Wildfire Response and Readiness Act

(a) Amendment to HFRA definition of at-Risk community.— Subparagraph (A) of section 101(1) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511(1)(A)) is amended to read as follows:

“(A) that is comprised of a group of homes and other structures with basic infrastructure and services (such as utilities and collectively maintained transportation routes) within or adjacent to Federal land;”.

(b) Map of at-Risk communities.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, acting through the United States Fire Administrator and in coordination with the Chief of the Forest Service, shall develop and publish a map depicting at-risk communities (as defined in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511), as amended by this section), including Tribal at-risk communities.

Section 40803(f) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(f)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)—

(A) by striking “(c)(12)” and inserting “(c)(12) and section 21103 of the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act”; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking “projects” and inserting “projects (including covered projects)”; and

(2) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(D) Covered projects defined.— In this subsection, the term covered projects means the following:

(i) The construction, modification, or maintenance of a structure to make the structure resistant to the intrusion of flames or embers.

(ii) The modification of a structure or an area adjacent to a structure, (including vegetation and miscellaneous structures, such as garages, sheds, and fencing) if such modification is carried out—

(I) to reduce the exposure of the structure to direct contact from flame, radiation, or embers from wildfire; and

(II) with consideration for the potential effects on the structure of nearby combustible features (including vegetation, vehicles, and miscellaneous structures, such as garages, sheds, and fencing).”.

In addition to amounts made available to the Secretary of Agriculture under section 40803(c)(12) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(c)(12)), there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out section 40803(f) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592(f)) $1,000,000,000 for each fiscal year.

(a) In general.— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall, with respect to the grant programs for community wildfire risk reduction and postfire recovery efforts carried out by each of the Secretaries—

(1) increase the accessibility of such grant programs;

(2) reduce the complexity of the application process for grants under such programs, including—

(A) by reducing the amount of information required to apply; and

(B) to the maximum extent practicable, enabling auto-populating fields in the online applications for such grants;

(3) reduce administrative burden with respect to such grant programs, including by—

(A) aligning program applications to reduce separate applications for similar programs; and

(B) developing a common section for applications to reduce duplicative questions;

(4) review the statutory and administrative barriers that impede the ability of communities to quickly access funds under each such grant program;

(5) increase technical assistance provided to applicants, recipients, and subrecipients; and

(6) increase outreach to potential applicants for such grant programs, including by—

(A) providing appropriate dedicated staff to assist individuals and communities in identifying and applying for grants under such grant programs; and

(B) notifying potential applicants of eligibility and open application seasons with respect to such grant programs.

(b) Secretaries defined.— In this section, the term Secretaries means—

(1) the Secretary of the Interior;

(2) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service;

(3) the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(4) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration; and

(5) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

(a) In general.— Section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)(2)—

(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and adjusting the margins accordingly; and

(B) in the matter preceding clause (i), as so redesignated, by striking “provide the following percentage rates, in addition to the eligible project costs, to cover direct and indirect costs of administering the following programs:” and inserting

“(A) excess funds for management costs as described in subsection (c); and

(B) the following percentage rates in addition to the eligible costs, to cover direct and indirect costs of administering the following programs;”;

(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and

(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

“(c) Use of excess funds for management costs.—

(1) Definition.— In this subsection, the term excess funds for management costs means the difference between—

(A) the amount of the applicable specific management costs authorized under subsection (b)(1) and subsection (b)(2)(B); and

(B) as of the date on which the grant award is closed, the amount of funding for management costs activities expended by the grantee or subgrantee receiving the financial assistance for costs described in subparagraph (A).

(2) Availability of excess funds for management costs.— The President may make available to a grantee or subgrantee receiving financial assistance under section 403, 404, 406, 407, or 502 any excess funds for management costs.

(3) Use of funds.— Excess funds for management costs made available to a grantee or subgrantee under paragraph (2) may be used for—

(A) activities associated with building capacity to prepare for, recover from, or mitigate the impacts of a major disaster or emergency declared under section 401 or 501, respectively; and

(B) management costs associated with any—

(i) major disaster;

(ii) emergency;

(iii) disaster preparedness measure; or

(iv) mitigation activity or measure authorized under section 203, 204, 205, or 404.

(4) Availability.— Excess funds for management costs made available to a grantee or subgrantee under paragraph (2) shall remain available to the grantee or subgrantee until the date that is 5 years after the date on which the excess funds for management costs are made available under paragraph (2).”.

(b) Applicability.— The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any grant award in relation to a major disaster or emergency declared under section 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191)—

(1) the declaration of which is made on or after the date of enactment of this Act; and

(2) that is funded with amounts appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

(c) GAO study.— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report—

(1) on the actual management costs described in section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) during the period of a major disaster declaration under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) to determine whether the amount set aside for those management costs after the date of enactment of this Act is appropriate; and

(2) that includes the management costs described in section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) for each major disaster declared under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during the 5-year period preceding the date of the report, the amount set aside for those management costs, the use of those management costs, the length of each disaster, and the reason for the length of each disaster.

(d) No additional funds.— No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).

(e) Fire management assistance program policy.— Section 420(a) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187(a)) is amended—

(1) by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”;

(2) by striking “local government for the mitigation” and inserting the following:

“(1) the mitigation”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(2) assessments and emergency stabilization to protect public safety irrespective of the incident period for a declared fire.”.

(f) Changes to public assistance policy guide.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall amend the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to include guidance on wildfire-specific recovery challenges, including debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the resulting toxicity of drinking water resources.

(g) Mitigation cost effectiveness.—

(1) In general.— The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall conduct a review of the criteria for evaluating the cost effectiveness of projects intended to mitigate the impacts of wildfire under sections 203 and 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133; 5170c), including—

(A) the establishment of precalculated benefits criterion for common defensible space mitigation projects for wildfire mitigation;

(B) the use of nature-based infrastructure in wildfire mitigation;

(C) considerations for vegetation management for wildfire mitigation;

(D) reducing the negative effects of wildfire smoke on public health; and

(E) lessening the impact of wildfires on water infrastructure.

(2) Updated criteria.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall issue such guidance as is necessary to—

(A) update criteria for evaluating the cost effectiveness of mitigation projects under sections 203 and 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133; 5170c) based on the results of the review conducted under paragraph (1); and

(B) prioritize such projects based on the criteria updated under subparagraph (A).

