To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a compensation fund for military firefighters exposed to PFAS.

This bill would require the Department of Defense to create a compensation fund specifically for current and former military firefighters who have become ill due to exposure to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are man-made chemicals with potential health risks. Military firefighters employed at military installations, National Guard facilities, or formerly used defense sites during periods when PFAS was present would be presumed to have been exposed to these substances, unless evidence shows otherwise.

The compensation fund would provide payments to affected firefighters or their survivors if the firefighter has passed away. If a firefighter dies before filing a claim, surviving family members could file on their behalf, with payments going first to a surviving spouse, then to children or parents in order. Additionally, the bill would ensure that firefighters receiving medical benefits for PFAS-related illnesses would be furnished necessary medical services, equipment, supplies, and transportation costs related to their care.

This bill has been introduced but has not yet advanced to committee action. Most introduced bills do not progress further in the legislative process.