Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting

(a) In general Subchapter II of chapter 63 of 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) the term applicable Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable to a covered employee; (2) 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 the terms 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 Secretary to perform wildland fire incident related duties during the period the employee is assigned to a qualifying incident; and (3) the term qualifying incident has the meaning given the term in section 5545c(a)(5). (b) Rest and recuperation leave 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 applicable Secretary, after consulting with the other Secretary. (c) Use of leave (1) In general Rest and recuperation leave granted under this section— (A) shall be used during scheduled hours within the tour of duty of the applicable covered employee established for leave-charging purposes and shall be paid in the same manner as annual leave; (B) shall be used immediately after a qualifying incident; and (C) may not be set aside for later use. (2) No payment for unused leave A covered employee may not receive any payment for unused rest and recuperation leave granted under this section. (d) Intermittent work schedule A covered employee with an intermittent work schedule shall— (1) 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 (2) receive a payment as if the covered employee were entitled to rest and recuperation leave under subsections (b) and (c).. (b) Effective date The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after October 1, 2025. (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: 6329e. Rest and recuperation leave for employees engaged in wildland firefighting..