Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5963
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-04T08:07:51Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 5963: Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act
Purpose
The legislation aims to ensure that individuals, states, Indian Tribes, and local governments affected by wildland fires caused by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) management activities on National Forest System lands can receive full federal funding for recovery projects. This eliminates the need for them to contribute matching funds, focusing on remediation of direct and indirect damages.
Key Provisions
- Definitions:
- Covered matching requirement: Any rule under USDA programs that requires states, Indian Tribes, localities, or individuals to provide cash contributions for wildland fire recovery projects.
- Covered wildland fire: A fire determined by the USDA Secretary to result from management activities (e.g., prescribed burns or other operations) on National Forest System lands.
- Secretary: The head of the USDA.
- Wildland fire: A non-building fire in natural vegetation or fuels, including wildfires, prescribed fires, and resulting damages like watershed impairment (harm to water quality or flow).
- Cost-Share Waiver: The USDA Secretary is authorized to waive matching fund requirements for recovery projects in areas impacted by a covered wildland fire, regardless of other laws.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- This bill overrides current federal program rules that typically require non-federal entities (states, tribes, localities, or individuals) to provide matching cash contributions for wildland fire recovery efforts.
- It specifically targets fires linked to USDA actions, providing a new exemption for 100% federal funding in these cases, which was not previously available.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The USDA (particularly the Forest Service, which manages National Forest System lands) may face increased financial responsibility for recovery costs without cost-sharing, potentially straining budgets but promoting accountability for management decisions.
- On Citizens and Communities: Affected landowners, communities, states, and Indian Tribes could benefit from faster and fuller recovery without upfront costs, reducing financial burdens after government-caused fires and aiding environmental restoration like watershed repair.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. forest management and recovery.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Primary Beneficiaries: States, Indian Tribes, local governments, and private individuals or entities impacted by covered wildland fires on National Forest System lands.
- Government Entities: The USDA Secretary and Forest Service, responsible for determining fire causes and administering waivers.
- Broader Interests: Environmental groups, rural communities near national forests, and taxpayers (due to potential increases in federal spending).
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: The bill uses "notwithstanding any other provision of law" language, giving it precedence over conflicting statutes, which could simplify recovery processes but might lead to legal challenges if waivers are applied inconsistently.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues; it aligns with Congress's authority to regulate federal lands and allocate funds under the Property Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
- Political: Encourages federal accountability for land management errors (e.g., escaped prescribed fires), potentially influencing future USDA practices. It may spark debates on federal spending and environmental policy, especially in fire-prone Western states, without overt partisan framing in the bill text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-02: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
- 2025-11-07: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-11-07: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-11-07: Introduced in House
- 2025-11-07: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act — issued 2025-11-07 — PDF (3 pages)