Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act

This bill aims to speed up rebuilding and strengthening communications systems after wildfires. It lets certain projects move forward without some federal environmental and historic preservation reviews, as long as they are done within five years of a declared wildfire-related major disaster or emergency, take place inside the declared area, and either replace damaged communications facilities or make needed improvements to recover or help prevent future disasters. Declarations can come from the President, a state governor, or a tribal chief executive. These projects are not treated as “major federal actions” or “undertakings” under the usual review laws, so those reviews do not apply.

Key points

• Who is affected: Projects involving communications facilities in areas hit by wildfire-related disasters or emergencies.
• What changes: Skips certain federal environmental and historic preservation reviews for qualifying projects, by stating they are not subject to those review processes.
• When and where: Within five years after a wildfire-related disaster or emergency is declared, and only within the area covered by that declaration.