Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Next-of-kin The term next-of-kin, with respect to an individual, means a person in the highest category of priority in relation to that individual, as determined in accordance with the following (in descending order of priority): (A) A legal spouse of the individual. (B) A child (whether by current or prior marriage) aged 18 years or older of the individual, in descending order of precedence by age. (C) The father or mother of the individual, unless custody has been vested by court order in another individual, with an adoptive parent taking precedence over a natural parent. (D) A sibling (whether whole or half) aged 18 years or older of the individual, in descending order of precedence by age. (E) A grandfather or grandmother of the individual. (F) Any other relative of the individual, with the order of precedence to be determined in accordance with the civil laws of descent of the State of domicile of the individual at time of death. (2) Program The term program means the Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program established under subsection (b). (b) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a program, to be known as the Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program, to provide assistance to the next-of-kin of— (1) firefighters who, while in the line of duty— (A) are killed; (B) are critically injured; or (C) suffer illness as a result of an exposure or incident occurring during that line of duty; and (2) wildland fire support personnel who are killed or critically injured in the line of duty. (c) Elements The program shall address each of the following: (1) The initial, and any subsequent, notification to the next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel who— (A) are killed in the line of duty; or (B) require hospitalization or treatment at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or illness. (2) The reimbursement of next-of-kin for expenses associated with travel to visit firefighters or wildland fire support personnel who— (A) are killed in the line of duty; or (B) require hospitalization or treatment at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or illness. (3) The qualifications, assignment, training, duties, supervision, and accountability for the performance of casualty assistance responsibilities. (4) The relief or transfer of casualty assistance officers, including notification to survivors of critical injury or illness in the line of duty of the reassignment of those officers to other duties. (5) Centralized short-term and long-term case management procedures for casualty assistance, including rapid access to expert case managers and counselors by— (A) survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel; and (B) casualty assistance officers. (6) The provision, through a computer-accessible website and other means and at no cost to survivors or next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel, of personalized, integrated information relating to Federal benefits and Federal financial assistance available to those survivors and next-of-kin. (7) The provision to survivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel of information relating to mechanisms for registering complaints about, or requests for, additional assistance related to casualty assistance. (8) Liaison with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice, and the Social Security Administration to ensure prompt and accurate resolution of issues relating to benefits administered by those agencies for survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel. (9) Data collection, in consultation with the United States Fire Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, regarding the incidence and quality of casualty assistance provided to survivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel. (d) No effect on other line-of-Duty death benefits The program shall not affect any existing authority for line-of-duty death benefits for Federal firefighters or wildland fire support personnel.

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Next-of-kin The term next-of-kin, with respect to an individual, means a person in the highest category of priority in relation to that individual, as determined in accordance with the following (in descending order of priority): (A) A legal spouse of the individual. (B) A child (whether by current or prior marriage) aged 18 years or older of the individual, in descending order of precedence by age. (C) The father or mother of the individual, unless custody has been vested by court order in another individual, with an adoptive parent taking precedence over a natural parent. (D) A sibling (whether whole or half) aged 18 years or older of the individual, in descending order of precedence by age. (E) A grandfather or grandmother of the individual. (F) Any other relative of the individual, with the order of precedence to be determined in accordance with the civil laws of descent of the State of domicile of the individual at time of death. (2) Program The term program means the Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program established under subsection (b). (b) Establishment Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a program, to be known as the Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program, to provide assistance to the next-of-kin of— (1) firefighters who, while in the line of duty— (A) are killed; (B) are critically injured; or (C) suffer illness as a result of an exposure or incident occurring during that line of duty; and (2) wildland fire support personnel who are killed or critically injured in the line of duty. (c) Elements The program shall address each of the following: (1) The initial, and any subsequent, notification to the next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel who— (A) are killed in the line of duty; or (B) require hospitalization or treatment at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or illness. (2) The reimbursement of next-of-kin for expenses associated with travel to visit firefighters or wildland fire support personnel who— (A) are killed in the line of duty; or (B) require hospitalization or treatment at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or illness. (3) The qualifications, assignment, training, duties, supervision, and accountability for the performance of casualty assistance responsibilities. (4) The relief or transfer of casualty assistance officers, including notification to survivors of critical injury or illness in the line of duty of the reassignment of those officers to other duties. (5) Centralized short-term and long-term case management procedures for casualty assistance, including rapid access to expert case managers and counselors by— (A) survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel; and (B) casualty assistance officers. (6) The provision, through a computer-accessible website and other means and at no cost to survivors or next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel, of personalized, integrated information relating to Federal benefits and Federal financial assistance available to those survivors and next-of-kin. (7) The provision to survivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel of information relating to mechanisms for registering complaints about, or requests for, additional assistance related to casualty assistance. (8) Liaison with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice, and the Social Security Administration to ensure prompt and accurate resolution of issues relating to benefits administered by those agencies for survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel. (9) Data collection, in consultation with the United States Fire Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, regarding the incidence and quality of casualty assistance provided to survivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel. (d) No effect on other line-of-Duty death benefits The program shall not affect any existing authority for line-of-duty death benefits for Federal firefighters or wildland fire support personnel.