(a) Establishment of program.— Title II of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5131 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“207. Individual household disaster mitigation program.—

(a) Establishment.— The President shall establish a program to provide grants to States and Indian Tribal governments for qualifying pre-disaster mitigation activities on individual residential households that are at risk of being damaged by a major disaster.

(b) Establishment of eligible disaster areas.— In carrying out the program under this section, the President shall—

(1) establish eligible disaster areas, in consultation with States, that the President determines to be at risk of a natural hazard, including—

(A) a description of the type, likelihood, and severity of each potential natural hazard affecting each such risk area; and

(B) by taking into account previously declared major disasters impacting such areas;

(2) provide technical assistance to the States or Indian Tribal governments in developing the plan described in subsection (c) and administering grants provided for individual households under the program;

(3) not less frequently than every 5 years, review and update the eligible disaster areas that the President determines to be at risk of a natural disaster, including a description of the type and severity of each potential natural disaster affecting each such risk area; and

(4) consult with relevant governmental and nongovernmental experts in order to ensure that such determinations are made using current scientific standards and tools available in establishing, reviewing, and updating the eligible disaster areas that the President determines to be at risk of a natural disaster.

(c) Plan for eligible activities.— To be eligible for a grant under this section, a State or Indian Tribal government shall submit to the President a plan that includes—

(1) each disaster risk area established by the President under subsection (b) in which the State or Indian Tribal government proposes to provide funds under the program;

(2) an assessment of the availability and affordability of homeowner insurance coverage in each such risk area, including a breakdown of coverage offered by—

(A) private insurance companies;

(B) State residual markets; and

(C) State and Federal insurance programs;

(3) an analysis of factors that may be adversely impacting insurance availability and affordability;

(4) a list of each qualifying mitigation activity that is eligible for funds in each such risk area;

(5) the criteria by which a State or Indian Tribal government will evaluate applicants, which shall include consideration of the household income of the applicant and whether the residence is located in a Community Disaster Resilience Zone; and

(6) a financial plan that includes maximum amounts available to a household for each qualifying mitigation activity.

(d) Consultation.— In establishing the program under this section, the President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Director of the Federal Insurance Office, shall consult with the chief insurance regulators from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States, insurance industry stakeholders, including insurers, reinsurers, agents, brokers, and insurance-funded research organizations, and consumer and environmental stakeholders to determine what qualifying mitigation activities are likely to incentivize the availability and purchase of residential property insurance and other financial risk transfer mechanisms in eligible disaster areas.

(e) Limitations.—

(1) High-risk areas.— Funds provided under this section may only be used in eligible disaster areas that the State or Indian Tribal government determines are at a high risk of experiencing a major disaster for the major disaster that presents such a risk.

(2) Limitation based on adjusted gross income.— An individual shall not be eligible to receive a grant under this section if the adjusted gross income of such individual exceeds $250,000 ($500,000 in the case of a joint tax return) for the taxable year ending in the calendar year immediately preceding the calendar year with respect to which a grant application is filed.

(3) Definition of adjusted gross income.— In this section, the term adjusted gross income has the meaning given such term in section 62(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(f) Multi-Tiered mitigation standards.—

(1) In general.— The President, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall establish mitigation standards for individual households that carry out each type of qualifying mitigation activity eligible for funds under the program, which may include a multi-tiered standard.

(2) Consideration.— In establishing the mitigation standards under paragraph (1), the President, acting through the Administrator—

(A) shall consider any standards established by—

(i) the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety;

(ii) the chief insurance regulators from the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States; and

(iii) any other standard-issuing entity determined appropriate; and

(B) may—

(i) adopt a standard considered under subparagraph (A); or

(ii) establish alternative standards.

(g) Guidance to insurance providers.— To be eligible for a grant under the program under this section, a State or Indian Tribal government shall establish, and make available to the public, guidance to insurance providers and consumers that includes suggested incentives for households that carry out disaster mitigation activities under the program, including—

(1) the mitigation standards established under subsection (f);

(2) increased consumer coverage choice; and

(3) actuarially supported favorable pricing benefits such as discounts, rebates, or premium credits.

(h) Maximum amounts.— A State or Indian Tribal government may not provide more than an amount of $10,000, not to exceed the actual cost of mitigation activities, to any individual household under the program. Such amount shall be increased yearly to reflect any increase in the Consumer Price Index.

(i) Definition of qualifying mitigation activity.— In this section, the term qualifying mitigation activity means an activity relating to a housing unit—

(1) for property to—

(A) improve the strength of a roof deck attachment;

(B) create a secondary water barrier to prevent water intrusion or mitigate against potential water intrusion from wind-driven rain;

(C) improve the durability, impact resistance (not less than class 3 or 4 rating), or fire resistance (not less than class A rating) of a roof covering;

(D) brace gable-end walls;

(E) reinforce the connection between a roof and supporting wall;

(F) protect openings from penetration by wind-borne debris;

(G) protect exterior doors and garages from natural hazards;

(H) complete measures contained in the publication of the Federal Emergency Management Agency entitled “Wind Retrofit Guide for Residential Buildings” (P–804);

(I) elevate the qualified dwelling unit, as well as utilities, machinery, or equipment, above the base flood elevation or other applicable minimum elevation requirement;

(J) seal walls in the basement of the qualified dwelling unit using waterproofing compounds; or

(K) protect propane tanks or other external fuel sources;

(2) to install—

(A) check valves to prevent flood water from backing up into drains;

(B) flood vents, breakaway walls or open lattice for homes located in V zones;

(C) a stormwater drainage system or improve an existing system;

(D) natural or nature-based features for flood control, including living shorelines;

(E) roof coverings, sheathing, flashing, roof and attic vents, eaves, or gutters that conform to ignition-resistant construction standards;

(F) wall components for wall assemblies that conform to ignition-resistant construction standards;

(G) a wall-to-foundation anchor or connector, or a shear transfer anchor or connector;

(H) wood structural panel sheathing for strengthening cripple walls;

(I) anchorage of the masonry chimney to the framing;

(J) prefabricated lateral resisting systems;

(K) a standby generator system consisting of a standby generator and an automatic transfer switch;

(L) a storm shelter that meets the design and construction standards established by the International Code Council and the National Storm Shelter Association (ICC–500), or a safe room that satisfies the criteria contained in—

(i) the publication of the Federal Emergency Management Agency entitled “Safe Rooms for Tornadoes and Hurricanes” (P–361); or

(ii) the publication of the Federal Emergency Management Agency entitled “Taking Shelter from the Storm” (P–320);

(M) a lightning protection system;

