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119-s-1788119th CongressWALLET

Civilian Conservation Center Enhancement Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

Introduced

Summary

Civilian Conservation Centers would be set up to give underserved youth residential training in forestry, conservation, and wildland firefighting. The bill would authorize wildland firefighting workforce pilots and a housing pilot, create direct-hire pathways for graduates, and require agencies to plan how to use CCC capacity.

Show full summary
  • Underserved youth gain residential training and paid student work, with a hiring goal of 300 covered graduates annually into firefighting or related fields.
  • Public land agencies and rural communities get a pipeline of trained workers, with recruitment investments, signing bonuses, and direct-hire authority beginning in fiscal year 2025.
  • Agencies must offer curricula from incident management to heavy equipment operation, identify workforce needs, prepare recruitment and instructors, and report to Congress on underused CCC capacity and needed investments within a year.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Housing pilot for firefighters

If enacted, the bill would start a Wildland Firefighting Housing Pilot that hires covered students to repair and expand federal housing for firefighters and agency staff. The pilot would identify federal properties for renovation and areas fit for new construction. The agencies must send Congress a prioritized renovation list and a plan for how students would do the repair and remediation work.

Training, Hiring, and Student Pay

If enacted, the bill would create and expand Civilian Conservation Center training in forestry, firefighting, and other public-land careers. It would define who counts as a covered student and covered graduate. The agencies could pay covered students normal wages for necessary work hours and encourage using students on Forest Service contracts. Starting in fiscal year 2025, the Secretaries could directly hire qualified graduates into federal jobs and set hiring goals, including a goal to hire 300 graduates a year. The agencies could also make discretionary investments and offer signing bonuses to help graduates take jobs and housing in rural areas.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

OR • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]

    MT • R

    Sponsored 5/15/2025

  • Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

    CO • D

    Sponsored 5/15/2025

  • Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]

    ME • I

    Sponsored 5/15/2025

  • Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 5/15/2025

  • Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 5/15/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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