U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and John Curtis (R-UT) recently cosponsored a bipartisan bill that would authorize federal grants of $25 million annually for fiscal years 2027-2031 to develop new, toxins-free protective gear for firefighters.
“Our firefighters put everything on the line to keep us safe and it’s our job to make sure they are taken care of,” Sen. Fischer said. “This bill gives us the resources for producing next-generation protective gear, free of PFAS chemicals, to protect the health and safety of firefighters in Nebraska and across the nation.”
The senators on June 18 introduced the Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art (PFAS) Alternatives Act, S. 4844, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM).
If enacted, S. 4844 would fund research to be conducted in a partnership between firefighters and scientists to achieve goals such as PFAS chemical free gear; improved resistance to carcinogens and chemicals from fires and other emergencies situations; and improved accounting for varied individual firefighter’s body times and composition, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
“Utah’s firefighters shouldn’t have to worry that the gear designed to keep them safe could expose them to harmful chemicals,” Sen. Curtis said. “This bipartisan legislation invests in the research needed to improve turnout gear, helping ensure firefighters have the proper protective equipment they deserve.”
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often called forever chemicals, are a hazardous group of compounds used to produce firefighting protective gear and are linked to an increased cancer risk among firefighters. Research has associated PFAS exposure with serious health effects, including cancer, kidney disease, and reproductive harm, the summary says.
“Our first responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and too many suffer or lose their lives from cancers caused by toxic exposures on the job — including from harmful PFAS chemicals in their protective gear,” said Sen. Heinrich.
S. 4844 is companion legislation to the same-named H.R. 3184, introduced in May 2025 by U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Sam Graves (R-MO). The House measure currently has 131 cosponsors.