Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- S. 91
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-02-04: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-24T12:48:03Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 aims to enhance federal efforts in managing wildfires, particularly in the western United States. It focuses on improving preparation, detection and suppression, and post-fire recovery to reduce risks to communities, infrastructure, and natural resources. By addressing gaps in technology, coordination, funding, and planning, the legislation seeks to make wildfire response more efficient, transparent, and resilient.
Key Provisions
The bill is organized into three titles, with provisions targeting different stages of wildfire management:
Title I: Preparation
- Firefighting Account Transparency (Sec. 101): Requires annual reports on wildland fire management spending, including detailed breakdowns of costs for ground operations, aircraft, personnel, and administrative expenses. Defines "catastrophic wildfires" as those burning at least 100,000 acres (or 50,000 acres at high severity), costing $50 million or more in suppression, destroying homes, or causing deaths.
- Reimbursement for Wildfires Caused by Military Training (Sec. 102): Directs the Department of Defense to enter reciprocal agreements with states for mutual fire aid, reimbursing states for suppression costs from military-caused fires using operation and maintenance funds.
- Strategic Wildland Fire Management Planning (Sec. 103): Mandates review and updates to fire management policies for "firesheds" (geographic areas where fires could threaten homes or infrastructure) by September 30, 2026, incorporating science-based tools, risk assessments, and coordination with states. Policies must be updated after major fires or every 10 years.
- Study on Integrating Local Firefighters (Sec. 104): Requires the Department of Homeland Security (through the U.S. Fire Administration) to study training gaps for local structural firefighters in wildfire-prone areas and report on coordination, best practices, and costs to improve integration with federal teams.
Title II: Wildfire Detection and Suppression Support
- Wildfire Detection Equipment (Sec. 201): Instructs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to speed up installation of sensors, cameras, and satellites; use drones for early detection; streamline permits; and host annual forums for technology developers.
- Slip-on Tanker Units (Sec. 202): Expands a pilot program to include Indian Tribes for funding portable water tanks on trucks. Requires annual reports on purchases and barriers through 2028, plus guidance on integrating these units into federal response systems with training.
- Research and Development of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Sec. 203): Authorizes funding for joint research with universities on drone applications for wildfire response, including testing at FAA-approved sites.
- Study on Drone Incursions (Sec. 204): Tasks the FAA (with input from Interior and Agriculture) to study private drone interference in wildfire zones over the past five years, assessing impacts on suppression time, costs, and delays. Recommends prevention measures like counter-drone tech or education.
- Study on Modernizing Wildfire Response Technologies (Sec. 205): Directs a study on upgrading radio communications, real-time mapping tools, and fire prediction models (including AI feasibility), with public reporting within one year.
Title III: Post-Fire Recovery Support
- Funding for Online Guides for Post-Disaster Assistance (Sec. 301): Amends the Stafford Disaster Relief Act to allow FEMA funding for state websites providing recovery resources, funding lists, and mitigation guides (e.g., flood risks after fires). Sites must update every 180 days and involve multiple agencies.
- Post-Fire Management and Recovery (Sec. 302): Establishes permanent Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams to assess burn severity, remove hazards (e.g., dead trees), stabilize soil, prevent invasive species, and inform the public within one year of fire containment. Funded via existing infrastructure law allocations.
- Long-Term Burned Area Rehabilitation Account (Sec. 303): Creates a Treasury account for the Department of Agriculture (up to $100 million annually from FY2025) for ecosystem restoration (e.g., replanting, invasive species removal) and infrastructure repairs on federal lands (and some non-federal) within five years of a fire. Prioritizes water resource protection; allows cost-sharing agreements with non-federal partners (up to 20% non-federal contribution). Requires annual congressional reports.
- Prize for Wildfire-Related Invasive Species Reduction (Sec. 304): Establishes the "Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize" under the National Invasive Species Council, offering annual cash prizes (up to 2028) for innovative technologies to manage post-fire invasives. Includes an advisory board for topic selection and judging, with stakeholder consultations and congressional reporting.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 to expand and detail wildfire spending reports, shifting from biennial to annual and focusing on catastrophic fires.
- Modifies the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to include Indian Tribes in slip-on tanker funding and adds reporting/integration requirements.
- Updates the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to fund state recovery websites as a new service category.
- Revises the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation Act to add a new prize category for invasive species tech, with an advisory board and termination in 2028.
- Introduces new mandates, such as DoD reimbursement agreements and permanent BAER Teams, without altering core frameworks but enhancing implementation.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for Interior, Agriculture, Defense, DHS, and FAA through studies, reporting, planning, and new accounts/teams, but provides dedicated funding (e.g., $100 million cap for rehabilitation) to improve efficiency and reduce long-term costs. Enhances interagency coordination, potentially lowering suppression expenses via better tech and early detection.
- Citizens: Improves safety in wildfire-prone areas (especially Western states) by faster detection, better local integration, and post-fire hazard mitigation, reducing property loss, health risks from smoke/erosion, and recovery barriers. Online guides could simplify access to aid for individuals and communities.
- International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though advanced tech (e.g., drones, AI modeling) could indirectly support global wildfire knowledge-sharing; no foreign policy elements.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal Agencies: Departments of Interior (manages public lands, parks, refuges), Agriculture (National Forest System), Defense (military fire liability), Homeland Security (FEMA, Fire Administration), FAA (drone oversight), and the National Invasive Species Council.
- State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Benefit from reimbursements, funding for equipment/training, planning coordination, and recovery resources; Indian Tribes gain explicit inclusion in programs.
- Firefighters and Responders: Local, state, tribal, and federal personnel see improved training, tech integration, and support structures.
- Communities and Citizens: Residents in firesheds (high-risk areas) on or near federal lands, particularly in the West, affected by better prevention and recovery.
- Private Sector and Researchers: Technology developers, universities, and companies engaged via forums, R&D funding, prizes, and testing opportunities for drones, sensors, and invasive species solutions.
- Environmental and Conservation Groups: Involved in rehabilitation, invasive species management, and advisory roles.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens accountability through mandatory reporting and studies, potentially enabling future audits or lawsuits on fund use. Expands agency discretion (e.g., in permitting, agreements) while requiring science-based decisions, aligning with environmental laws like the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. No new regulatory burdens on private citizens, but drone incursion studies could lead to stricter FAA enforcement.
- Constitutional: Supports federal responsibilities for public lands and disaster relief under the Property Clause and Commerce Clause; enhances tribal consultation via inclusions in funding/programs, respecting sovereignty. No apparent First Amendment or due process issues.
- Political: Bipartisan introduction (Democrat and Republican sponsors) signals broad support for Western wildfire issues amid climate change. Prioritizes Western states' needs, potentially influencing appropriations debates; prize and rehab funding could foster innovation but face budget scrutiny. Overall, promotes proactive federalism by involving states/tribes without overriding local authority.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-02-04: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 2025-12-02: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held.
- 2025-01-14: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 2025-01-14: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Western Wildfire Support Act of 2025 — issued 2025-01-14 — PDF (34 pages)