(N) exterior walls, doors, windows, or other exterior dwelling unit elements that conform to ignition-resistant construction standards;

(O) exterior deck or fence components that conform to ignition-resistant construction standards;

(P) structure-specific water hydration systems, including fire mitigation systems such as interior sprinkler systems;

(Q) flood openings for fully enclosed areas below the lowest floor of the dwelling unit;

(R) lateral bracing for wall elements, foundation elements, and garage doors or other large openings to resist seismic loads; or

(S) automatic shutoff valves for water and gas lines;

(3) for services or equipment to—

(A) create buffers around the qualified dwelling unit through the removal or reduction of flammable vegetation, including vertical clearance of tree branches;

(B) create buffers around the dwelling unit through—

(i) the removal of exterior deck or fence components or ignition-prone landscape features; or

(ii) replacement of the components or features described in clause (i) with components or features that conform to ignition-resistant construction standards;

(C) perform fire maintenance procedures identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the United States Forest Service, including fuel management techniques such as creating fuel and fire breaks; or

(D) replace flammable vegetation with less flammable species;

(4) for property relating to satisfying the standards required for receipt of a FORTIFIED designation from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, provided that the qualified dwelling unit receives such designation following installation of such property;

(5) for property relating to satisfying the standards required for receipt of a Wildfire Prepared Homes designation from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, provided that the qualified dwelling unit receives such designation following installation of such property; or

(6) for any other hazard mitigation activity identified by the President, in consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the hazard mitigation advisory committee established in subsection (k), for mitigation of a natural hazard.

(j) Hazard mitigation advisory committee.— The President shall establish a hazard mitigation advisory committee that shall—

(1) consist of 50 representatives, including representatives from—

(A) the State Insurance Commissioners;

(B) private insurance companies;

(C) private reinsurance companies;

(D) insurance broker companies;

(E) insurance-funded research organizations;

(F) consumer advocate organizations;

(G) State, local, and Tribal firefighting agencies;

(H) State-sponsored insurance plans;

(I) realtor associations;

(J) home builder associations;

(K) State, local, and Tribal emergency responders;

(L) State and Tribal emergency managers;

(M) State and Tribal hazard mitigation officers;

(N) relevant academic experts;

(O) building code associations;

(P) agricultural groups; and

(Q) environmental organizations; and

(2) advise the President on developments in emerging hazard mitigation research and testing and recommend additions to the qualified hazard mitigation activities eligible under this program, including reviewing the effectiveness of hazard mitigation systems, products, and designations submitted to the advisory committee by private or nongovernmental companies or organizations.

(k) Rules of construction.— Nothing in this Act shall—

(1) require a State or any other entity to base the assessment of the status of the availability of homeowner insurance coverage required under subsection (c)(2) on data not already collected by that entity absent this requirement; and

(2) be construed to preempt the State regulation of the business of insurance or require, by the Federal Government or any State government, any insurance provider to alter the underwriting, pricing, and distribution of insurance.”.

(b) Tax treatment of individual household disaster mitigation program.—

(1) In general.— Section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i) and by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:

“(h) Individual household disaster mitigation program.— Gross income shall not include amounts received under section 207 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.”.

(2) Effective date.— The amendment made by this subsection shall apply to amounts received after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall publish a report—

(1) on authorities and programs of the Federal Government that are available to protect communities from wildfires; and

(2) that includes an assessment of the Comptroller General with respect to impediments to the implementation of such programs, including gaps in funding.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall publish a study that includes—

(1) an assessment of the Comptroller General with respect to—

(A) the potential for a community protection and wildfire resilience plan to qualify for a certification identifying a level of wildfire survivability and resilience; and

(B) methods that could be used by the Federal Government to incentivize insurance companies to accept such a certification; and

(2) an identification of any metrics that could be provided to insurance companies as assurance that a community has wildfire resilience measures in place.

(a) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Covered ecosystems.— The term covered ecosystems means shrubland ecosystems, including—

(A) chaparral;

(B) coastal sage scrub;

(C) sagebrush;

(D) shrub-steppe;

(E) xeric shrubland; and

(F) any other dryland shrub ecosystem in which wildfire management presents a significant challenge, as determined by the Secretary.

(2) Hazardous fuels management activity.— The term hazardous fuels management activity means an activity to manage vegetation to reduce the risk of wildfire.

(3) Relevant congressional committees.— The term relevant Congressional committees means—

(A) the committees on Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the committees on Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources, and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.

(4) Secretary.— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.

(5) Wildland-urban interface.— The term wildland-urban interface has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).

(b) Study.—

(1) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation methods available to the Forest Service as a means of reducing the risk of wildfire in covered ecosystems and the severity of damages from such wildfire in communities within or adjacent to covered ecosystems.

(2) Elements.— In carrying out the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, with respect to covered ecosystems—

(A) evaluate the effectiveness and longevity of—

(i) hazardous fuels management activities, including fuel modification through the use of strategic fuel breaks; and

(ii) practices for maintaining the health of native ecosystems, including—

(I) mitigating the development and spread of invasive species, including invasive weeds, grasses, and other vegetation; or

(II) improving the resprouting of native shrub species on lands affected by wildfire;

(B) evaluate the effectiveness of policies and protocols of the Forest Service with respect to limiting unintentional ember ignitions attributable to the public or man-made structures, including electrical infrastructure;

(C) study the conditions (including weather, seasonality, and topography) under which each wildfire mitigation method evaluated under the study is most and least effective in reducing the risk of wildland fire;

(D) identify administrative, operational, and budgetary factors that impede the ability of wildland fire managers and wildland firefighters to implement wildfire mitigation methods evaluated under the study; and

(E) evaluate the effectiveness of partnerships between the Forest Service and non-Federal entities in reducing the vulnerability of homes, roadways, and other high-risk structures to ember ignition.

(3) Coordination; consultation.—

(A) Interagency coordination.— In carrying out the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable and to avoid the duplication of research activities of the Federal Government, act in coordination with—

(i) entities within the Forest Service with expertise in wildfire risk reduction and ecology in covered ecosystems, including the Shrub Sciences Laboratory and the Maintaining Resilient Dryland Ecosystems program; and

(ii) the heads of Federal agencies conducting wildfire mitigation activities or hazardous fuels management activities in covered ecosystems, including the Secretary of the Interior.

(B) Consultation.— In carrying out the study under paragraph (1), the Secretary may, and is encouraged to, solicit consultation from non-Federal public and private entities with relevant expertise in wildfire mitigation in covered ecosystems, as determined by the Secretary.

