{"format":1,"id":"117-hr-2499","congress":117,"number":"H.R. 2499","kind":"bill","group":"bills","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022","title_source":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","official_title":"To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to create a presumption that a disability or death of a Federal employee in fire protection activities caused by any of certain diseases is the result of the performance of such employees duty, and for other purposes.","titles":[{"type":"Official Title as Introduced","title":"To amend chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code, to create a presumption that a disability or death of a Federal employee in fire protection activities caused by any of certain diseases is the result of the performance of such employees duty, and for other purposes."},{"type":"Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Display Title","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Passed House","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Reported to House","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022"},{"type":"Short Title(s) as Introduced","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2021"}],"outcome":"passed_house","law_number":null,"introduced":"2021-04-14","chambers":{"house":{"status":"roll_call","date":"2022-05-11","vote":{"id":"117-2022-h149","question":"On Passage","title":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act","result":"Passed","yea":288,"nay":131,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll149.xml"}},"senate":{"status":"na","date":null,"vote":null}},"president":{"status":"na","date":null},"vice_president_tie_breaker":null,"latest_action":{"text":"Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.","date":"2022-05-12"},"nominees":null,"amendments":[{"number":"H.Amdt. 194","sponsor":"Rep. Scott, Robert C. \"Bobby\" [D-VA-3]","purpose":"Amendments en bloc comprised of amendments numbered 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8, printed in Part D of House Report 117-320.","result":"Agreed to","date":"2022-05-11","yea":224,"nay":195,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll146.xml"},{"number":"H.Amdt. 195","sponsor":"Rep. Joyce, David P. [R-OH-14]","purpose":"Amendment adds the Kenneth Meisel Public Servants Claimant Fairness Act, which amends the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) to establish that claimants who have been asked by the Office of Workers Compensation Programs to provide additional evidence to support their occupational illness, traumatic injury, or death claim have at least 60 days to provide such evidence.","result":"Agreed to","date":"2022-05-11","yea":419,"nay":0,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll147.xml"},{"number":"H.Amdt. 196","sponsor":"Rep. Keller, Fred [R-PA-12]","purpose":"Amendment sought to strike the text of the bill and insert a provision establishing the Firefighter Special Claims Unit at the Department of Labor to process any claim relating to occupational disease filed by a federal firefighter, and direct GAO to submit a report describing any known barriers to the delivery of health care to federal firefighters.","result":"Failed","date":"2022-05-11","yea":180,"nay":242,"present":0,"not_voting":6,"source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll148.xml"}],"other_votes":[{"chamber":"house","date":"2022-05-11","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Agreed to","yea":224,"nay":195,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll146.xml"},{"chamber":"house","date":"2022-05-11","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Agreed to","yea":419,"nay":0,"present":0,"not_voting":9,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll147.xml"},{"chamber":"house","date":"2022-05-11","question":"On Agreeing to the Amendment","title":"","result":"Failed","yea":180,"nay":242,"present":0,"not_voting":6,"kind":"amendment","source":"https://clerk.house.gov/evs/2022/roll148.xml"}],"crs_summary":{"date":"2022-05-11","stage":"Passed House","blocks":[{"k":"h","t":"Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022"},{"k":"p","t":"This bill makes it easier for federally employed firefighters who contract certain illnesses to qualify for federal workers' compensation."},{"k":"p","t":"Specifically, the bill provides that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mesothelioma, and specified other cancers of those employed in fire protection activities for at least five years are presumed to be proximately caused by such employment for purposes of a disability or death claim under the federal workers' compensation program. This presumption also applies to federal employees employed in fire protection activities for at least five years who experience a sudden cardiac event or stroke within 24 hours of performing a fire protection activity."},{"k":"p","t":"The bill also requires the Department of Labor to conduct a review to determine whether breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and rhabdomyolysis should be included under the presumption and to conduct periodic reviews to determine whether other diseases should be included. In addition, a person may petition Labor to include another disease under the presumption."},{"k":"p","t":"An employee in fire protection activities is a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker who (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishing of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk, including the prevention, control, suppression, or management of wildland fires; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility."}],"words":246},"summary":{"main_subject":{"text":"Amends the federal workers' compensation law in title 5 so that listed diseases are deemed caused by employment for federal employees who have worked at least 5 years in fire protection activities, and sets related review, reporting and claim-processing requirements.","cites":[{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#HFD66AFF8F5A14C9E81CD247AAEE827D1"},{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#H4913FC9503D44B319ED59B3418B910D2"},{"label":"Sec. 4","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#HB003463B86FF44F69AC4B905415BD61D"},{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#H030EB2D51D294B969F0403952D094B4B"}]},"core_areas":["Workers' compensation presumption of work-related disease for federal firefighters","Process for adding diseases to the presumption list","Research, studies and reports on firefighter health","Subrogation of continuation of pay under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act","Time limit for submitting supporting documentation for claims"],"what_it_does":[{"text":"Adds section 8143b to title 5, United States Code, deeming each disease on a listed set, including several cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and a sudden cardiac event or stroke within 24 hours of fire protection activities, to be proximately caused by employment for claimants with at least 5 years in aggregate as employees in fire protection activities.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#HFD66AFF8F5A14C9E81CD247AAEE827D1"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Labor to periodically review the disease list with the National Institute on Occupational Safety and Health and to add diseases by rule, on a petition or the Secretary's own determination, based on the weight of the best available scientific evidence of significant risk.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#HFD66AFF8F5A14C9E81CD247AAEE827D1"}},{"text":"Allows any person to petition the Secretary of Labor to add a disease, and requires the Secretary to grant or deny the petition with a written explanation in the Federal Register within 18 months of receipt.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#HFD66AFF8F5A14C9E81CD247AAEE827D1"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Labor, within 3 years of enactment, to evaluate the evidence on breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and rhabdomyolysis, add them to the list if the evidence supports it, and report findings to congressional committees.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 2","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#HFD66AFF8F5A14C9E81CD247AAEE827D1"}},{"text":"Amends sections 8131 and 8132 of title 5 so that the United States' subrogation rights and the adjustment after recovery from a third person cover continuation of pay as well as compensation.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 3","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#H4913FC9503D44B319ED59B3418B910D2"}},{"text":"Requires the Secretary of Labor, within 60 days of enactment, to amend section 10.121 of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, changing \"30 days\" to \"60 days\" and to update the Federal Employees Compensation Act manual to match.","cite":{"label":"Sec. 5","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh#H030EB2D51D294B969F0403952D094B4B"}}],"unexpected":[],"version":{"type":"Engrossed in House","date":"2022-05-11","rule":"passed","href":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text/eh"},"current":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","approved":"2026-10-15","approved_by":"checks"},"sources":{"congress_gov":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499","text":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2499/text"},"card":{"image":"card/item/117-hr-2499.png","v":"44f18cb6ea93","alt":"Votes on Record. H.R. 2499, 117th Congress: Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022. House: 288 Yea, 131 Nay. Outcome: Passed House, 11 May 2022."}}