Occupational safety and health research

(a) Establishment Section 22 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 671) is amended by adding at the end the following: (i) Office of Firefighter Health And Safety (1) In general There shall be permanently established within the Institute an Office of Firefighter Health And Safety (referred to in this subsection as the Office), which shall be administered by an Associate Director to be appointed by the Director. (2) Purpose The purpose of the Office, with respect to firefighting and disaster response occupations, is to— (A) promote fast identification and prevention of new and emerging hazards; (B) provide a central point for wildland and structural firefighters, fire-service organizations, and other stakeholders to engage with the broad scope of relevant research and services; (C) enhance and accelerate the development of new safety technology, technological applications, and work practices; (D) expedite the commercial availability and implementation of such technology and practices in firefighting work; (E) study the relationship between work in firefighting and health outcomes over time; (F) investigate line-of-duty deaths and serious injuries for the purpose of developing preventive measures; and (G) conduct research and develop criteria for new and improved occupational safety and health standards for firefighters. (3) Authorities To fulfill the purposes described in paragraph (2), the Director, acting through the Office, shall use any authority provided under this Act and shall also have the authority to— (A) award competitive grants to institutions and private entities to encourage the development and manufacture of new and innovative personal protective equipment and safety-enhancing technologies for firefighters; (B) award contracts to educational institutions or private entities for the performance of product testing or related work with respect to new firefighting technology and equipment; (C) support longitudinal surveillance and biomonitoring research program to evaluate exposures and markers of cancer and other disease risk for wildland fire personnel; (D) conduct research on the relationship between work in firefighting and health outcomes over time; (E) develop and publish contamination-control and clean apparatus cab criteria to inform agencies’ equipment procurement practices; (F) conduct experiments, evaluations, and field tests to assess firefighting technology and equipment in settings that realistically reflect conditions of firefighting; (G) develop and implement strategies for long-term exposure tracking and medical surveillance, including— (i) systems to enable workers to track individual exposure events over time; (ii) registries and cohorts of workers in firefighting; (iii) data integration with existing health and compensation data systems; and (iv) systems that are consistent and accessible to firefighters and relevant agencies and are permanently retained; and (H) coordinate with manufacturers in the development of respiratory protection technologies and evaluate the efficacy and field use of such technologies through data collection and firefighter feedback, including surveys and interviews. (4) Report Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the Office under this subsection, and every 2 years thereafter, the Director shall submit to the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that, with respect to the year involved— (A) describes the new health and safety technologies and practices that have been studied, tested, and certified for use, and with respect to such technologies and practices that have been considered but not yet certified for use, the reasons for not certifying; and (B) identifies cancer, respiratory, or other medical conditions warranting consideration by the Secretary of Labor for regulatory updates to presumptive coverage under chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act). (5) Wildland firefighter priorities With respect to wildland firefighter (as defined in section 2 of the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act) safety, health, and wellbeing, the Director shall— (A) develop, in coordination with the Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program established under section 4 of the Wildland Firefighter Health and Safety Act, priorities for research, pilot testing, and evaluation of exposure reduction technologies and practices tailored to the conditions of wildland firefighting; (B) develop and implement, in coordination with the Federal Wildland Firefighter Health and Wellbeing Program, strategies to inform wildland firefighters about the National Firefighter Registry for Cancer established under the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act of 2018 (42 U.S.C. 280e–5) and the national Fire Fighter Cancer Cohort Study; (C) identify and assess the best available respiratory protective technologies suitable for wildland firefighting, in particular any such technologies that meet the National Fire Protection Agency 1984 Standard on Respirators for Wildland Fire-Fighting Operations and Wildland Urban Interface Operations (or any successor or equivalent standard that provides equal or greater protection); (D) periodically analyze and report data about exposures, hazards, and health effects specific to wildland firefighters; and (E) develop and support a longitudinal surveillance and biomonitoring research program to evaluate exposures and markers of cancer and other disease risk for wildland fire personnel. (6) Coordination The Director shall coordinate with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, and heads of relevant agencies to ensure that standards and exposure reduction technologies developed by the Office are integrated into agency procurement requirements, training, programs, and other relevant operational guidance for wildland fire personnel. (7) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000, to be available through fiscal year 2032 to enable the Institute and the Office to carry out this subsection.. (b) Respiratory protection pilot program (1) Establishment Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the Task Force, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Program Director and in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, shall design and carry out a pilot program, to be known as the respiratory protection pilot program, to evaluate respiratory protection technologies for use by wildland firefighters. (2) Purpose The purpose of the Pilot Program is to assess and identify the feasibility, effectiveness, and usability of respiratory protection technologies for wildland firefighters. (3) Duration The Pilot Program shall be carried out for a 2-year period. (4) Scope of pilot program In carrying out the Pilot Program, the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shall— (A) evaluate and test respiratory protection technologies, including respirators and related equipment, that may reduce inhalation exposure to wildfire smoke and other airborne hazards encountered during arduous wildland firefighting; (B) conduct field testing of respiratory protection technologies to assess performance, including heat, exertion, duration of use, and conditions of use; (C) conduct field testing in real-world operational contexts, including line construction, mop-up, and transport; (D) collect data from wildland firefighters on usability, comfort, and compliance with the technology described in subparagraph (A); (E) provide opportunities for wildland firefighter feedback on any aspects of the pilot program; (F) coordinate with manufacturers, researchers, and other experts to support fit testing, refinement, and evaluation of technology; and (G) consult with the Task Force on pilot testing protocols and procedures under section 3(d)(2). (5) Final report Not later than 180 days after the end of the period described in paragraph (3), the Secretaries shall submit to the Committees on Natural Resources and Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives, and the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a final report that includes information regarding— (A) recommendations to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for the standards under section 6; (B) the costs associated with carrying out the Pilot Program; (C) the usage of respiratory protection technology under the Pilot Program; (D) the extent of participation in the Pilot Program by wildland firefighters; and (E) any other findings and conclusions with respect to the Pilot Program the Secretary considers appropriate, which may include details on any challenges encountered, any actions needed to address them, and any lessons learned. (6) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $1,500,000 to carry out this section.