(c) Report.— Not later than 90 days after the date on which the study under subsection (b)(1) is complete, the Secretary shall submit to the relevant Congressional committees, and make publicly available, a report that includes—

(1) a summary of the results of the study;

(2) based on the results of the study, identification by the Secretary of—

(A) best practices for land managers in reducing the risk of wildfire in covered ecosystems; and

(B) any areas implicated by the study that merit further research;

(3) a comparison of the polices and protocols of the Forest Service with respect to reducing the risk of wildfire in covered ecosystems and the best practices identified under paragraph (2)(A); and

(4) an evaluation by the Secretary of opportunities to improve coordination between the Forest Service and non-Federal entities on activities to improve wildfire resilience in covered ecosystems and reduce risks of harm from wildfire to the built environment, particularly in the wildland-urban interface.

(a) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management shall publish a joint report on the use of emergency authorities. The report shall include—

(1) the number of times each authority has been utilized;

(2) the number of acres affected by the use of each authority;

(3) for each use of an emergency authority—

(A) the name of the State and management unit in which the emergency authority was used;

(B) the specific emergency authority used; and

(C) the duration of any public comment period on each use of a relevant emergency authority; and

(4) in the case of subsection (b)(2), the date that formal consultation was completed.

(b) Emergency authority defined.— For the purposes of this subsection “emergency authority” means:

(1) section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment), with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior;

(2) section 402.05 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment);

(3) section 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment), except that any reference contained in that regulation to an “agency official” shall be considered to be a reference to a responsible official;

(4) section 1b.9(v) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment);

(5) section 1b.9(w) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment);

(6) section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment); and

(7) section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592c).

(c) Consolidation.— The report referenced in this subsection (a) may be included in the materials submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code.

(a) In general.— Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on existing key performance indicators and potential outcome-based performance measures to reduce wildfire risk on Federal land.

(b) Inclusions.— The report submitted under subsection (a) shall identify solutions to track the implementation and effectiveness of hazardous fuels reduction activities and forest restoration treatments, including strategies—

(1) to track whether land management activities are reducing wildfire hazards and ways to quantify and track acres in maintenance status;

(2) to track place-based and locally led outcomes;

(3) to standardize national-level monitoring measures;

(4) to quantify catastrophic wildfire risk reduction;

(5) to quantify carbon sequestration and climate resilience;

(6) to quantify forest biodiversity and wildfire resilience, including as related to—

(A) recreational services;

(B) watershed conditions;

(C) soil health and productivity;

(D) fish and wildlife habitat;

(E) water quantity and quality protection; and

(F) late successional ecosystems.

(7) to identify modeling and data challenges that are preventing the transition to annual wildfire risk mapping updates; and

(8) to integrate advanced technologies or a combination of technologies and analyses that will benefit the quality of information reported.

(c) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.— The term appropriate congressional committees means—

(A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate;

(B) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate;

(C) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives; and

(D) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.

(2) Secretary.— The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.

(a) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Eligible entity.— The term eligible entity means a State forester, emergency manager, or equivalent State official.

(2) Secretary.— The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey.

(b) Grant program To monitor wildfires by satellite.—

(1) Establishment.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a competitive grant program under which the Secretary shall make at least 3 grants to eligible entities to monitor wildfires by satellite (in this section referred to as the “Program”).

(2) Eligible projects.— Each eligible entity awarded a grant under the Program shall only use such grant to—

(A) purchase and integrate, through a public-private partnership, high-resolution multi- and hyper-spectral full spectrum imaging capability from visible, near-infrared, shortwave infrared, thermal infrared, and radar data from the latest-generation of wildfire monitoring satellites; and

(B) use the data acquired under subparagraph (A), as well as any analyses relating to such data, to detect, assess, respond to, and manage wildfires, with an emphasis on—

(i) monitoring active fire behavior, burned area, intensity, and severity;

(ii) ensuring the safety and effectiveness of prescribed fire treatments; and

(iii) guiding post-fire risk assessment and disaster recovery.

(3) Application.— To be eligible for a grant under the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(4) Grant amount.— Each grant awarded under the Program shall be in an amount the Secretary determines appropriate.

(5) Report.— Not later than the last day of the second fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that includes—

(A) the number of applications received for a grant under the Program;

(B) details of each eligible entity that was awarded a grant under the Program;

(C) the impact of the Program on wildfire prevention;

(D) any recommendation that the Secretary determines appropriate to establish the Program as a long-term grant program; and

(E) any other information on the effectiveness of the Program that the Secretary determines appropriate.

(c) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036 to carry out the Program.

(a) Secretaries defined.— In this section, the term Secretaries means—

(1) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(2) the Secretary of the Interior; and

(3) the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(b) Establishment of standard operating procedures.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretaries shall—

(1) establish standard operating procedures relating to payment timelines for fire suppression cost share agreements established under the Act of May 27, 1955 (42 U.S.C. 1856a) (commonly known as the “Reciprocal Fire Protection Act”); and

(2) with respect to each fire suppression cost share agreement in operation on such date—

(A) review each such agreement; and

(B) modify each agreement as necessary to comply with the standard operating procedures required under paragraph (1).

(c) Alignment of fire suppression cost share agreements with cooperative fire protection agreements.— The standard operating procedures required under subsection (b)(1) shall include a requirement that each fire suppression cost share agreement be aligned with each of the cooperative fire protection agreements applicable to the entity subject to such fire suppression cost share agreement.

(d) Payments pursuant to cost share agreements.— With respect to payments made pursuant to fire suppression cost share agreements, the standard operating procedures required under subsection (b)(1) shall require that the Federal paying entity reimburse a local fire department or a State wildland firefighter agency if such fire department or agency submits an invoice in accordance with cost settlement procedures.

(e) Sense of Congress.— It is the sense of Congress that the Secretaries should carry out reciprocal fire suppression cost share agreement repayments to local fire suppression organizations as soon as practicable after fire suppression occurs but not later than 1 year after fire suppression occurs.

(a) Establishment.— The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a permanent advisory committee to be known as the Wildfire Science and Technology Advisory Board (in this section referred to as the “Board”).

