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H.R. 435: Direct Hire To Fight Fires

A House bill (H.R.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.

Overview

Congress119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026)
TypeHouse bill (H.R.)
Originating chamberHouse
Introduced2025-01-15
SponsorRep. Issa, Darrell [R-CA-48]
Policy areaGovernment Operations and Politics
Cosponsors2
Latest action2026-01-08 — Reported by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-432, Part I.
Last updated2026-07-18

Summary

Official summary (Introduced in House, 2025-01-15):

Direct Hire To Fight Fires

This bill provides permanent direct-hire authority to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to fill wildland firefighter and firefighting support positions in the Forest Service and Interior agencies.

The bill also requires USDA and Interior to implement policies to recruit and retain wildland firefighters and related personnel, such as by streamlining the hiring process and reducing barriers for firefighters transferring between agencies.

Further, the bill requires USDA and Interior to annually report related data to Congress, including the number of firefighters needed for the coming year, the number of firefighting vacancies in each state, and existing barriers to filling such vacancies. The report must also be made available on a public website.

Cosponsors (2)

NameParty / state
Kevin Kiley R CA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-15
Jay Obernolte R CA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-15

Full text & official record

The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for H.R. 435 are published by Congress on congress.gov.

View H.R. 435 on congress.gov →

Frequently asked questions

What is H.R. 435?

H.R. 435 is a House bill (H.R.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the House. Official title: Direct Hire To Fight Fires.

Where can I read the full bill text?

The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for H.R. 435 are available on congress.gov.

Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).