Sponsors (3)
Requires FEMA to change how it treats and evaluates wildfire response, recovery, and mitigation. The Administrator must (1) propose rules or guidance so assessments and emergency stabilization are eligible under the Fire Management Assistance Program regardless of the incident period, (2) add wildfire‑specific recovery guidance to the Public Assistance Program & Policy Guide, and (3) review and update how wildfire mitigation cost‑effectiveness is measured — including defensible space, nature‑based infrastructure, vegetation management, smoke and water impacts — and issue prioritization guidance, all within one year of enactment.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency must recommend regulations or guidance necessary to make eligible assessments and emergency stabilization to protect public safety.
The recommended regulations or guidance must make eligible assessments and emergency stabilization actions taken to protect public safety.
The rulemaking or guidance applies to the fire management assistance program under section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) and must apply irrespective of the incident period for a declared fire.
FEMA Administrator must amend the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide to add guidance on wildfire-specific recovery challenges, including debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the resulting toxicity of drinking water resources.
The amendment must be completed not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
Who is affected and how:
FEMA (agency): Required to produce rule recommendations and updated guidance within one year, including potential rulemaking, revisions to the Public Assistance Program & Policy Guide, and new mitigation evaluation criteria. This creates short‑term administrative workload (policy drafting, stakeholder engagement, interagency coordination) but establishes clearer federal standards for wildfire response and mitigation.
State, local, and Tribal governments: These applicants and subrecipients for FEMA assistance will see clarified eligibility and recovery guidance that could expand reimbursable actions (assessments, emergency stabilization, debris removal, drinking water contamination response). Updated mitigation evaluation criteria will affect how projects are proposed, cost‑justified, and prioritized for funding.
Federal land management agencies (e.g., U.S. Forest Service, BLM, NPS): May be able to access or coordinate FMAP and Public Assistance support for assessments and emergency stabilization operations more consistently, and their mitigation projects may be evaluated under revised criteria that place value on defensible space, nature‑based infrastructure, vegetation management, and water/smoke impacts.
First responders, public‑health entities, and local utilities (water providers): Stand to benefit from clearer guidance on emergency protective measures and from prioritization of mitigation projects that consider smoke impacts and water infrastructure risks. Drinking‑water contamination guidance may change emergency response and cleanup procedures and resource needs.
Homeowners, communities, and property owners in wildfire‑prone areas: May gain improved access to federal assistance for short‑term emergency stabilization and standardized recovery steps after fires. Longer‑term resilience projects that reduce future loss could be prioritized under the revised cost‑effectiveness criteria.
Mitigation project developers and contractors (vegetation management, nature‑based infrastructure): Project design and funding likelihood will be influenced by the new evaluation criteria, possibly incentivizing projects that explicitly address smoke, water, and public‑health effects as well as defensible space and nature‑based solutions.
Net effects and tradeoffs:
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Last progress February 14, 2025 (1 year ago)
Introduced on February 14, 2025 by Greg Stanton