(b) Duties.— The Board shall—

(1) coordinate the operationalization within the Federal Government of wildfire research, including by—

(A) identifying avenues for translating wildfire research into practical applications;

(B) establishing criteria and frameworks to prioritize wildfire research projects for operationalization;

(C) facilitating the transition of prioritized wildfire research into operational projects;

(D) connecting and supporting entities in wildfire research and operations;

(E) providing feedback to refine and enhance wildfire research outputs for practical application; and

(F) partnering, as the Board determines appropriate, with private sector and federally funded research centers to further the work of the Board;

(2) encourage wildfire researchers and Federal agencies undertaking wildfire operations to include—

(A) relevant disciplines, such as public health, meteorological science, and predictive modeling; and

(B) consideration of built and natural fire-prone environments; and

(3) disseminate information, including by—

(A) establishing mechanisms, such as newsletters and publications, online portals, webinars, and workshops, to disseminate wildfire research findings, operational best practices, and resources to relevant stakeholders and practitioners; and

(B) promoting activities of the Board to ensure visibility and accessibility to stakeholders.

(c) Membership.—

(1) Number and appointment.— The Board shall be composed of the following members:

(A) The Secretary of the Interior (or the designee thereof).

(B) The Secretary of Agriculture (or the designee thereof).

(C) The Secretary of Commerce (or the designee thereof).

(D) The Chief of the Forest Service (or the designee thereof).

(E) The Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (or the designee thereof).

(F) The Director of the Bureau of Land Management (or the designee thereof).

(G) The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (or the designee thereof, except that such designee may not be the member of the Board serving pursuant to subparagraph (H)).

(H) The United States Fire Administrator (or the designee thereof).

(I) The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (or the designee thereof).

(J) The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (or the designee thereof).

(K) The Director of the National Park Service (or the designee thereof).

(L) The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (or the designee thereof).

(M) The Director of the United States Geological Survey (or the designee thereof).

(N) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (or the designee thereof).

(O) The Director of the National Science Foundation (or designee thereof).

(P) The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (or designee thereof).

(Q) The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or designee thereof).

(R) The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (or designee thereof).

(S) Not more than 18 non-Federal members, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, as follows:

(i) At least 1 representative from each of the following:

(I) State government.

(II) Local government.

(III) Tribal government.

(ii) Representatives of fire departments.

(iii) Representatives of relevant private-sector entities, such as codes and standards-setting organizations, prescribed fire associations, and entities with expertise in wildfire science and wildfire risk identification, transfer, and mitigation.

(iv) Wildfire, forest health, or ecological restoration researchers.

(v) Public health experts.

(vi) Meteorological scientists.

(vii) Predictive modeling experts.

(viii) Such other members as the Secretary of the Interior deems appropriate.

(2) Terms.—

(A) In general.— Each member of the Board serving pursuant to paragraph (1)(S) shall be appointed for a term of 2 years.

(B) Vacancies.— A vacancy on the Board shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.

(3) Pay and expenses.—

(A) Prohibition on compensation.— A member of the Board shall serve without compensation.

(B) Travel expenses.— Each member of the Board shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

(4) Chairperson.—

(A) In general.— Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Chairperson shall rotate annually among the members of the Board serving pursuant to subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1), beginning with the member serving pursuant to paragraph (1)(A), followed by the member serving pursuant to paragraph (1)(B).

(B) Exception.— For any term, the members of the Board may designate a member of the Board to serve as the Chairperson of the Board in lieu of the official (or the designee thereof) who would otherwise serve as the Chairperson pursuant to subparagraph (A).

(5) Staff; temporary and intermittent services.—

(A) Staff.— The Board may appoint personnel as it considers appropriate.

(B) Pay.— The Chairperson of the Board may fix the compensation of the personnel appointed under subparagraph (A) without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions and General Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of pay for such personnel may not exceed the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

(C) Detail of Federal employees.— The head of any Federal department or agency may detail any of the personnel of that department or agency to the Board. A detail under the preceding sentence shall be without reimbursement and without interruption or loss of civil service status or privilege.

(D) Procurement of temporary and intermittent services.— The Chairperson of the Board may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates for individuals that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of that title.

(d) Report.—

(1) In general.— Not later than the date that is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Board shall submit a report to the relevant congressional committees, which shall—

(A) detail the activities of the Board;

(B) discuss progress on transitioning wildfire research into operations within the Federal Government;

(C) discuss barriers to successfully transitioning wildfire research into operations within the Federal Government; and

(D) provide recommendations on future wildfire research priorities and operational needs.

(2) Relevant congressional committees.— In this subsection, the term relevant congressional committees means—

(A) the Committees on Agriculture; Natural Resources; Science, Space, and Technology; and Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.

(e) Termination.— Section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Board.

(f) Funding.—

(1) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this section, to remain available until expended.

(2) Additional funding.— In addition to the amounts made available pursuant to paragraph (1), the Federal members of the Board may, for purposes of carrying out this section, use amounts whose purpose is not otherwise specified by the appropriations laws available to the employing agencies of such members.

(a) Livestock forage program.— Section 1501(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(c)(4)(A)(ii)) is amended by inserting “(including a prescribed fire, beneficial fire, and wildfire managed for resource objectives)” before the period.

(b) Emergency livestock assistance program.— Section 1501(d)(1) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)(1)) is amended by striking “and wildfires” and inserting “, wildfires, beneficial fires, prescribed fires, and wildfires managed for resource objectives”.

(a) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Artificial intelligence.— The term artificial intelligence has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).

(2) Board.— The term Board means the Board of the Joint Office.

(3) Director.— The term Director means the Director of the Joint Office.

(4) Joint Office.— The term Joint Office means the Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center under subsection (b)(1).

(5) Machine learning.— The term machine learning has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).

(b) Establishment.—

(1) In general.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a joint office, which shall be known as the “Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center”.

(2) Structure.— The Joint Office shall be composed of the following components:

(A) Technology and Engineering, which shall focus on modeling and the building and testing of technology and may enter into public-private partnerships.

(B) Data Services, which shall be responsible for the following:

(i) Testing artificial intelligence and machine learning to support managers, firefighters, and public health officials on the ground, including by producing decision consequence data (including information and metrics used to forecast, evaluate, and measure outcomes of proposed courses of action), modeling risk, and suggesting resources based on fire and smoke conditions at the time and place of ignition detection.

(ii) Working with State, local, and Tribal entities with respect to data sharing.

(C) Analysis and Prediction.

(D) Education and Consultation, which shall be responsible for incident management.

(E) Any other component determined necessary or appropriate by the Board.

(c) Functions.—

(1) In general.—

(A) Availability of products and information.— The Joint Office shall make available to the following the products and information developed by the Joint Office:

(i) Geographic area coordination centers.

