Wildfire Disaster Funding Act

To provide for adjustments to discretionary spending under section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to support wildfire suppression operations, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act 2. Wildfire disaster funding authority (a) Adjustments to discretionary spending limits Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following: (E) Flame wildfire suppression (i) If a bill or joint resolution making appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies an amount for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, then the adjustments for that fiscal year shall be the amount of additional new budget authority provided in that Act for wildfire suppression operations for that fiscal year, but shall not exceed $2,689,000,000 in additional new budget authority in each of fiscal years 2015 through 2022. (ii) If the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for a fiscal year for wildfire suppression operations, such Secretary shall promptly submit to Congress— (I) a request for such supplemental appropriations; and (II) a plan detailing the manner in which such Secretary intends to obligate the supplemental appropriations within 30 days after the date on which such supplemental appropriations are made available. (iii) The average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years shall be calculated annually and reported in the President’s budget submission under section 1105(a) (iv) As used in this subparagraph— (I) the term additional new budget authority (II) the term wildfire suppression operations . (b) Disaster funding Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D)) is amended— (1) in clause (i)— (A) in subclause (I), by striking and plus (B) in subclause (II), by striking the period and inserting ; less (C) by adding the following: (III) the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriation Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal year. ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (v) Beginning in fiscal year 2017 and in subsequent fiscal years, the calculation of the average funding provided for disaster relief over the previous 10 years .

Summary: Wildfire Disaster Funding Act This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require specified adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2015-FY2022 to accommodate appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior. If USDA or Interior determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for wildfire suppression operations, the bill requires the relevant department to submit to Congress a request for the funding and a plan for obligating the funds. The bill also requires the President's budget to include the average costs for wildfire suppression over the previous 10 years.