Emergency Aircraft Act of 2022

To modify the authority of the Secretary of Defense to transfer excess aircraft to other departments of the Federal Government and to authorize the Secretary to transfer excess aircraft to the Governor of a State, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Emergency Aircraft Act of 2022 2. Modification of authority of Secretary of Defense to transfer excess aircraft to other departments of the Federal Government and authority to transfer excess aircraft to States Section 1091 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 ( Public Law 112–239 10 U.S.C. 2576 (1) in the section heading, by inserting and to States Federal Government (2) in subsection (a), in the first sentence, by striking and the Secretary of Homeland Security for use by the Forest Service and the United States Coast Guard for use by the Forest Service, to the Secretary of Homeland Security for use by the United States Coast Guard, and to the Governor of a State (3) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking or the United States Coast Guard as a suitable platform to carry out their respective missions , the United States Coast Guard, or the Governor of a State, as the case may be, as a suitable platform to carry out wildfire suppression, search and rescue, or emergency operations pertaining to wildfires (B) in paragraph (3), by striking ; and (C) in paragraph (4), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and (D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (5) in the case of aircraft to be transferred to the Governor of a State, acceptable for use by the State, as determined by the Governor. ; (4) by striking subsection (c); (5) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (1)— (i) by striking up to seven (ii) by inserting the Governor of a State or to offered to (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: (2) Expiration of right of refusal A right of refusal afforded the Secretary of Agriculture or the Secretary of Homeland Security under paragraph (1) with regards to an aircraft shall expire upon official notice of such Secretary to the Secretary of Defense that such Secretary declines such aircraft. ; (6) in subsection (e)— (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting or to the Governor of a State the Secretary of Agriculture (B) in paragraph (1), by striking wildfire suppression purposes purposes of wildfire suppression, search and rescue, or emergency operations pertaining to wildfires (C) in paragraph (2)— (i) by inserting , search and rescue, emergency operations pertaining to wildfires, efforts (ii) by inserting or Governor of the State, as the case may be, Secretary of Agriculture (7) in subsection (f), by striking or the Secretary of Homeland Security , the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor of a State (8) in subsection (g), by striking and the Secretary of Homeland Security , the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor of the State to which such aircraft is transferred (9) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (h) Reporting Not later than December 1, 2022, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on aircraft transferred, during the fiscal year preceding the date of such report, to— (1) the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Governor of a State under this section; (2) the chief executive officer of a State under section 112 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 ( Public Law 112–81 (3) the Secretary of the Air Force or the Secretary of Agriculture under section 1098 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 ( Public Law 113–66 ; and (10) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) as subsections (c) through (g), respectively.

Summary: Emergency Aircraft Act of 2022 This bill modifies the authority of the Department of Defense (DOD) related to the transfer of excess aircraft for wildfire emergencies, including to authorize DOD to transfer excess aircraft to a state for wildfire suppression, search and rescue, or emergency operations pertaining to wildfires.