WASHINGTON, D.C. –Congressman Scott Franklin (FL-18) and Congressman Josh Harder (CA-09) introduced bipartisan legislation to support wildland firefighters.  The legislation addresses unfair break-in-service retirement limits that penalize firefighters who need to take leave of absence.

“Federal firefighters play a critical role in our nation’s emergency response network. They shouldn’t have to worry about losing their retirement benefits if they must take an extended absence to handle a family emergency or care for a new baby,” Congressman Franklin said. “Our bill extends break-in-service retirement limits from three days to 24 months, providing flexibility to support these brave men and women. It’s an important step to improve benefits, recruit, and retain wildland firefighters, and I’m glad to partner with Rep. Harder on this initiative.”

“Our wildland firefighters risk everything to keep our families safe, and yet our government refuses to let them take time off to see theirs. It’s totally unacceptable,” Congressman Harder said. “Our new bill gives firefighters the time they need to take care of their loved ones. It’s a common-sense fix that will keep our heroes in these incredibly important jobs.”

Specifically, this legislation extends the break-in-service cap from three days to 24 months, allowing federal firefighters to take up to two years away from service without jeopardizing their retirement benefit or restarting the clock on their retirement eligibility. Under current law there are no exceptions to the break-in-service limits, including family medical leave or other major life events.  This policy has contributed to the severe federal firefighter shortage.

The bill is the most recent in Congressman Franklin’s efforts to help recruit and retain highly skilled wildland firefighters. In June, Franklin and Harder teamed up to introduced their bipartisan package designed to modernize the way we address the growing wildfire crisis. 

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