Wildfire Defense Act

To establish a community wildfire defense grant program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wildfire Defense Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Administrator The term Administrator (2) Chief The term Chief (3) Community wildfire defense plan The term community wildfire defense plan (A) is developed by an eligible entity in coordination with— (i) the local community and government; (ii) local law enforcement, firefighters, first responders, fire managers, and utilities; and (iii) State agencies responsible for emergency response and forest management; (B) includes strategies and activities relating to— (i) improving evacuations and access for first responders; (ii) addressing vulnerable populations, including the elderly, those with disabilities, and the homeless; (iii) hardening and increasing the resiliency of critical infrastructure and homes, including through incentive programs; (iv) applying community-scale defensible space projects across contiguous areas; (v) building local capacity to implement and oversee the plan; (vi) implementing strategic land use planning; (vii) deploying distributed energy resources that do not increase dependence on fossil fuels; (viii) educating community members; (ix) coordinating any existing wildfire plans such as a community wildfire protection plan or a community emergency evacuation plan; and (x) incorporating information from a map generated pursuant to section 210(a) of division O of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( 16 U.S.C. 6501 Public Law 115–141 (C) may consist of existing plans or other efforts, provided that the plan complies with subparagraphs (A) and (B). (4) Critical infrastructure The term critical infrastructure (5) Defensible space project The term defensible space project (A) means a project that is conducted within a radius of not more than 100 feet around homes, businesses, and administrative facilities, and is comprised of vegetation pruning, such as annual removal of tree seedlings and saplings, lower limbs of mature trees, cutting of grasses and reducing density and continuity of shrubs, and removal of most small twigs and leaves; or (B) at the discretion of the Administrator, if a project funded under the program is being carried out in a State that has established by law a more restrictive definition of the term, has the meaning given the term in State law. (6) Distributed energy resource The term distributed energy resource (7) Eligible entity The term eligible entity (A) a State or unit of general local or regional government; (B) an Indian Tribe; or (C) a joint powers authority formed by not less than 2 entities described in subparagraph (A) or (B). (8) Low-income community The term low-income community (9) Program The term program (10) Severe disaster impacted community The term severe disaster impacted community 42 U.S.C. 5170 3. Community wildfire defense grant program (a) Establishment Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall establish a program, which shall be separate from the program established under section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5133 (1) in the case of an eligible entity that has a community wildfire defense plan, carry out projects described in the community wildfire defense plan of the eligible entity in accordance with subsection (c); or (2) in the case of an eligible entity that does not have a community wildfire defense plan, develop a community wildfire defense plan in accordance with subsection (d). (b) Criteria for grants (1) In general Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in coordination with the Chief, shall establish criteria to award grants under the program. (2) Communities Amounts provided under the program shall be used to conduct projects and activities only in communities in existence on the date of enactment of this Act. (3) Priority In awarding grants under the program, the Administrator shall give priority to eligible entities that will carry out projects or plans supporting— (A) a low-income community in a fire-hazard area, as identified by a State wildfire hazard map or the most recent wildfire hazard potential map from the Secretary of Agriculture; or (B) a severe disaster impacted community in a fire-hazard area, as identified by a State wildfire hazard map or the most recent wildfire hazard potential map from the Secretary of Agriculture (c) Community wildfire defense grants (1) Use of grant funds An eligible entity that receives a grant under the program may use grant funds to carry out projects that support a diverse portfolio of community wildfire defense strategies described in the community wildfire defense plan of the eligible entity. (2) Grant amounts An award under this subsection shall be for not more than $10,000,000. (d) Community wildfire defense plan development grants (1) Use of grant funds An eligible entity that receives a grant under the program may use grant funds to develop a community wildfire defense plan for the eligible entity. (2) Grant amounts An award under this subsection shall be for not more than $250,000. (e) Preference for local contractors and labor In carrying out a project using a grant awarded under the program, the grant recipient shall, to the maximum extent practicable, give preference to contracting with entities, and hiring individuals, from the area in which the project is being carried out, including by partnering with local corps groups such as AmeriCorps or a conservation corps. (f) Cost-Sharing requirement The non-Federal share of the cost (including the administrative cost) of carrying out a project using funds from a grant awarded under the program— (1) (A) shall be not less than 25 percent for a grant described in subsection (c); and (B) shall be 0 percent for a grant described in subsection (d); (2) may be provided by— (A) a State, a unit of local government, an Indian Tribe, a nonprofit organization, private industry, or a combination of those entities; or (B) volunteer hours and in-kind donations; and (3) may, in the case of a project that serves a low-income community, be in the form of a low-interest Federal loan to the eligible entity carrying out the project through the Community Disaster Loan program authorized under section 417 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5184 (g) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out the program $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 4. Government Accountability Office report Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Government Accountability Office shall publish a report— (1) on authorities and programs across the Federal Government that are available to protect communities from wildfires; and (2) that assesses impediments to implementation of those programs and gaps in funding. 5. Government Accountability Office study Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Government Accountability Office shall publish a study— (1) on the potential for a Community Wildfire Defense Plan to qualify for a certification identifying a level of wildfire survivability and resilience; (2) that assesses what metrics might provide insurance companies assurance that a community has wildfire resilience measures; and (3) how to incentivize insurance companies to accept the certification. 6. Updating list of at-risk communities (a) In general Section 101(1)(A) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6511(1)(A) comprised of a group composed of a group (b) Maps Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Chief shall develop and publish a map depicting at-risk communities (as defined in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6511 7. Report on radio communications (a) In general Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall prepare a report relating to insufficient radio frequencies, barriers to interoperability of radio frequencies, and available products and technologies for overcoming barriers to interoperability for wildland fire management. (b) Cooperation In preparing the report under subsection (a), the Administrator shall cooperate with— (1) the Secretary of Agriculture; (2) agencies responsible for the management of Federal land; (3) State fire and emergency response agencies; and (4) municipal fire departments and volunteer fire departments in relevant communities. (c) Compatibility; additional frequencies The report under subsection (a) shall include— (1) a determination on whether the organizations identified in the report have an existing ability to communicate by way of radio during a potential fire suppression effort for a large fire; (2) a determination on whether— (A) the reserved radio frequencies are sufficient for wildland fire management; or (B) additional frequencies, listed by type and location, are recommended to be reserved or obtained; (3) an analysis of commercially available technology and products to enable radios from multiple agencies operating on different radio frequencies to be interoperable; and (4) if the Secretary determines under paragraph (1) that the organizations do not have an existing ability to communicate, a plan for ensuring organizations would be able to communicate adequately during a fire suppression effort for a large fire.

Summary: Wildfire Defense Act This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish a community wildfire defense grant program and requires other actions by FEMA, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Forest Service with respect to wildfires. In awarding grants, FEMA must give priority to state and local governments, Indian tribes, and joint authorities that will carry out projects or plans supporting a low-income community in a fire-hazard area or a severe disaster impacted community in a fire-hazard area. The GAO shall publish (1) a report on authorities and programs that are available to protect communities from wildfires; and (2) a study on the potential for a community wildfire defense plan to qualify for a certification identifying a level of wildfire survivability and resilience, and how to incentivize insurance companies to accept the certification. The Forest Service shall develop and publish a map depicting at-risk communities. FEMA shall prepare a report relating to insufficient radio frequencies, barriers to interoperability of radio frequencies, and available products and technologies for overcoming barriers to interoperability for wildland fire management.