Authority to enter into a reciprocal agreement— The Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of State, may enter into a reciprocal agreement with any foreign fire organization for mutual aid in furnishing wildfire protection resources for lands and other properties for which such Secretary or organization normally provides wildfire protection.
shall include a waiver by each party to the agreement of all claims against every other party to the agreement for compensation for any loss, damage, personal injury, or death occurring in consequence of the performance of such agreement;
may provide for the reimbursement of any party thereto for all or any part of the costs incurred by such party in furnishing wildfire protection resources for, or on behalf of, any other party thereto.
Exchange of wildfire protection resources without a reciprocal agreement— In the absence of any agreement authorized under subsection (a), the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of the Interior may—
Reimbursement under agreements with Canada— Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this section, reimbursement may be provided for the costs incurred by the Government of Canada or a Canadian organization in furnishing wildfire protection resources to the Government of the United Statesunder—
the memorandum entitled “Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States Department of Agriculture and Environment Canada on Cooperation in the Field of Forestry-Related Programs” dated June 25, 1982; and
the arrangement entitled “Arrangement in the Form of an Exchange of Notes Between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America” dated May 4, 1982.
In general— Any service performed by any employee of the United States under an agreement or otherwise under this subchapter shall constitute service rendered in the line of duty in such employment.
(Pub. L. 100–428, § 3, Sept. 9, 1988, 102 Stat. 1615; Pub. L. 112–74, div. E, title IV, § 411(3), Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1040.)
Editorial Notes
Amendments
2011—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–74, § 411(3)(A), inserted headings for subsec. (a) and pars. (1) and (2).
Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 112–74, § 411(3)(B)(i), inserted heading.
Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 112–74, § 411(3)(B)(ii), substituted “United States; and” for “United States, and”.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 112–74, § 411(3)(C), inserted heading.
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–74, § 411(3)(D), inserted subsec. heading, designated first and second sentences as pars. (1) and (2), respectively, inserted par. headings, and substituted “Except as provided in section 1856n–1 of this title, the” for “The” in par. (2).