II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3036 

To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain a program that improves wildfire forecasting 

and detection, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 21, 2021 

Ms. ROSEN (for herself and Ms. LUMMIS) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration to maintain a program that 

improves wildfire forecasting and detection, and for other 

purposes. 

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 ‘‘Fire Information and 

5 Reaction Enhancement Act’’ or the ‘‘FIRE Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WILDFIRE FORECASTING AND DETECTION. 

7 (a) PROGRAM FOR WILDFIRE FORECASTING AND DE8 TECTION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 

2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

3 in collaboration with such representatives of the 

4 United States weather industry and academic enti5 ties as the Administrator considers appropriate, 

6 shall establish and maintain a program within the 

7 Administration to improve wildfire forecasting and 

8 detection. 

9 (2) GOALS.—The goals of the program estab10 lished and maintained under paragraph (1) shall be 

11 to develop and extend accurate wildfire forecasts and 

12 warnings in order to reduce loss of life, injury, prop13 erty, and damage to the economy, with a focus on— 

14 (A) improving the prediction of intensifica15 tion and spread of wildfires; 

16 (B) improving the forecast and commu17 nication of smoke dispersion from wildfires; 

18 (C) improving information dissemination 

19 and risk communication to create more effective 

20 watch and warning products; and 

21 (D) improving the early detection of 

22 wildfires to contain the growth of wildfires and 

23 mitigate damages. 

24 (3) ELEMENTS.—In order to meet the goals de25 scribed in paragraph (2), the Administrator may 


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1 conduct development, testing, and deployment activi2 ties related to— 

3 (A) advanced satellite detection products; 

4 (B) grid-based assessments and outlooks of 

5 fuel moisture and danger levels; 

6 (C) coupled atmosphere and fire modeling 

7 systems; 

8 (D) systems to link long-term weather pre9 dictions to achievable land management deci10 sions; and 

11 (E) improved spatial and temporal resolu12 tion observations in high latitudes. 

13 (b) PROGRAM FOR WEATHER RESEARCH

14 TESTBEDS.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

16 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the As17 sistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric 

18 Research (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Assist19 ant Administrator’’) shall establish a program to 

20 create one or more testbeds for weather research, in 

21 partnership with industry and academic partners, to 

22 develop improved detection of and forecast capabili23 ties for wildfire events and the effects of those 

24 events. 


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1 (2) RESOURCES.—In carrying out the program 

2 established under paragraph (1), the Assistant Ad3 ministrator may not use the resources of the cooper4 ative institutes of the National Oceanic and Atmos5 pheric Administration in existence as of the date of 

6 enactment of this Act for the testbeds described in 

7 such paragraph. 

8 (3) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

9 There is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 

10 for fiscal year 2022 to carry out the program estab11 lished under paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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