---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 5332a"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "5332a"
heading: "Special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/5332a"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart D — Pay and Allowances"
  - "Chapter 53 — Pay Rates and Systems"
  - "Subchapter III — General Schedule Pay Rates"
---

# §5332a. Special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters

- (a) **Definitions.—** In this section—
  - (1) the term “[firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17)” means an [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) who—
    - (A) is a [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) within the meaning of [section 8331(21)](/usc/5/8331.md?p=21) or [section 8401(14)](/usc/5/8401.md?p=14);
    - (B) in the case of an [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) who holds a supervisory or administrative [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) and is subject to subchapter III of [chapter 83](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch83.md), but who does not qualify to be considered a [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) within the meaning of [section 8331(21)](/usc/5/8331.md?p=21), would otherwise qualify if the [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) had transferred directly to that [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) after serving as a [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) within the meaning of that section;
    - (C) in the case of an [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) who holds a supervisory or administrative [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) and is subject to [chapter 84](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch84.md), but who does not qualify to be considered a [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) within the meaning of [section 8401(14)](/usc/5/8401.md?p=14), would otherwise qualify if the [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) had transferred directly to that [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) after performing duties described in [section 8401(14)(A)](/usc/5/8401.md?p=14-A) for at least 3 years; or
    - (D) in the case of an [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) who is not subject to subchapter III of [chapter 83](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch83.md) or [chapter 84](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch84.md), holds a [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) that the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management determines would satisfy subparagraph [(A)](#a-1-A), [(B)](#a-1-B), or [(C)](#a-1-C) if the [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) were subject to subchapter III of [chapter 83](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch83.md) or [chapter 84](/usc/5/chptIII/sptG/ch84.md);
  - (2) the term “General Schedule base rate” means an annual rate of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) established under [section 5332](/usc/5/5332.md) before any additions, such as a [locality](/usc/5/5302.md?p=5)-based [comparability payment](/usc/5/5302.md?p=7) under section [5304](/usc/5/5304.md) or [5304a](/usc/5/5304a.md) or a special rate supplement under [section 5305](/usc/5/5305.md);
  - (3) the term “special base rate” means an annual rate of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) payable to a wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17), before any additions or reductions, that replaces the General Schedule base rate otherwise applicable to the wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) and that is administered in the same manner as a General Schedule base rate; and
  - (4) the term “wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17)” means a [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17)—
    - (A) who is employed by the Forest [Service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) or the [Department](/usc/5/10101.md?p=4) of the Interior; and
    - (B) the duties of the [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) of whom primarily relate to fires occurring in forests, range lands, or other wildlands, as opposed to structural fires.
- (b) **Special Base Rates of Pay.—**
  - (1) **Entitlement to special rate.—** Notwithstanding [section 5332](/usc/5/5332.md), a wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) is entitled to a special base rate at [grades](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-5) 1 through 15, which shall—
    - (A) replace the otherwise applicable General Schedule base rate for the wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17);
    - (B) be [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) for all purposes, including the purpose of computing a [locality](/usc/5/5302.md?p=5)-based [comparability payment](/usc/5/5302.md?p=7) under section [5304](/usc/5/5304.md) or [5304a](/usc/5/5304a.md); and
    - (C) be computed as described in [paragraph (2)](#b-2) and adjusted at the time of adjustments in the General Schedule.
  - (2) **Computation.—**
    - (A) **In general.—** The special base rate for a wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) shall be derived by increasing the otherwise applicable General Schedule base rate for the wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) by the following applicable percentage for the [grade](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-5) of the wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) and rounding the result to the nearest whole dollar:
      - (i) For GS–1, 42 percent.
      - (ii) For GS–2, 39 percent.
      - (iii) For GS–3, 36 percent.
      - (iv) For GS–4, 33 percent.
      - (v) For GS–5, 30 percent.
      - (vi) For GS–6, 27 percent.
      - (vii) For GS–7, 24 percent.
      - (viii) For GS–8, 21 percent.
      - (ix) For GS–9, 18 percent.
      - (x) For GS–10, 15 percent.
      - (xi) For GS–11, 12 percent.
      - (xii) For GS–12, 9 percent.
      - (xiii) For GS–13, 6 percent.
      - (xiv) For GS–14, 3 percent.
      - (xv) For GS–15, 1.5 percent.
    - (B) **Hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rates.—** When the special base rate with respect to a wildland [firefighter](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-17) is expressed as an hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rate, the special base rate shall be computed from the appropriate annual rate of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) derived under [subparagraph (A)](#b-2-A) in accordance with the rules under [section 5504(b)](/usc/5/5504.md?p=b).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 119–4, div. A, title VIII, § 1807, Mar. 15, 2025, 139 Stat. 30.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section is based on section 456(a) of H.R. 8998, from the 118th Congress (Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Congress, Agencies Appropriations Act, 2025), as passed by the House of Representatives on July 24, 2024, which was enacted into law by section 1807 of div. A of Pub. L. 119–4.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section 456(d) of H.R. 8998, from the 118th Congress, as passed by the House of Representatives on July 24, 2024, which was enacted into law by Pub. L. 119–4, div. A, title VIII, § 1807, Mar. 15, 2025, 139 Stat. 30, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section, amending section 5343 of this title, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 6592 of Title 16, Conservation] shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after either October 1, 2024 or the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 15, 2025], whichever is later.”