Sponsors (2)
The bill improves wildfire response and cross-agency coordination by standardizing data sharing between USDA and DOI, but does so at appreciable cost and implementation risk—especially if rushed—while balancing Tribal data protections that may complicate interoperability.
Firefighters, EMS, and land managers will get faster, more reliable access to shared operational data for wildfire response, improving coordination and on-the-ground safety.
Federal disaster response agencies (USDA and DOI), federal employees, and local governments can coordinate procurement, aviation, and preparedness activities more effectively through shared systems, improving emergency response efficiency.
Tribal data sovereignty protections and required Tribal consultation reduce the risk of unauthorized access to Tribal proprietary information and respect Tribal governance over data.
A one-year implementation deadline risks rushed changes that could introduce cybersecurity vulnerabilities or operational disruptions, endangering firefighters, EMS, and rural communities during wildfire response.
Updating USDA and DOI systems for interoperability will likely require substantial federal spending and could divert resources from other priorities.
Exempting Tribal proprietary and other legally sensitive data from sharing complicates interoperability and may necessitate complex access controls, slowing information sharing when speed matters.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs USDA and DOI to make IT and cybersecurity systems interoperable for federal land management and disaster/wildfire operations, with Tribal consultation and data protections.
Requires the Agriculture and Interior Departments to make their IT and information-security systems interoperable so they can share information about federal land management activities—especially wildfire operations, disaster and emergency preparedness/response, and related business systems (procurement, aviation, workforce). The departments must protect legally sensitive data (including Tribal proprietary information), consult with Tribes, coordinate with firefighters, and produce a joint interoperability implementation plan that phases out siloed legacy systems without reducing operational capacity. The plan must be implemented within one year of enactment.
Official title: Require the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to ensure that the information technology and cybersecurity and information security systems of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior are interoperable, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 30, 2026 by Adam Schiff · Last progress April 30, 2026