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1 (2026-01-08)

handle is hein.congrecreports/crptxahye0001 and id is 1 raw text is: AUT-ENTICATED US. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION GPO 119TH CONGRESS REPT.119-432 2d Session j HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Part 1 DIRECT HIRE TO FIGHT FIRES JANUARY 8, 2026.-Ordered to be printed Mr. WESTERMAN, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the following REPORT [To accompany H.R. 435] The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 435) to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide di- rect hire authority to appoint individuals to Federal wildland fire- fighting and firefighting support positions in the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior, and for other purposes, having con- sidered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. PURPOSE OF THE LEGISLATION The purpose of H.R. 435 is to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide direct hire authority to appoint individuals to Federal wildland firefighting and firefighting support positions in the For- est Service or the Department of the Interior, and for other pur- poses. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION Each year, federal wildfire suppression agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Department of the Interior (DOI), hire thousands of wildland firefighters. These firefighters battle in- tense wildfires on federal land, primarily throughout late spring, summer, and early fall. Failing to adequately staff our wildland firefighting workforce has incredibly detrimental and cascading ef- fects on suppression effectiveness, firefighter health and safety, community protection, and forest health. For the past several years, USFS has aimed at hiring 11,300 wildland firefighters.1 As of June 29, 2025, the agency has reached 99 percent of its goal, 'Wildland Firefighting Workforce, Forest Service, July 18, 2025, https://www.fs.usda.gov/ managing-land/fire/workforce. 069-006