(ii) Incident management teams.

(iii) Land managers.

(iv) Air quality and water provider agencies.

(v) State, local, and Tribal governments.

(vi) Public health agencies.

(B) Services and support.— The Joint Office shall provide real-time, science-based, and data-rich scientific and technical analytic services, decision support, and predictive services, to inform land and fuels management, community risk reduction, and fire management and response, including the following:

(i) Pre-fire mitigation and risk reduction activities for landscapes and communities, including through assessments and modeling of the following:

(I) Climate condition.

(II) Fuels.

(III) Home ignition.

(IV) Structure-to-structure spread.

(V) Values-at-risk.

(ii) Activities that better protect public health and safety during and after a fire, including the following:

(I) Mapping services and data provision to support evacuation decisions in communities at risk.

(II) Air quality monitoring and data forecasting to support health risk information that helps protect the public from smoke impacts associated with fire.

(iii) Fire response and management, including the following:

(I) Response preparedness and initial attack readiness for new fires.

(II) Deployment of response resources.

(III) Firefighter movement decisions during active fire management.

(iv) Post-fire activities, including with respect to the following:

(I) Vegetation recovery.

(II) Debris flows and flooding.

(III) Watershed protection.

(IV) Ecosystem health.

(C) Coordination.— The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in coordination with each of the agencies specified in subparagraphs (B) through (J) of subsection (d)(1), shall operate as a collective entity to produce accessible products and services for a variety of users and uses in fire management, including by carrying out the following:

(i) Developing timely, manager-focused models, technologies, assessments, and forecasts, to support fire operational decision-making and short- and long-term fire planning.

(ii) Integrating the existing specialties of the constituent land management, community preparedness, and public health agencies.

(2) Technological common operating environment.—

(A) In general.— The Joint Office shall develop a technological common operating environment for practitioners across the spectrum of risk mitigation, prescribed fire, response, and post-disaster response, to guide the development of highly dynamic decision support tools.

(B) Public health information.— The Joint Office shall ensure public health information that is essential to integrate into the common operating environment under subparagraph (A) is provided to Federal, State, and local public health agencies ensure the products of the Joint Office accurately reflect the depth and breadth of wildfire issues, including with respect to air quality data, forecasts, and information pertaining to the built environment.

(d) Board of the Joint Office.—

(1) Number and appointment.— The Joint Office shall be governed by a board that is composed of 14 members, as follows:

(A) One member who is a career employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, appointed by the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(B) One member who is a career employee of the United States Fire Administration, appointed by the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration.

(C) One member who is a career employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, appointed by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(D) One member who is a career employee of the National Weather Service, appointed by the Director of the National Weather Service.

(E) One member who is a career employee of the Forest Service, appointed by the Chief of the Forest Service.

(F) One member who is a career employee of the Department of the Interior, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.

(G) One member who is a career employee of the Bureau of Land Management, appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

(H) One member who is a career employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

(I) One member who is a career employee of the National Park Service, appointed by the Director of the National Park Service.

(J) One member who is a career employee of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, appointed by the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

(K) Two members who are non-Federal representatives of the wildfire community (such as representatives of nongovernmental organizations, State or local fire agencies with significant wildland fire expertise, or relevant unions) appointed by the Board.

(L) Two members who are State representations of the wildfire community, appointed by the Board.

(2) Terms.—

(A) In general.— Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), each member of the Board shall be appointed for a term of five years.

(B) Terms of initial appointees.— For the members first appointed to the Board, the following apply:

(i) The members appointed under subparagraphs (I) and (J) of paragraph (1) shall be appointed for terms of one year.

(ii) The members appointed under subparagraphs (D) and (G) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of two years.

(iii) The members appointed under subparagraphs (K) and (L) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of two years, which may be extended at the discretion of the Administrator.

(iv) The members appointed under subparagraphs (F) and (H) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of three years.

(v) The members appointed under subparagraphs (C) and (E) of such paragraph shall be appointed for terms of four years.

(C) Vacancies.— A member of the Board appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which such member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term. Such member may serve after the expiration of such term until a successor has taken office. A vacancy in the Board shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made.

(3) Prohibition of compensation of Federal employees.— A member of the Board who is a career employee of the United States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of service on the Board.

(4) Travel expenses.— Each member of the Board shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.

(5) Quorum.— Nine members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

(6) Chairperson; vice chairperson.— The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the members of the Board. The term of office of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson shall be one year.

(7) Meetings.— The Board shall meet not less frequently than quarterly and at a call of a majority of the members of the Board.

(e) Director and staff of Joint Office; experts and consultants.—

(1) Director.— The Joint Office shall have a Director who shall be appointed by the Board. To the extent or in the amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Director shall be paid at a rate of basic pay not to exceed the rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule. The budget and decision-making authority for the Joint Office is vested in the Director.

(2) Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.— With the approval of the Board, the Director may appoint a Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.

(3) Staff.— With the approval of the Board, the Director may appoint at least 100 personnel and may appoint such additional personnel as the Director considers appropriate.

(4) Applicability of certain civil service laws.— The Director and staff of the Joint Office shall be appointed subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.

(5) Experts and consultants.— With the approval of the Board, the Director may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay under the General Schedule.

(6) Staff of Federal agencies.— Upon request of the Director, the head of a Federal department or agency may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such department or agency, as the case may be, to the Joint Office to assist in carrying out the duties of the Joint Office.

(f) Contract authority.— The Joint Office may contract with and compensate government and private agencies or persons for supplies and services.

(g) Consultation.— In carrying out the functions under this section, the Joint Office is encouraged to consult with and share relevant data with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the United States Geological Survey, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(h) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this section $150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

(a) Expansion of information system.—

(1) In general.— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall expand the National Emergency Response Information System to include real-time information and analytics tools relating to the following:

(A) Prescribed fires.

(B) Wildfires that do not impact structures and infrastructure.

(2) Manner.— The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall carry out the expansion under paragraph (1) in a manner compatible with, and shared with, existing wildland fire information collection at the Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center established under section 22005.

(b) Wildfire Digital Data Center.—

(1) Establishment.— The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall establish a data center to be known as the “Wildfire Digital Data Center”. The Wildfire Digital Data Center shall be a public, government, scientific research data catalog and repository available to assist in research by the wildfire community and to share relevant data.

(2) Data and modeling collaboration environment.— The Wildfire Digital Data Center shall include a data and modeling collaboration environment for researchers across the wildfire community to engage with data across agencies and disciplines.

