Government and Legislative Affairs

Federal Legislation

The Legislative Issues Book contains background information on the IAFF’s priority federal legislation, including sponsor information, bill text language, and key points for our members to use when speaking with their members of Congress.

In addition to the issues highlighted below, the IAFF is actively working on various other legislative and regulatory initiatives to ensure fire fighters have safe working conditions, fair wages, and secure retirements. These issues can also be found in the legislative book.

• Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act (Honor Act)
  The Honor Act would rightfully recognize the job-related roots of cancer for fire fighters and classify occupational cancer deaths as an LODD for the purposes of providing a PSOB award to the surviving family.
• Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art Alternatives (PFAS Alternatives) Act
  The PFAS Alternatives Act will provide an important source of funding to support research and development efforts to create safer, next-generation turnout gear.
• Healthcare for Heroes Act
  The Healthcare for Heroes Act would provide a tax credit to public safety workers to offset the costs of obtaining health insurance and ease the transition into retirement.
• Public Safety Free Speech Act
  The Public Safety Free Speech Act ensures first responders cannot be penalized for exercising their right to free speech about job-related concerns like staffing levels, inadequate safety equipment, poor wages and working conditions, or unreasonable administrative rules.
• Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act
  The Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act would give fire and EMS personnel basic collective bargaining rights in states that currently do not provide them and protect these rights in states where they exist but could be repealed.

Legislative Services for Our Members

The Government Affairs Department enjoys working with IAFF members to support their efforts at the state and national level to advocate for themselves and their fellow fire fighters. We have drafted legislation and regulations to address a variety of IAFF member needs, such as promoting fire fighter health and safety, expanding survivor benefits for the families of fallen fire fighters, establishing fair compensation and benefits, and asserting the right to collectively bargaining.

Our department also defends against legislative attacks on fire fighters like proposals that would erode their benefits, pay, and pensions; reduce operational safety; or provide an unfair advantage to private companies and non-organized fire and EMS agencies.

The IAFF Government Affairs Department can help IAFF affiliates with the following:

• Provide federal vote records for members of Congress
• Deliver updates on federal legislation and regulations
• Research policy problems and develop legislative or regulatory solutions
• Draft and practice witness testimony
• Secure and facilitate meetings with members of Congress

We also offer our affiliates a variety of services at the state level. For more information available to our state affiliate leaders, please see our State President’s Portal. Some of the services we can provide:

• Draft state legislative bills and amendments
• Research services to combat opposing legislation
• Track state bills and update members
• Draft written and oral testimony
• Practice and coach witnesses in delivering testimony
• Help to plan when/how to introduce legislation at the state level

For assistance or help with a legislative issue, please click here.

COVID-19 Legislative Resources

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act (P.L. 117-2), fire fighters secured numerous legislative victories and new benefits. Among these new benefits was an additional $300 million allocated for the SAFER and AFG grants to assist in providing overtime pay for fire and EMS personnel and obtaining new personal protective equipment, and more than $195 billion was allocated to prevent and reverse layoffs from the pandemic.

Federal fire fighters who previously had their COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims denied will have their claims reviewed under new fairer requirements that recognize their occupational exposures. More information on these grants and new resources to assist in the continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic are listed below:

• • Grant Opportunity and Resources:
    • Health and Public Safety Workforce Resiliency Training Program (from the Health Resources and Services Administration)
    • Treasury Department Guidance on Use of State and Local Recovery Funds for Fire and EMS
    • Treatment in Place Guidance
    • State and Local Funding Chart

How to Lobby: Tips and Best Practices

Every facet of a fire fighter’s job – from the right to collectively bargain, adequate equipment and staffing to pension benefits – is shaped by elected officials’ decisions.

Lobbying lets you tell your own story and fight for what matters to you and your members. IAFF members must be ready to fight for their own needs and to support their fellow fire fighters.

The IAFF Government Affairs Department has developed some tips and best practices to ensure you are prepared.

How to Lobby

Legislative Victories

Coming Soon! 

For updates or progress on current policies, follow us on Twitter @IAFFLeg.

If you would like more information or any assistance, please fill out this form on this page for any legislative or government affairs requests that you may have.