The FIRE Act would extend federal workplace safety and labor protections to people who fight fires or perform emergency response work while incarcerated. It would require safety reports from certain state and federal correctional facilities and create grants to help states improve protections and support job training, placement, and mentoring for former incarcerated firefighters. Eligible firefighters could also ask a court to expunge certain criminal records after completing their sentences.
If you perform firefighting or emergency response work while incarcerated, the bill would treat you as an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act and apply workplace safety protections. If you later qualify as a former incarcerated firefighter, you could seek reentry services and petition to expunge a conviction. A court could consider a petition after one year from completing the sentence, and the bill provides for a grant after seven years, subject to an exception in the text.
The bill authorizes $100 million per year for state grants for fiscal years 2026 through 2031. It also reserves $400,000 from an existing grant program for state and local workplace safety protections. The bill does not specify individual costs or the amount of reentry grants.
The bill text does not state supporters' arguments. No publicly available information.
The bill text does not state opponents' arguments. No publicly available information.