Sponsors (2)
The bill creates clearer, standardized definitions that improve agency coordination and inclusion of researchers and tribal partners in wildland fire programs, but risks excluding organizations outside narrow statutory language and could introduce interpretive complexity as laws change.
State and local land managers and federal agencies (Forest Service, BLM, NPS, FWS, BIA) will have a clearer definition of which agencies are 'wildland fire management agencies', improving interagency coordination for wildland fire programs and planning.
Researchers and universities will get clear, consistent statutory definitions to guide participation in regional wildland fire research programs, reducing ambiguity about eligibility and program roles.
Tribal governments and organizations are explicitly recognized through standard federal definitions, making it easier for tribal entities to be included in research partnerships and program participation.
Nonprofits, small businesses, or other organizations not captured by the cited statutes may be excluded from eligibility for centers or funding if the definitions are too narrow.
Relying on multiple cross-referenced statutory definitions could create complexity and potential delays in interpretation when underlying statutes change, creating uncertainty for participants and administrators.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates at least eight regional wildland fire research centers with a pilot phase, a national coordination board, and expanded research/coordination duties for institutes.
Introduced November 19, 2025 by Dave Min · Last progress November 19, 2025
Creates a regional network of at least eight wildland fire research centers hosted at colleges, universities, or land-grant institutions to coordinate applied research, technology, data sharing, training, and collaboration with federal research entities. The Secretaries must run a competitive selection process that begins with a pilot (at least two centers) and finishes selecting remaining centers within two years after the pilot, subject to available appropriations, and must place at least one center in each of eight named regions. Establishes a National Center Coordination Board, imports several statutory definitions to govern the program, sets prioritization criteria for selecting host institutions (including existing research programs, federal/academic partnerships, Joint Fire Science Program participation, and minority-serving institutions), and expands institute duties to include developing predictive models, real-time fire and smoke integration, applied research, technology transfer, training, and data coordination.