Kelly, Bipartisan Colleagues Introduce Amendment to Raise Annual Pay Cap for Wildland Firefighters

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Steve Daines (R-MT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced an amendment that would permanently raise the annual pay cap that limits the total compensation a federal wildland firefighter can earn in a calendar year, including overtime and premium pay. The amendment is to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is under consideration by the Senate.

"During the Dragon Bravo Fire and others around our state, our wildland firefighters risk their lives to protect our communities. That dedication deserves more than just our thanks," said Kelly. "Despite their service, some of our firefighters are hitting their annual pay cap and being forced to return wages they have already earned. That's just wrong. I'm working to permanently raise the cap, so these folks get paid what they deserve for the dangerous work they do."

"As extreme weather increases, fire seasons in Colorado and across the country intensify," said Bennet. "The West relies more and more on wildland firefighters to protect our homes and communities, and it is critical that they are fairly compensated. This is a common sense solution that is proven to significantly improve morale and retain wildland firefighters on the front lines of dangerous infernos. I look forward to it being passed."

"Our wildland firefighters have tremendously important jobs that often require them to be on a fire location for weeks at a time to protect American families and communities from catastrophic wildfire," said Sheehy. "Removing this hurdle that prevents them from being paid the money they are owed means they can continue to be ready and capable of providing the best response possible without fear of being short changed. This is a long-needed fix to a problem that affects not just these brave first responders, but our ability to combat wildfires across the country. I look forward to seeing this change enacted."

Background:

The Fiscal Year 2025 Continuing Resolution included a permanent base pay increase for wildland firefighters but does not allow for firefighters to receive overtime and premium pay that exceeds the maximum pay on the GS scale. As a result, hundreds of firefighters are expected to reach or near the cap before the end of the calendar year, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and will be forced to decline critical fire assignments to avoid uncompensated work.

Read the amendment text here.