II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3729 

To provide for the establishment of emergency wildland fire suppression 

funds. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 25, 2006 

Mr. BAUCUS introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 

A BILL 

To provide for the establishment of emergency wildland fire 

suppression funds. 

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 ‘‘Stable Fire Funding 

5 Act of 2006’’. 

6 SEC. 2. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT EMERGENCY 

7 FIREFIGHTING FUND. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

9 Treasury of the United States a fund to be used to pay 

10 80 percent of the cost to the United States for Bureau 


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1 of Land Management emergency wildland fire suppression 

2 activities that exceed amounts annually appropriated for 

3 wildland fire suppression activities (referred to in this sec4 tion as the ‘‘Fund’’), consisting of— 

5 (1) such amounts as are appropriated to the 

6 Fund under subsection (e); 

7 (2) such amounts as are appropriated but not 

8 expended for fire suppression activities, to be trans9 ferred to the Fund by the Secretary of the Interior; 

10 and 

11 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

12 amounts in the Fund under subsection (c). 

13 (b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.—Subject to para14 graph (2), upon request by the Secretary of the Interior, 

15 the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the 

16 Fund to the Secretary of the Interior such amounts as 

17 the Secretary of the Interior determines is necessary for 

18 wildland fire suppression activities under subsection (a). 

19 (c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas21 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

22 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

23 required to meet current withdrawals. Investments 

24 may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of 

25 the United States. 


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1 (2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

2 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga3 tions may be acquired— 

4 (A) on original issue at the issue price; or 

5 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

6 at the market price. 

7 (3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac8 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

9 the Treasury at the market price. 

10 (4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and 

11 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any ob12 ligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

13 form a part of the Fund. 

14 (d) ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING SYSTEM.—The 

15 Secretary of the Interior shall establish an accounting and 

16 reporting system for the Fund in accordance with Na17 tional Fire Plan reporting procedures. 

18 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund— 

20 (1) for fiscal year 2007, $160,000,000 for 

21 emergency wildland fire suppression activities car22 ried out by the Bureau of Land Management that 

23 exceed amounts annually appropriated for wildland 

24 fire suppression activities; and 


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1 (2) for each subsequent fiscal year, such 

2 amount as is necessary to maintain in the Fund the 

3 amount that is equal to 80 percent of the greatest 

4 of the amounts incurred by the Secretary of the In5 terior for emergency fire suppression during any of 

6 the 5 preceding fiscal years that exceed amounts an7 nually appropriated for wildland fire suppression ac8 tivities. 

9 SEC. 3. FOREST SERVICE EMERGENCY FIREFIGHTING 

10 FUND. 

11 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

12 Treasury of the United States a fund to be used to pay 

13 80 percent of the cost to the United States for Forest 

14 Service emergency wildland fire suppression activities that 

15 exceed amounts annually appropriated for wildland fire 

16 suppression activities (referred to in this section as the 

17 ‘‘Fund’’), consisting of— 

18 (1) such amounts as are appropriated to the 

19 Fund under subsection (e); 

20 (2) such amounts as are appropriated but not 

21 expended for fire suppression activities, to be trans22 ferred to the Fund by the Secretary of Agriculture; 

23 and 

24 (3) any interest earned on investment of 

25 amounts in the Fund under subsection (c). 


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1 (b) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.—Subject to para2 graph (2), upon request by the Secretary of Agriculture, 

3 the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the 

4 Fund to the Secretary of Agriculture such amounts as the 

5 Secretary of Agriculture determines is necessary for 

6 wildland fire suppression activities under subsection (a). 

7 (c) INVESTMENT OF AMOUNTS.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Treas9 ury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is not, 

10 in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 

11 required to meet current withdrawals. Investments 

12 may be made only in interest-bearing obligations of 

13 the United States. 

14 (2) ACQUISITION OF OBLIGATIONS.—For the 

15 purpose of investments under paragraph (1), obliga16 tions may be acquired— 

17 (A) on original issue at the issue price; or 

18 (B) by purchase of outstanding obligations 

19 at the market price. 

20 (3) SALE OF OBLIGATIONS.—Any obligation ac21 quired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 

22 the Treasury at the market price. 

23 (4) CREDITS TO FUND.—The interest on, and 

24 the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any obVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:12 Jul 29, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3729.IS S3729

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1 ligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 

2 form a part of the Fund. 

3 (d) ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING SYSTEM.—The 

4 Secretary of Agriculture shall establish an accounting and 

5 reporting system for the Fund in accordance with Na6 tional Fire Plan reporting procedures. 

7 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund— 

9 (1) for fiscal year 2007, $510,000,000 for 

10 emergency wildland fire suppression activities car11 ried out by the Forest Service that exceed amounts 

12 annually appropriated for wildland fire suppression 

13 activities; and 

14 (2) for each subsequent fiscal year, such 

15 amount as is necessary to maintain in the Fund the 

16 amount that is equal to 80 percent of the greatest 

17 of the amounts incurred by the Secretary of Agri18 culture for emergency fire suppression during any of 

19 the 5 preceding fiscal years that exceed amounts an20 nually appropriated for wildland fire suppression ac21 tivities. 

Æ 


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