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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5532 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5532

  To establish a Wildfire Intelligence Center, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 12, 2024

  Mr. Padilla introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To establish a Wildfire Intelligence Center, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration 
and Coordination Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) wildfire management is a complex, multijurisdictional 
        issue that requires an integration of efforts at all levels of 
        society, including the Federal Government, State, Tribal, and 
        local governments, and the private sector; and
            (2) the report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and 
        Management Commission entitled ``On FIRE: The Report of the 
        Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission'' and dated 
        September 2023 represents a consensus set of recommendations 
        from 50 diverse experts to improve the outcomes from wildfire 
        in the United States, finding that--
                    (A) climate change and rapidly changing ecosystems 
                represent fundamental shifts in conditions that 
                existing fire behavior models and existing fire 
                management system are not designed to meet;
                    (B) research, applied science programs, data 
                management, and technology procurement and application 
                relating to wildfire are housed within a wide array of 
                Federal entities and academia, leading to a limited 
                ability to set priorities and general inefficiencies;
                    (C) various predictive services and decision-
                support functions exist to aid Federal managers and 
                decisionmakers in the wildland fire community that, due 
                to the different missions and jurisdictions of the 
                Federal agencies involved and the fact that the 
                services reside in several different Federal agencies, 
                would benefit from improved interoperability and more 
                coordinated priority setting and purchasing power; and
                    (D) an interagency joint office should be 
                established--
                            (i) with membership from entities 
                        conducting research and addressing wildland 
                        fire management;
                            (ii) with dedicated and separate funding to 
                        fulfill the mission of comprehensive assessment 
                        and prediction of fire in the wildland and 
                        built environment interface through data 
                        aggregation and science-based decision-support 
                        services; and
                            (iii) in close collaboration with the 
                        existing wildland fire management system in the 
                        United States.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board for the 
        Center appointed under section 4(e)(1).
            (2) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the Wildfire 
        Intelligence Center established by section 4(a).

SEC. 4. WILDFIRE INTELLIGENCE CENTER.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department of 
Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the 
Interior a joint office, to be known as the ``Wildfire Intelligence 
Center'', the duties of which are to study, plan, coordinate, and 
implement issues of joint concern among the Department of Agriculture, 
the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Interior, 
including--
            (1) serving as the development and operational center for 
        the comprehensive assessment and prediction of fires that occur 
        in the wildland and fires that move into the built environment 
        to provide decision support services to inform land and fuels 
        management, community outreach and risk reduction, post-
        wildfire recovery and rehabilitation, and fire management and 
        response activities carried out by entities, including--
                    (A) the Federal Government;
                    (B) State, Tribal, and local governments;
                    (C) land managers;
                    (D) incident management teams;
                    (E) the National Interagency Coordination Center;
                    (F) geographic coordination centers;
                    (G) land, air, and water managers;
                    (H) burned area rehabilitation teams;
                    (I) public health entities; and
                    (J) other entities identified by the Board;
            (2) facilitating collaboration and information sharing 
        across Federal and State departments and agencies, Tribal 
        entities, academia, and the private sector on matters relating 
        to wildland fires; and
            (3) addressing any other issues the Secretary of 
        Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of 
        the Interior identify as issues of joint interest in support of 
        the Center.
    (b) Headquarters.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Board shall select a permanent location for 
a physical headquarters of the Center within the United States.
    (c) Functions.--The functions of the Center shall include the 
following:
            (1) Providing real-time, science-based, and data-rich 
        scientific and technical analytical services, decision support, 
        and predictive services across all phases of fire to inform 
        pre-fire land and fuels management, pre-fire community and 
        built environment risk reduction, active fire management and 
        emergency response, and post-fire recovery in the built and 
        natural environment.
            (2) Assessing and monitoring wildland fires and wildland 
        fire conditions across all phases of fire, including ignition, 
        behavior, and spread, climate, weather, drought, soil moisture, 
        fuel conditions, smoke, aerosols, fire severity, debris flows, 
        and erosion.
            (3) Comprehensive modeling of wildland fire behavior and 
        risks, including ignitions, wildland fire intensity and spread, 
        structure-to-structure ignition, community and structure 
        vulnerability, air quality, and dependence on burn history, 
        vegetation conditions, climate, and weather.
