Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting

(a) In General Title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 6329d the following: 6329e. Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Applicable Secretary The term applicable Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior. (2) Covered employee The term covered employee means an employee of the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior who— (A) qualifies as a wildland firefighter based on the definitions of firefighter and wildland firefighter in section 5332a(a) (applying the definition of employee in section 6301(2) in lieu of the definition of employee in section 5331(a)); or (B) is certified by the applicable agency to perform wildland fire incident related duties during the period such employee is assigned to a qualifying incident. (3) Qualifying incident The term qualifying incident has the meaning given that term in section 5545c(a)(5). (b) Rest and recuperation A covered employee may receive paid rest and recuperation leave following the completion of service under a qualifying incident, subject to policies established at the sole and exclusive discretion of the Secretary of the Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable. Each Secretary shall prescribe such policies after consulting with the other Secretary. (c) Application Rest and recuperation leave granted under this section shall be used during scheduled hours within the covered employee’s tour of duty established for leave-charging purposes and shall be paid in the same manner as annual leave. Rest and recuperation leave must be used immediately after a qualifying incident and may not be set aside for later use. A covered employee may not receive any payment for unused rest and recuperation leave. (d) Intermittent work schedules A covered employee with an intermittent work schedule shall be excused from duty during the same period of time that other covered employees in the same circumstances are entitled to rest and recuperation leave and shall receive a payment as if the covered employee with an intermittent work schedule were entitled to rest and recuperation leave under subsections (b) and (c).. (b) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall be effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after October 1, 2026. (c) Clerical amendment The table of sections for subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6329d the following new item: 6329e. Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting..