Sponsors
Last progress June 11, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 11, 2025 by Ruben Gallego
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Creates a permanent Wildfire Science and Technology Advisory Board inside the Department of the Interior to help turn wildfire research into usable tools and practices for federal wildfire operations, share findings across agencies, and advise on research and operational priorities. The Board will include Federal officials and up to 18 non‑Federal appointees, must meet reporting and staffing requirements, is exempted from a scheduled termination rule, and the bill authorizes $10,000,000 to carry out the provision.
Establishes a permanent advisory committee called the Wildfire Science and Technology Advisory Board; the Secretary of the Interior shall establish the Board.
The Board must coordinate the operationalization within the Federal Government of wildfire research, including: identifying ways to translate research into practical applications; establishing criteria to prioritize research for operationalization; facilitating transitions of prioritized research into operational projects; connecting and supporting research and operations entities; providing feedback to refine research outputs for practical application; and partnering, as appropriate, with private sector and federally funded research centers.
The Board shall encourage wildfire researchers and Federal agencies undertaking wildfire operations to include relevant disciplines (such as public health, meteorological science, and predictive modeling) and to consider built and natural fire‑prone environments.
The Board shall disseminate information by establishing mechanisms (newsletters, publications, online portals, webinars, workshops) to share wildfire research findings, operational best practices, and resources with stakeholders and by promoting Board activities to ensure visibility and accessibility.
Specifies Board membership composition: Federal members (or their designees) include the Secretary of the Interior; Secretary of Agriculture; Secretary of Commerce; Chief of the Forest Service; Directors/Administrators of BIA, BLM, FEMA (with restrictions on the FEMA designee), U.S. Fire Administrator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA, National Park Service, NIST, USGS, OSTP, NSF, NASA, CDC, and EPA.
Who is affected and how:
Federal agencies and Department of the Interior: The Board provides advice and a formal mechanism to coordinate wildfire research and operations, which may influence agency priorities, guidance, and operational practices.
Scientific research community and technology developers: Researchers and technology providers are likely to see clearer pathways for moving findings and tools into federal operations, potentially accelerating adoption and collaboration with agencies.
Fire and rescue personnel and other frontline practitioners: Improved translation of research into operations should lead to more useful tools, methods, and guidance for firefighters and incident managers, though adoption depends on agency implementation.
Tribal governments and local communities affected by wildfires: Better coordination and application of science and technology can improve preparedness, response, and mitigation strategies that benefit communities at risk from wildfire.
Federal budgets and administrative offices: The bill authorizes $10 million for the Board; program set-up and ongoing activities will require administrative capacity within the Department to support appointments, meetings, reports, and coordination. Actual funding requires appropriation action.
Overall effect: The legislation creates an organizing body intended to shorten the path from research to field use, improve cross‑agency information sharing, and focus federal research investments on operational needs. Direct impacts depend on how agencies use the Board’s advice, and on whether the authorized funding is appropriated and sustained.