I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3992 

To provide for wildfire suppression operations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2014 

Mr. SIMPSON (for himself and Mr. SCHRADER) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to 

the Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources, 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 provide for wildfire suppression operations, 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 Disaster 

5 Funding Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WILDFIRE DISASTER FUNDING AUTHORITY. 

7 (a) ADJUSTMENTS TO DISCRETIONARY SPENDING

8 LIMITS.—Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and 


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1 Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 

2 901(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

3 ‘‘(E) FLAME WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.—(i) 

4 If a bill or joint resolution making appropria5 tions for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies 

6 an amount for wildfire suppression operations 

7 in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at 

8 the Department of Agriculture or the Depart9 ment of the Interior, then the adjustments for 

10 that fiscal year shall be the amount of addi11 tional new budget authority provided in that 

12 Act for wildfire suppression operations for that 

13 fiscal year, but shall not exceed $2,689,000,000 

14 in additional new budget authority in each of 

15 fiscal years 2014 through 2021. 

16 ‘‘(ii) As used in this subparagraph— 

17 ‘‘(I) the term ‘additional new budget 

18 authority’ means the amount provided for 

19 a fiscal year, in excess of 70 percent of the 

20 average costs for wildfire suppression oper21 ations over the previous 10 years, in an 

22 appropriation Act and specified to pay for 

23 the costs of wildfire suppression oper24 ations; and 


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1 ‘‘(II) the term ‘wildfire suppression 

2 operations’ means the emergency and un3 predictable aspects of wildland firefighting 

4 including support, response, and emer5 gency stabilization activities; other emer6 gency management activities; and funds 

7 necessary to repay any transfers needed 

8 for these costs. 

9 ‘‘(iii) The average costs for wildfire sup10 pression operations over the previous 10 years 

11 shall be calculated annually and reported in the 

12 President’s Budget submission under section 

13 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for 

14 each fiscal year.’’. 

15 (b) DISASTER FUNDING.—Section 251(b)(2)(D) of 

16 the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 

17 of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)) is amended— 

18 (1) in clause (i)— 

19 (A) in subclause (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ and 

20 inserting ‘‘plus’’; 

21 (B) in subclause (II), by striking the pe22 riod and inserting ‘‘; less’’; and 

23 (C) by adding the following: 

24 ‘‘(III) the additional new budget 

25 authority provided in an appropriation 


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1 Act for wildfire suppression operations 

2 pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the 

3 preceding fiscal year.’’; and 

4 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(v) Beginning in fiscal year 2016 

6 and in subsequent fiscal years, the calcula7 tion of the ‘average funding provided for 

8 disaster relief over the previous 10 years’ 

9 under clause (i)(I) shall include any addi10 tional new budget authority provided in an 

11 appropriation Act for wildfire suppression 

12 operations pursuant to subparagraph 

13 (E).’’. 

14 SEC. 3. PROMPT REQUESTS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL APPRO15 PRIATIONS FOR DEPARTMENT OF THE INTE16 RIOR AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

17 WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION OPERATIONS. 

18 If the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of 

19 Agriculture determines that supplemental appropriations 

20 are necessary for a fiscal year for wildfire suppression op21 erations (as defined in section 251(b)(2)(E) of the Bal22 anced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 

23 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(E))), such Secretary shall promptly 

24 submit to Congress— 


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1 (1) a request for such supplemental appropria2 tions; and 

3 (2) a plan detailing the manner in which such 

4 Secretary intends to obligate the supplemental ap5 propriations within 30 days after the date on which 

6 such supplemental appropriations are made avail7 able. 

Æ 


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