Sponsors (2)
Official title: To provide for the establishment of regional wildland fire research centers, and for other purposes.
Introduced November 19, 2025 by Dave Min · Last progress November 19, 2025
The bill creates clearer, standardized definitions that improve coordination and formally include tribal partners in wildland fire research, but risks excluding some organizations and adding legal complexity that could delay participation or funding.
State and local governments and federal land-management agencies will have clearer, consistent identification of which federal entities are 'wildland fire management agencies,' improving coordination and joint response planning across Forest Service, BLM, NPS, FWS, and BIA.
Tribal governments and organizations are explicitly recognized under standard federal definitions, making it easier for tribal partners to be included in regional wildland fire research programs and partnerships.
Researchers and universities gain a clear, consistent set of definitions to guide participation in regional wildland fire research programs, reducing ambiguity about eligibility and roles in collaborative projects.
Nonprofits and small organizations may be excluded if the bill's narrow statutory cross-references leave out entities not captured by the cited laws, reducing eligibility for centers or funding.
Researchers, universities, and some government participants could face uncertainty or delays because using multiple cross-referenced statutory definitions makes interpretation more complex when underlying statutes change.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes a competitive program to establish at least eight regional wildland fire research centers and a National Center Coordination Board to coordinate applied research, tools, training, and data sharing.
Creates a program run by the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to set up at least eight regional wildland fire research centers at colleges, universities, or land-grant institutions. The centers will coordinate applied research, technology, training, data integration, and partnerships to improve prediction, mitigation, smoke and health impacts, and management tools for wildland fire across eight defined U.S. regions, starting with a pilot of at least two centers and completed within two years of the pilot. Also expands duties for the existing Institutes for Wildland Fire by adding required research, technology development, training, data sharing, and coordination functions and establishes a National Center Coordination Board to oversee and connect the regional centers and federal research partners.