(3) Public access.— The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall ensure the Wildfire Digital Data Center is in compliance with the guidance on public access policies as specified in the memorandum entitled “Ensuring Free, Immediate, and Equitable Access to Federally Funded Research” and issued by the Office of Science and Technology Policy on August 25, 2022.

(4) Repository.— The repository of the Wildfire Digital Data Center shall include information on the following:

(A) Outcomes and impacts of wildfire and associated management actions.

(B) Real-time data on new fire starts.

(C) The effectiveness of wildfire risk mitigation measures.

(D) Public health research related to wildland fire and fires in the built environment.

(5) Website.— The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall coordinate with the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to include on the publicly accessible website of the Wildfire Digital Data Center information relating to the following:

(A) Post-wildfire impacts, and State and Federal programs and funding opportunities to address such impacts.

(B) State and Federal best practices relating to the short- and long-term mitigation of wildfire.

(C) Ecological recovery, assessment science, and State and Federal emergency declaration processes, with respect to wildfire.

(6) Rule of construction.— Nothing in this section may be construed to affect the ownership of data sources by individual agencies.

(c) Findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable requirement.—

(1) In general.— The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, the Secretary of the Interior, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Chief of the Forest Service, through the Wildfire Digital Data Center, the Department of the Interior Library, the National Emergency Training Center Library, and the National Forest Service Library, respectively, shall provide services to make federally funded wildland and structural fire research data systems and data products findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR).

(2) Integration.— The Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall integrate the services required under paragraph (1) with the National Emergency Response Information System to better collect data and model the built environment.

(d) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

(a) Study required.— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on—

(1) the existing Federal programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation from being completed across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land;

(2) whether changes to any program, rule, or authority (including changes to existing statutory definitions) identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would—

(A) allow a covered agency increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires or improve forest health; and

(B) enable better community protection and prevent the loss of structures due to wildfire; and

(3) the activities carried out pursuant to a covered authority, including—

(A) how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and

(B) whether the enactment of such covered authority has increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires for a covered agency.

(b) Report.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains—

(1) the results of the study required under subsection (a); and

(2) recommendations to simplify cross-boundary wildfire mitigation between Federal land management agencies and State, local, and Tribal governments.

(c) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Covered agency.— The term covered agency means—

(A) each Federal land management agency (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801));

(B) the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

(C) the Environmental Protection Agency;

(D) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(E) the United States Fire Administration;

(F) States;

(G) Indian Tribes; and

(H) local governments.

(2) Covered authority.— The term covered authority means—

(A) the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.);

(B) the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.);

(C) the good neighbor authority under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a);

(D) the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.);

(E) the collaborative forest landscape restoration program under section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303); and

(F) any other statutory authority that facilitates cross-boundary wildfire mitigation or forest health improvement activities, as determined by the Comptroller General of the United States.

(a) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Relevant committees.— The term relevant committees means—

(A) the Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture, Homeland Security, and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives; and

(B) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

(2) Secretaries.— The term Secretaries means the—

(A) Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, or their designee;

(B) the Secretary of the Interior or their designee; and

(C) the Secretary of Homeland Security or their designee.

(b) In general.— The Secretaries shall jointly conduct a quadrennial review of the comprehensive wildfire environment in the United States for the purpose of—

(1) identifying the greatest challenges for wildland fire management over the preceding 10-year and 20-year timeframes; and

(2) developing long-term, strategic actions to address the challenges identified under paragraph (1).

(c) Contents.— The quadrennial review conducted under subsection (b) shall include—

(1) a summary of the most significant challenges relating to wildfire and wildland fire management that are anticipated during the 10-year and 20-year periods immediately following the report;

(2) recommendations regarding such Federal legislation and administrative actions as the Secretaries determine necessary to address the challenges described in paragraph (1);

(3) an evaluation of any progress made toward any relevant recommendations suggested by a wildfire report conducted in the preceding 10 years and carried out by the Government Accountability Office, a congressionally authorized commission; or by an agency under the jurisdiction of one of the Secretaries (including any Inspectors General reports and the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy);

(4) a quantitative analysis of changes to built and natural environments since the most recent quadrennial fire review and the impact of such changes on pre-fire mitigation, wildfire incident response, and proactive recovery from wildfire;

(5) an analysis of the intersection between wildfire and public health, conducted in coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention; and

(6) projected future scenarios to highlight areas of consideration for realignment of programs, strategies, capabilities, and the workforce that will assist the Secretaries in addressing the challenges described in paragraph (1).

(d) Collaboration.— The Secretaries may jointly carry out the report under subsection (b) with any State, Tribal, local, or nongovernmental entities with experience in wildland fire management, as determined by the Secretaries.

(e) Frequency.— Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this section, and every 4 years thereafter, the Secretaries shall jointly conduct the report under subsection (b) and submit it to the relevant committees.

(f) Inclusion of current assessments.— In carrying out this section, the Secretaries may, to the extent practicable, rely on assessments completed or data gathered in the preceding four years.

(a) In general.— Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall work jointly with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of the United States Geological Survey, the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, and the National Laboratories (as such term is defined in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801)) and seek to work with institutions of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)), to carry out the following:

(1) Develop dynamic risk and hazard maps for the wildland and built environments in the United States.

(2) Ensure the following:

(A) Such maps are updated each wildfire season to reflect changes in the natural environment, such as postflood or fire alterations, and rapidly changing environmental conditions.

(B) Such maps measure changes in fuels moisture on the temporal scale.

(C) Such maps utilize remote sensing technology and on-the-ground monitoring.

(b) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

(a) In general.— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Federal Emergency Management Administrator, acting through the United States Fire Administrator and in coordination with the Chief of the Forest Service, shall prepare a report relating to insufficient radio frequencies, barriers to interoperability of radio frequencies, and available products and technologies for overcoming barriers to interoperability for wildfire management.

(b) Cooperation.— In preparing the report under subsection (a), the Administrator shall cooperate with—

(1) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(2) agencies responsible for the management of Federal land;

(3) State fire marshals;

(4) State and local emergency response agencies;

(5) Tribal fire departments and emergency managers; and

(6) municipal fire departments, fire protection districts, and volunteer fire departments in relevant communities.

