Sponsors (10)
The bill standardizes reimbursement procedures to get money faster to local fire departments and clarifies cost‑sharing, but relies on non‑binding timing that could still allow long delays and imposes modest short‑term administrative costs on federal agencies and taxpayers.
Local fire departments and local governments will receive timelier reimbursements for wildfire suppression under standardized SOPs and a one‑year payment deadline, improving cash flow and reducing administrative delays.
Local governments and fire departments will have clearer cost‑share responsibilities because agreements are aligned with cooperative fire protection agreements, reducing disputes and uncertainty over payment eligibility.
Local fire departments and local governments still risk reimbursement delays of up to a year because the one‑year timing is framed as a non‑binding 'sense of Congress' and agencies may fail to meet it.
Federal agencies and taxpayers may incur short‑term administrative costs as agencies reallocate resources to develop and implement the new SOPs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs specified federal agencies to adopt SOPs within one year and reimburse local fire departments under reciprocal cost‑share agreements, aiming for payments within a year of suppression.
Introduced January 13, 2025 by Josh Harder · Last progress January 13, 2025
Requires the Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, Homeland Security, and Defense to create standard operating procedures (SOPs) within one year that set payment timelines for fire suppression cost‑share agreements under the Reciprocal Fire Protection Act. Federal paying entities must reimburse local fire departments that submit invoices according to cost settlement procedures; agencies must review and modify existing agreements to comply and align cost‑share agreements with cooperative fire protection agreements. The bill expresses a non‑binding congressional expectation that repayments happen as soon as practicable and generally no later than one year after fire suppression.