Sponsors (2)
The bill strengthens wildfire prevention, detection, local response capacity, and postfire recovery—improving safety and transparency for many communities—while imposing new administrative requirements, fiscal pressures, and equity/privacy risks that may leave some areas or smaller jurisdictions less able to benefit.
Homeowners, communities, and responders in at-risk areas will get more focused prevention and planning because fireshed-focused policies and fireshed staff on resource teams prioritize treatments where ignitions threaten homes and infrastructure.
Firefighters and communities will gain faster detection and situational awareness through expanded sensors, cameras, UAV/satellite data, and related integration, enabling quicker response and potentially reducing loss of life and property.
Local and tribal fire departments will get increased operational capacity and clearer financial relief because the bill funds slip-on tanker acquisition/coordination and clarifies reimbursement paths when DOD-caused fires occur.
Federal agencies and state/local governments will face substantial new administrative burdens from detailed per-incident reporting, expanded policy reviews, itemized reimbursement processes, and requirements to maintain recovery websites.
Taxpayers and local budgets could face higher costs—both from new appropriations (e.g., up to $100M/year for rehabilitation) and from purchasing/maintaining detection systems and slip-on tankers—potentially crowding out other priorities.
Requiring DOD to reimburse fire costs from its O&M funds risks diverting Defense resources and could affect military readiness and other DOD priorities.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Strengthens wildfire prevention, detection, response, and recovery by improving incident cost reporting, requiring fireshed plans, accelerating detection tech and equipment deployment, and funding BAER teams and long-term rehabilitation.
Introduced January 14, 2025 by Catherine Marie Cortez Masto · Last progress January 14, 2025
Updates federal wildfire policy across prevention, detection, response, and recovery by tightening cost and incident reporting, requiring fireshed-specific management policies, accelerating deployment and permitting for detection technologies, expanding equipment and training support (including slip-on tanker units and UAS testing), and creating permanent and long-term post-fire recovery capacity such as permanent BAER teams and a USDA rehabilitation account with annual authorized funds. It also directs studies and coordination to close training gaps for structural firefighters in high wildfire-risk areas and creates a short-term prize program for invasive-species management after fires.