United States Code, all medals struck under this Act shall be 
considered to be numismatic items.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO USE FUND AMOUNTS; PROCEEDS OF SALE.

    (a) 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 Act.

    (b) Proceeds of Sales.--Amounts received from the sale of duplicate 
bronze medals authorized under 

section 4 shall be deposited into the 
United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
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