II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3441 

To provide for the transfer of excess Department of Defense aircraft to 

the Forest Service for wildfire suppression activities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2012 

Mr. MCCAIN (for himself, Mr. NELSON of Florida, and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To provide for the transfer of excess Department of Defense 

aircraft to the Forest Service for wildfire suppression 

activities, 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 ‘‘Wildfire Suppression 

5 Aircraft Transfer Act of 2012’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF EXCESS AIRCRAFT FOR WILDFIRE 

7 SUPPRESSION PURPOSES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

9 aircraft specified in subsection (b) are declared excess to 


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1 the needs of the Department of Defense, the Secretary of 

2 Defense shall transfer such aircraft to the Secretary of 

3 Agriculture for use by the Forest Service for wildfire sup4 pression purposes. The transfer of any excess aircraft 

5 under this subsection shall be without reimbursement. 

6 (b) AIRCRAFT.—The aircraft transferred under sub7 section (a) are 14 C–27J aircraft that are— 

8 (1) excess to the needs of the Department of 

9 Defense, as determined by the Secretary of Defense; 

10 and 

11 (2) acceptable for use by the Forest Service, as 

12 determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. 

13 (c) PRIORITY IN TRANSFER.—The Secretary of Agri14 culture shall be afforded a priority in the transfer under 

15 subsection (a) of excess aircraft of the Department of De16 fense described in subsection (b) before any other depart17 ment or agency of the Federal Government. 

18 (d) CONDITIONS OF TRANSFER.—Excess aircraft 

19 transferred under subsection (a)— 

20 (1) may be used only for wildfire suppression 

21 purposes; and 

22 (2) may not be flown or otherwise removed 

23 from the United States unless dispatched by the Na24 tional Interagency Fire Center in support of an 

25 international agreement to assist in wildfire suppresVerDate Mar 15 2010 06:01 Jul 26, 2012 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3441.IS S3441

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1 sion efforts or for other purposes approved by the 

2 Secretary of Agriculture in writing in advance. 

3 (e) EXPIRATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority to 

4 transfer excess aircraft under subsection (a) shall expire 

5 upon the completion of the transfer of all the excess air6 craft specified in subsection (b). 

7 SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF SALE OF AIRCRAFT AND 

8 PARTS FOR WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION PUR9 POSES. 

10 Section 2 of the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Trans11 fer Act of 1996 (10 U.S.C. 2576 note) is amended— 

12 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘during the 

13 period beginning on October 1, 1996, and ending on 

14 September 30, 2005’’ and inserting ‘‘during a period 

15 specified in subsection (g)’’; 

16 (2) by redesignating subsection (g) as sub17 section (h); and 

18 (3) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol19 lowing new subsection (g): 

20 ‘‘(g) PERIODS FOR EXERCISE OF AUTHORITY.—The 

21 periods specified in this subsection are the following: 

22 ‘‘(1) The period beginning on October 1, 1996, 

23 and ending on September 30, 2005. 


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1 ‘‘(2) The period beginning on October 1, 2012, 

2 and ending on September 30, 2017.’’. 

Æ 


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