Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2015

Summary: Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2015 This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require specified adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2016-FY2025 to accommodate appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior. If USDA or Interior determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for wildfire suppression operations, the bill requires the relevant department to submit to Congress a request for the funding and a plan for obligating the funds.  The bill also requires the President's budget to include the average costs for wildfire suppression over the previous 10 years. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. WILDFIRE DISASTER FUNDING AUTHORITY.

    (a) In General.--Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) Flame wildfire suppression.--
                            ``(i) If a bill or joint resolution making 
                        appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted 
                        that specifies an amount for wildfire 
                        suppression operations in the Wildland Fire 
                        Management accounts at the Department of 
                        Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, 
                        then the adjustments for that fiscal year shall 
                        be the amount of additional new budget 
                        authority provided in that Act for wildfire 
                        suppression operations for that fiscal year, 
                        but shall not exceed--
                                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2016, 
                                $1,410,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(II) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                $1,460,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(III) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                $1,560,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IV) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                $1,780,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(V) for fiscal year 2020 
                                $2,030,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(VI) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                $2,320,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(VII) for fiscal year 2022, 
                                $2,650,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(VIII) for fiscal year 2023, 
                                $2,690,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IX) for fiscal year 2024, 
                                $2,690,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority; and
                                    ``(X) for fiscal year 2025, 
                                $2,690,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority.
                            ``(ii) As used in this subparagraph--
                                    ``(I) the term `additional new 
                                budget authority' means the amount 
                                provided for a fiscal year, in excess 
                                of 70 percent of the average costs for 
                                wildfire suppression operations over 
                                the previous 10 years, in an 
                                appropriation Act and specified to pay 
                                for the costs of wildfire suppression 
                                operations; and
                                    ``(II) the term `wildfire 
                                suppression operations' means the 
                                emergency and unpredictable aspects of 
                                wildland firefighting including 
                                support, response, and emergency 
                                stabilization activities; other 
                                emergency management activities; and 
                                funds necessary to repay any transfers 
                                needed for these costs.
                            ``(iii) The average costs for wildfire 
                        suppression operations over the previous 10 
                        years shall be calculated annually and reported 
                        in the President's Budget submission under 
                        section 1105(a) of title 31, United States 
                        Code, for each fiscal year.''.
    (b) Disaster Funding.--Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget 
and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (i)--
                    (A) in subclause (I), by striking ``and'' and 
                inserting ``plus'';
                    (B) in subclause (II), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; less''; and
                    (C) by adding the following:
                                    ``(III) the additional new budget 
                                authority provided in an appropriation 
                                Act for wildfire suppression operations 
                                pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the 
                                preceding fiscal year.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) Beginning in fiscal year 2018 and in 
                        subsequent fiscal years, the calculation of the 
                        `average funding provided for disaster relief 
                        over the previous 10 years' shall include the 
                        additional new budget authority provided in an 
                        appropriation Act for wildfire suppression 
                        operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the 
                        preceding fiscal year.''.
    (c) Reporting Requirements.--If the Secretary of the Interior or 
the Secretary of Agriculture determines that supplemental 
appropriations are necessary for a fiscal year for wildfire suppression 
operations, such Secretary shall promptly submit to Congress--
            (1) a request for such supplemental appropriations; and
            (2) a plan detailing the manner in which such Secretary 
        intends to obligate the supplemental appropriations by not 
        later than 30 days after the date on which the amounts are made 
        available.