I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9908 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the 

United States Geological Survey, to establish a grant program for monitoring wildfires by satellite. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 1, 2024 

Ms. PETTERSEN (for herself and Mr. OBERNOLTE) introduced the following 

bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 

Director of the United States Geological Survey, to establish a grant program for monitoring wildfires by satellite. 

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 ‘‘Strengthening Wildfire 

5 Resiliency Through Satellites Act of 2024’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MONITORING WILDFIRES BY SATELLITE. 

7 (a) GRANT PROGRAM TO MONITOR WILDFIRES BY

8 SATELLITE.— 


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1 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than one year 

2 after the date of the enactment of this section, the 

3 Secretary shall establish a competitive grant pro4 gram under which the Secretary shall make at least 

5 three grants to eligible entities to monitor wildfires 

6 by satellite (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Pro7 gram’’). 

8 (2) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—Each eligible entity 

9 awarded a grant under the Program shall only use 

10 such grant to— 

11 (A) purchase and integrate, through a pub12 lic-private partnership, high-resolution multi13 spectral thermal infrared data from the latest14 generation of wildfire monitoring satellites; and 

15 (B) use the data acquired under subpara16 graph (A), as well as any analyses relating to 

17 such data, to detect, assess, respond to, and 

18 manage wildfires, with an emphasis on— 

19 (i) monitoring active fire behavior and 

20 burn intensity; 

21 (ii) ensuring the safety and effective22 ness of prescribed fire treatments; and 

23 (iii) guiding post-disaster recovery. 

24 (3) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant 

25 under the Program, an eligible entity shall submit to 


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1 the Secretary an application at such time, in such 

2 manner, and containing such information as the Sec3 retary may require. 

4 (4) GRANT AMOUNT.—Each grant awarded 

5 under the Program shall be in an amount the Sec6 retary determines appropriate. 

7 (5) REPORT.—Not later than the last day of 

8 the second fiscal year beginning after the date of the 

9 enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit 

10 to Congress a report that includes— 

11 (A) the number of applications received for 

12 a grant under the Program; 

13 (B) details of each eligible entity that was 

14 awarded a grant under the Program; 

15 (C) the impact of the Program on wildfire 

16 prevention; 

17 (D) any recommendation that the Sec18 retary determines appropriate to establish the 

19 Program as a long-term grant program; and 

20 (E) any other information on the effective21 ness of the Program that the Secretary deter22 mines appropriate. 

23 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

24 authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 


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1 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2027 

2 to carry out the Program. 

3 (c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 

4 (1) the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a State 

5 forester, emergency manager, or equivalent State of6 ficial; and 

7 (2) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

8 of the Interior, acting through the Director of the 

9 United States Geological Survey. 

Æ 


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