I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9703 

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study 

on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire 

mitigation across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal 

land. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. NEGUSE (for himself, Mrs. KIM of California, Mr. HARDER of California, 

and Mr. MOLINARO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee 

on Agriculture, 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 

A BILL 

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to 

conduct a study on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation across land 

ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cross-Boundary Wild5 fire Solutions Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON WILDFIRE MITIGATION ACROSS LAND 

2 OWNERSHIP BOUNDARIES. 

3 (a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Comptroller General of 

4 the United States shall conduct a study on— 

5 (1) the existing Federal programs, rules, and 

6 authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation 

7 from being completed across land ownership bound8 aries on Federal and non-Federal land; 

9 (2) whether changes to any program, rule, or 

10 authority identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would 

11 allow Federal land management agencies (as defined 

12 in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation En13 hancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)), the Secretary of 

14 Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural 

15 Resource Conservation Service, the Secretary of 

16 Homeland Security, acting through the Adminis17 trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen18 cy, the U.S. Fire Administration, States, local gov19 ernments, and Tribal governments increased capac20 ity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires; and 

21 (3) the activities carried out pursuant to sub22 section (e) of section 103 of the Healthy Forests 

23 Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6513), includ24 ing— 

25 (A) how to improve the efficacy of such ac26 tivities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and 


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1 (B) whether the enactment of such sub2 section has increased the access of Federal land 

3 management agencies and States to funding to 

4 mitigate wildfires. 

5 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

6 of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 

7 the United States shall submit to the Committee on Nat8 ural Resources of the House of Representatives and the 

9 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the Sen10 ate a report that contains— 

11 (1) the results of the study required under sub12 section (a); and 

13 (2) recommendations to simplify cross-boundary 

14 wildfire mitigation between Federal land manage15 ment agencies and State, local, and Tribal govern16 ments. 

Æ 


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