            (4) Providing and combining existing data, mapping, 
        technological, and consultation services to support pre-, 
        active, and post-fire activities, including--
                    (A) creating and maintaining a real-time nationwide 
                wildland fire risk catalog by leveraging existing risk 
                mapping at land management agencies;
                    (B) assisting with the creation of evacuation plans 
                for at-risk communities;
                    (C) assisting with the creation of public safety 
                power shutoff plans;
                    (D) assisting with the creation of wildland fire 
                response strategies, plans, and treatment and 
                mitigation measures;
                    (E) providing gridded and point data forecast and 
                assessment products in support of operational and 
                planning activities; and
                    (F) providing a testbed framework for testing and 
                evaluation of new tools and products intended for 
                decision support.
            (5) Consolidating air quality monitoring and forecasting 
        data to support health risk information to help inform risks to 
        public health and protect the public from smoke impacts 
        associated with wildland fires, including providing planning 
        guidance for safe and effective beneficial fire opportunities 
        to prevent the risk of wildland fires.
            (6) Providing accessible tools and products that support 
        emergency and land management decisions relating to wildland 
        fire prevention, preparedness, and response, including risk 
        assessment and contingency planning, which shall include the 
        development of a data interface to assist and inform, in real-
        time, firefighters, first responders, and approved contractors 
        in responding to wildland fires, including the use of any 
        observations by the civil, military, and intelligence 
        communities of the Federal Government and commercial Earth 
        observations.
            (7) Establishing an interoperable information technology 
        infrastructure accessible by Federal agencies, State government 
        offices, units of local government, and Tribal governments.
            (8) To the extent feasible, establishing data 
        interoperability through--
                    (A) the development of common data standards;
                    (B) the provision of comprehensive searchable data 
                inventories;
                    (C) working with Tribal governments in nation-to-
                nation partnership;
                    (D) the integration and sharing of information and 
                resources of the Federal Government and State and local 
                governments to support the essential functions of the 
                Center;
                    (E) the development of data standards to protect 
                confidential information that may be essential to the 
                core functions of the Center;
                    (F) regular updates and maintenance of research and 
                technology essential to achieving the core functions of 
                the Center; and
                    (G) the development and maintenance of a big-data 
                architecture to compile, maintain, standardize, and 
                evaluate data associated with the core functions of the 
                Center.
            (9) In coordination with relevant Federal agencies and 
        coordinating bodies as determined by the Board, and in 
        consultation with State government offices, units of local 
        government, territories of the United States, and federally 
        recognized Indian Tribes, developing and disseminating tools to 
        support wildland fire planning, risk reduction and response 
        guidance, guidelines, maps, and training materials to help 
        inform State, territorial, local, and Tribal governments and 
        decisionmakers with respect to--
                    (A) the use and implementations of wildland fire 
                risk assessments;
                    (B) the applied use of the database and information 
                developed under paragraphs (7) and (8);
                    (C) reducing losses from wildland fires;
                    (D) increasing benefits from wildland fires;
                    (E) resources available for communities and 
                responders working to improve wildland fire 
                preparedness; and
                    (F) enhancing communication management in emergency 
                wildfire situations, land and resource management, and 
                scientific studies.
            (10) Working with Federal, State, and Tribal agencies to 
        develop and improve National Wildland Coordinating Group 
        wildland fire preparedness curricula and training modules for--
                    (A) State, territorial, local, and Tribal 
                officials; and
                    (B) Federal, State, territorial, local, and Tribal 
                emergency managers and responders.
    (d) Administration.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Agriculture, the 
        Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of the Interior shall 
        cooperatively administer the Center.
            (2) Transfer of funds.--
                    (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the 
                Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, 
                and the Secretary of the Interior may transfer funds 
                between the Forest Service, National Oceanic and 
                Atmospheric Administration, and the United States 
                Geological Survey from funds provided to establish the 
                Center and to carry out the duties of the Center.
                    (B) Notice required.--Not less than 15 days prior 
                to transferring funds under subparagraph (A), the 
                Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, or 
                the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable, shall 
                notify the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
                and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives of the proposed transfer.
    (e) Board.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Center shall be governed 
        by a Board, composed of 14 members, as follows:
                    (A) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to be 
                appointed by the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
                and Atmospheric Administration.
