I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10523 

To establish and carry out a Federal Wildfire Relief Fund. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. CURTIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce, 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 establish and carry out a Federal Wildfire Relief Fund. 

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 ‘‘Federal Wildfire Relief 

5 Act of 2024.’’ 

6 SEC. 2. DECLARATION. 

7 The President, acting through the Administration of 

8 the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall be re9 quired to declare a wildfire as a catastrophic wildfire, for 

10 relief to be available under this Act. 


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1 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL WILDFIRE RE2 LIEF FUND. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 

4 Emergency Management Agency shall establish and carry 

5 out a Federal Wildfire Relief Fund, under which the Ad6 ministrator shall ensure— 

7 (1) The adjudication of claims for compensation 

8 for damage by a qualifying wildfire under sub9 sections (d), (e), and (f); 

10 (2) Compensation is provided in accordance 

11 with subsections (d), (e), and (f); and 

12 (3) Review, periodically and after the occur13 rence of a catastrophic wildfire, of the compliance of 

14 electric utilities (as defined by section 3(4) of the 

15 Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 

16 U.S.C. 2602(4))) seeking to access the Electricity 

17 Transmission Liability Shield. 

18 (b) CLAIMS FOR QUALIFYING WILDFIRES.— 

19 (1) AUTHORITY OF ADMINISTRATOR.—The Ad20 ministrator shall, on behalf of the United States, in21 vestigate, consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, 

22 grant, deny, or settle any claim for money damages 

23 asserted by structure owners, insurers, and covered 

24 utilities. 

25 (2) INDEPENDENT CLAIMS MANAGER.—Upon a 

26 determination by the Administrator that a particular 


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1 wildfire qualifies as a catastrophic wildfire, the Ad2 ministrator may appoint an independent claims 

3 manager to determine the appropriate compensation 

4 for each claim arising from such catastrophic wild5 fire and to distribute compensation. 

6 (c) COVERED UTILITY COMPLIANCE WITH A FED7 ERAL WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN OR STATE APPROVED

8 WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN.—To qualify for compensa9 tion under this Act, the Administrator shall determine 

10 whether a claimant meets the following requirements: 

11 (1) FEDERAL OR STATE APPROVED WILDFIRE

12 MITIGATION PLANS.—The covered utility for which 

13 compensation is being sought was in compliance with 

14 State approved wildfire mitigation plans or a Fed15 eral wildfire mitigation plan established under sub16 section (i). 

17 (2) ADEQUATE INSURANCE.—The damaged 

18 structure for which compensation is being sought 

19 was adequately insured for not less than 50 percent 

20 of the value of the structure. 

21 (d) COMPENSATION OF STRUCTURE OWNERS.— 

22 (1) VERIFICATION PROCESS.—The Adminis23 trator shall establish a process for the verification of 

24 structure damage, insurance coverage, and other rel25 evant information. 


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1 (2) CLAIM AMOUNT.—The amount of each 

2 claim shall not exceed the amount of the total struc3 ture, less— 

4 (A) the amount awarded to a structure 

5 owner for such damages by a State wildfire re6 covery fund; and 

7 (B) the amount awarded to a structure 

8 owner for such damage by a private insurer or 

9 covered utility. 

10 (3) COMPENSATION LIMITS.—Structure owners 

11 shall be compensated up to 25 percent of their unin12 sured losses, subject to a 50 percent maximum of 

13 their insured losses up to $1,000,0000. 

14 (4) DEADLINE FOR COMPENSATION.—Not later 

15 that 180 days after the date on which a claim is 

16 submitted under this Act, the Administrator shall 

17 determine and fix the amount of compensation, if 

18 any, to be paid for the claim. 

19 (5) ADVANCE PAYMENTS.—At the request of a 

20 claimant, the Administrator may make 1 or more 

21 advance or partial payments before the final settle22 ment of a claim, subject to a preliminary approval 

23 and a requirement that repayment shall be required 

24 if the claim is rejected. 


