Congress·In Committee·H.R. 3560

Veteran Wildland Firefighter Employment Act of 2025

Veteran Employment: Wildland Firefighting Pilot Program

10 months ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by a subcommittee. It was recently introduced in the House and is actively moving through the committee system. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Key Points

This bill creates a two-year test program to help veterans find jobs fighting wildfires. The Department of Veterans Affairs will work with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to find open positions that are a good fit for former service members.
Veterans in the program could work in many different roles. This includes on-the-ground firefighting, flying planes, operating heavy machinery, or handling emergency dispatch. The goal is to use the skills veterans learned in the military to help protect forests and communities from fires.
The program might also connect with the military's Skillbridge system. This would allow people who are about to leave the military to start training for these firefighting jobs before they officially become civilians. This helps make the transition to a new career much smoother.
The government will track how many veterans apply and how many get full-time federal jobs after the program ends. This information will help Congress decide if the program should become permanent. It also aims to lower the number of veterans who are out of work.

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

Jun 6, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

May 21, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

May 21, 2025

Introduced in House