                    (B) 1 member who is a career employee of the United 
                States Fire Administration, to be appointed by the 
                Administrator of the United States Fire Administration.
                    (C) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be appointed by 
                the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
                Agency.
                    (D) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                National Weather Service, to be appointed by the 
                Director of the National Weather Service.
                    (E) 1 member who is a career employee in fire and 
                aviation management of the Forest Service, to be 
                appointed by the Chief of the Forest Service.
                    (F) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                Department of the Interior, to be appointed by the 
                Secretary of the Interior.
                    (G) 1 member who is a career employee of the Bureau 
                of Land Management, to be appointed by the Director of 
                the Bureau of Land Management.
                    (H) 1 member who is a career employee of the Bureau 
                of Indian Affairs, to be appointed by the Director of 
                the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
                    (I) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                National Park Service, to be appointed by the Director 
                of the National Park Service.
                    (J) 1 member who is a career employee of the United 
                States Fish and Wildlife Service, to be appointed by 
                the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
                Service.
                    (K) 1 member who is a career employee of the United 
                States Geological Survey, to be appointed by the 
                Director of the United States Geological Survey.
                    (L) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                Department of Agriculture, to be appointed by the 
                Secretary of Agriculture.
                    (M) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                Department of Defense, to be appointed by the Secretary 
                of Defense.
                    (N) 1 member who is a career employee of the 
                research and development areas of the Forest Service, 
                to be appointed by the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) Terms.--A member of the Board--
                    (A) shall be appointed for a term of 3 years; and
                    (B) may be reappointed for not more than 3 
                additional terms.
            (3) Chairperson; vice chairperson.--The Chairperson and 
        Vice Chairperson of the Board shall--
                    (A) be selected by the members of the Board, on a 
                rotating basis, from among the members appointed under 
                subparagraphs (A), (K), and (N) of paragraph (1); and
                    (B) serve for a term of 1 year.
            (4) Majority vote.--Voting consensus by the Board shall be 
        not less than \2/3 \majority vote.
            (5) Nonvoting status.--At the discretion of the Board, the 
        Board may include nonvoting observers to the Board.
    (f) Executive Director.--
            (1) In general.--The Center shall have an Executive 
        Director, who shall be appointed by, and serve at the direction 
        of, the Board.
            (2) Private sector drought monitoring.--The Executive 
        Director of the Center shall engage with entities in the 
        private sector to improve drought monitoring, forecasting, 
        communication, and response that may be essential to the core 
        functions of the Center if the Executive Director of the Center 
        determines that the engagement is appropriate, beneficial, and 
        cost effective.
            (3) Contracting authority.--
                    (A) In general.--The Executive Director of the 
                Center may enter into and perform contracts, leases, 
                cooperative agreements, or other similar transactions 
                that the Executive Director of the Center determines to 
                be appropriate to carry out the functions of the 
                Center.
                    (B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
                of enactment of this Act, the Board and the Executive 
                Director of the Center shall submit to the appropriate 
                committees of Congress a report that provides--
                            (i) an assessment of existing contracting 
                        authorities of the Executive Director of the 
                        Center; and
                            (ii) recommendations on whether new 
                        contracting authorities or modifications of 
                        existing contracting authorities are needed.
    (g) Direct Hire Authority.--The Chairperson of the Board and the 
Executive Director of the Center may hire qualified candidates to any 
positions determined to be necessary to carry out the duties of the 
Center, as directed by a consensus vote of the Board in accordance with 
subsection (e)(4).
    (h) Interagency Financing.--Notwithstanding section 708 of the 
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2023 
(Public Law 117-328; 136 Stat. 4706) or any other similar provision of 
law, interagency financing may be used to fund the Center.
    (i) Coordination With Other Agencies and Entities.--The Board shall 
coordinate with agencies represented on the Board and other relevant 
entities to achieve the core functions of the Center, including with--
            (1) the National Wildfire Coordinating Group;
            (2) State and Tribal governments;
            (3) any other agency--
                    (A) that is responsible for the management of 
                Federal or State land; or
                    (B) that has data, science, and technology 
                expertise relevant to the Center; and
            (4) any other relevant Federal, State, Tribal, or 
        nongovernmental entity that is representative of an element of 
        the wildland fire community.
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