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1 (e) COMPENSATION OF INSURERS.—An insurer of 

2 any structure owner receiving compensation under this 

3 section may receive compensation of up to 10 percent of 

4 the insurer’s losses on insured structures meeting Federal 

5 or State approved wildfire mitigation plans under sub6 section (c). 

7 (f) COMPENSATION OF COVERED UTILITIES.— 

8 (1) RECOVERED.—A covered utility servicing 

9 any structure receiving compensation under this sec10 tion may receive compensation from the Fund of 

11 such amount as the Administrator determines for 

12 the losses incurred by the covered utility for the pay13 ment of structure owner claims. 

14 (2) LIMITATION TO CERTAIN CLAIMANTS.— 

15 Compensation authorized under this subsection shall 

16 not exceed 10 percent of the value of the covered 

17 utility’s gross assets. 

18 (g) VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Participation in and receipt 

20 of compensation from the Fund shall be voluntary 

21 for structure owners and covered utilities. 

22 (2) WAIVER OF CLAIMS.—To receive compensa23 tion under this section, structure owners or insurers 

24 shall be required to waive claims against a covered 


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1 utility in regards to damages stemming from the 

2 unique catastrophic wildfire event. 

3 (h) LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.—Subject to compli4 ance with Federal and State approved wildfire mitigation 

5 plans, liability for damages relating to qualifying cata6 strophic wildfires shall be limited for covered utility opera7 tors to no greater than 10 percent of the value of the gross 

8 assets of the covered utility. 

9 (i) WILDFIRE MITIGATION OPERATING PROCE10 DURES.— 

11 (1) STATE APPROVED OPERATING PLANS.— 

12 Covered Utility Wildfire Mitigation and Operating 

13 Procedures approved by the state will be the stand14 ard in that state for access to the Fund. 

15 (A) Covered utilities may submit their ap16 proved state plan to the Federal Energy Regu17 latory Commission. 

18 (B) Covered utilities that have significant 

19 or prolonged periods of noncompliance with 

20 submitting their state approved wildfire mitiga21 tion operating procedure will be ineligible to ac22 cess the liability shield. 

23 (2) FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMIS24 SION TECHNICAL CONFERENCE.— 


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1 (A) The Federal Energy Regulatory Com2 mission shall establish a process by which cov3 ered utilities can get their utility wildfire miti4 gation operation plan approved if their state 

5 does not already have a mitigation plan. 

6 (j) FEDERAL JURISDICTION OVER CLAIMS RELATED

7 TO COMPENSATION FOR QUALIFYING CATASTROPHIC

8 WILDFIRES.—Claims sought outside of the parameters of 

9 the Fund, such as covered claims available under State 

10 law under which a State court would have jurisdiction 

11 shall be the exclusive jurisdiction of a regionally appro12 priate Federal claims court. 

13 SEC. 4. OTHER FEDERAL WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND LIMITA14 TIONS. 

15 (a) EXCLUSION.—The Fund shall not compensate for 

16 claims requesting compensation for personal injuries or 

17 wrongful deaths. 

18 (b) HABITABLE DWELLINGS.—The Fund shall com19 pensate only for the loss or damage of physical dwelling 

20 or business structures that were deemed suitable for habi21 tation or use at the time of the fire. 

22 (c) NO CAP.—Compensation of damages via the 

23 Fund shall not be subject to a cap for any particular quali24 fying catastrophic wildfire related to repayment of a cov25 ered utility. 


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1 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act: 

3 (1) CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE.—The term ‘‘cat4 astrophic wildfire’’ means a wildfire occurring on or 

5 after the effective date of this Act that damages or 

6 destroys more than 500 residential or commercial 

7 structures or causes more than $50,000,000 in dam8 ages, or as otherwise determined by the Adminis9 trator. 

10 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis11 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 

12 Emergency Management Agency, or if a manager is 

13 appointed, the manager. 

14 (3) COVERED UTILITY.—The term ‘‘covered 

15 utility’’ means any electric utility or company that 

16 otherwise owns, operates, or maintains electric 

17 transmission, distribution, generation, or energy 

18 storage equipment. 

Æ 


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