(c) Compatibility; additional frequencies.— The report under subsection (a) shall include—

(1) a determination on whether the entities described in subsection (b) have the ability to communicate by way of radio during a potential fire suppression effort for a community conflagration;

(2) a determination on whether—

(A) the reserved radio frequencies are sufficient for wildfire management; or

(B) additional frequencies, listed by type and location, are recommended to be reserved or obtained;

(3) an analysis of commercially available technology and products to enable radios from multiple agencies operating on different radio frequencies to be interoperable; and

(4) if the Administrator determines under paragraph (1) that any entities do not have the ability to communicate, a plan for ensuring such entities would be able to communicate adequately during a fire suppression effort for a community conflagration.

(a) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) National laboratory.— The term National Laboratory has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).

(2) Resilience.— The term resilience has the meaning given such term in section 1304A of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17384a).

(b) In general.— The Secretary of Energy, acting through the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response of the Department of Energy, shall carry out a demonstration program, to be known as the “Resilience Accelerator Demonstration Program” (in this section referred to as the “Program”), to make awards to National Laboratories for projects that demonstrate innovative technologies to improve electric grid resilience with respect to wildfires.

(c) Eligible projects.— The Secretary of Energy may make an award under the Program to facilitate a project that demonstrates an innovative technology to improve electric grid resilience with respect to wildfires, including—

(1) a project that demonstrates an innovative technology for monitoring vegetation management; and

(2) a project that demonstrates an innovative technology to enhance the safety of first responders who respond to electric grid emergencies.

(d) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the Program $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall each—

(1) expedite the placement of wildfire detection equipment, such as sensors, cameras, and other relevant equipment, in areas at risk of wildfire;

(2) expand the use of satellite data to improve wildfire detection and response;

(3) use unmanned aerial vehicles to assess wildland fires in their incipient stages to determine the appropriate initial response actions;

(4) review procurement requirements for wildfire detection equipment within the context of modern and innovative technology; and

(5) annually provide a forum for companies engaging in the development and testing of emergent wildland fire technology to engage with wildland fire managers.

(a) Definitions.— In this section:

(1) Secretaries.— The term Secretaries means the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior.

(2) Unmanned aircraft system.— The term unmanned aircraft system means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements (including, if applicable, communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft) that are required for the operator to operate safely and efficiently.

(b) Research.— The Secretaries shall, acting through the Joint Fire Science Program, work with universities and other research institutions to carry out research and development on the wildfire response applications of unmanned aircraft systems.

(c) Testing.— The Secretaries may coordinate with the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to test an unmanned aircraft system developed under this section at an unmanned aircraft test range in accordance with section 44803 of title 49, United States Code.

(d) Authorization of appropriations.— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretaries such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.

(a) Establishment.— The Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through the Director of the National Weather Service, and in conjunction with the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, the Secretary of the Interior, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall establish a nationally consistent smoke monitoring and alert system to provide consistent, real-time information and forecasts on air quality impacts from wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment.

(b) Increase in smoke sensors.— In carrying out subsection (a), to ensure adequate and accessible data, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall increase the availability and use of air monitoring devices for wildfire smoke, including, to distinguish wildfire smoke from other forms of air pollution, increasing the availability and use of—

(1) speciation monitors; and

(2) nonregulatory air monitors.

(c) Use of satellites.— In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall explore the use of satellites.

(d) Public county-Resolution smoke alert system for public health and roadways safety.— In carrying out subsection (a), not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through the Director of the National Weather Service and in coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall establish a public county-resolution smoke alert system for public health and roadways safety which shall be based on levels of particulate matter. The system established under this subsection shall be in addition to the National Weather Service Dense Smoke Advisories, which are based on visibility.

(e) Collection and dissemination of air quality and smoke alert information.— In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the National Weather Service shall collect all air quality forecasts, including through AirNow, public notifications, and alerts for smoke issued by Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial air agencies and disseminate them through weather forecast office networks to enable the Wireless Emergency Alerts System to be extended to support smoke communications to protect public health.

(f) Forest service personnel and smoke monitoring equipment.— In carrying out subsection (a), not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior, shall expand the personnel and smoke monitoring equipment of the Forest Service to increase the capacity of the Forest Service to assess wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment, and carry out prescribed fires.

(g) Interagency wildland fire air quality response program personnel and smoke monitoring equipment.— In carrying out subsection (a), not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall expand the personnel (including air resource advisors) of, and smoke monitoring equipment available to, the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program established under section 1114(f) of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (43 U.S.C. 1748b–1(f)).

(h) Expansion of emergency response capacity.—

(1) In general.— In carrying out subsection (a), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall expand the emergency response capacity, including personnel and equipment, of the Environmental Protection Agency—

(A) to measure air pollution from wildfires that involve combustion of hazardous materials; and

(B) to communicate information during smoke events resulting from wildfires.

(2) Definition.— In this subsection, the term hazardous materials means explosive, flammable, combustible, corrosive, oxidizing, toxic, infectious, or radioactive materials that, when involved in an accident and released in sufficient quantities, put some portion of the general public in immediate danger from exposure, contact, inhalation, or ingestion.

(i) Improvements to existing systems.— In carrying out subsection (a), in order to maintain the Environmental Protection Agency AirNow framework and technology as a state-of-the-art, real-time resource for providing robust and actionable information to protect public health from wildfire smoke, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, as the Administrator determines appropriate, improve and modernize such AirNow framework and technology, including by making improvements to and otherwise modernizing AirNow.gov, AirNow-Tech, the AirNow Environmental Protection Agency and Forest Service Fire and Smoke Map, AirNow Forecast Submittal System, and the AirNow mobile app.

(j) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $32,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.

(a) In general.— Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration, the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Director of the Office of Wildland Fire, shall complete a human health risk assessment for worker exposure to wildfire smoke to estimate the nature and probability of adverse health effects in workers who may be exposed to hazards from wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment.

(b) Requirements for assessment.— The human health risk assessment required under subsection (a) shall address the following:

(1) The health problems for workers that may be caused by exposure to wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment.

(2) The probability that workers will experience health problems when exposed to different concentrations of wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment.

(3) The chemicals that workers are exposed to from wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment, as well as the overall level and duration of such exposure.

(4) The differences in worker susceptibility to health effects from exposure to wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment.

(5) The effectiveness of mitigating both acute and cumulative exposures to wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment, in decreasing adverse health effects from such wildfire smoke.

(c) Best practices.— Not later than 6 months after completing the human health risk assessment under subsection (a), the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shall develop and publish best practices to mitigate worker exposure to wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment. Such best practices shall be informed by the human health assessment completed under subsection (a).

(d) Authorization of appropriations.— There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2036.