Federal Firefighters Families First Act
The Federal Firefighters Families First Act would change how federal firefighters’ pay and retirement benefits are calculated, with the goal of pay equality with other federal employees and municipal/public-sector firefighters, and to improve recruitment and retention. The bill would (1) adjust how average pay is computed for retirement benefits by counting all regularly scheduled work hours and overtime in a firefighter’s regular tour of duty, (2) add a new pension calculation element that increases annuity amounts by including half of the firefighter’s basic hourly rate times overtime hours, (3) establish a maximum regular workweek for federal firefighters (not to exceed an average of 60 hours per week) to define the regular workweek used in these calculations, and (4) apply these changes to annuities based on separations occurring after a specified 60-day period following enactment. The act is currently introduction-stage and would require further congressional action and regulatory implementation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Key Points
- 1Pay and retirement reform aim: The bill seeks pay equality between federal firefighters and other federal/public-sector firefighters and to improve recruitment and retention by adjusting pay and retirement computations.
- 2Recalculation of average pay: The measure changes the hours basis used to compute “average pay” for retirement purposes from 2,756 hours to 2,087 hours, aligning with a standard full-time schedule used for federal pay calculations.
- 3New annuity enhancement for overtime: For firefighters covered by the statute, the act adds to the average pay for pension calculations an amount equal to one-half of the firefighter’s basic hourly rate times the number of overtime hours included in the firefighter’s regular tour of duty in a year.
- 4Definition and cap of regular workweek: The bill directs the OPM to establish, within a year of enactment, a maximum regularly recurring workweek for federal firefighters, not to exceed an average of 60 hours per week.
- 5Prospective effective date: The changes apply to annuity entitlements based on separations occurring after the end of a 60-day period following enactment, meaning the provisions would generally affect future retirees rather than current retirees.