112 
(D) barriers to expanding, enhancing, or 
creating new infrastructure to increase nursery 
capacity. 
SEC. 316. WHITE OAK RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may enter into a 
memorandum of understanding with an Indian Tribe or 
institution, including a covered land grant college, to col-
laboratively conduct research on— 
(1) white oak genes with resistance or tolerance 
to stress; 
(2) white oak trees that exhibit vigor for the 
purpose of increasing survival and growth; 
(3) establishing a genetically diverse white oak 
seeds bank capable of responding to stressors; 
(4) providing a sustainable supply of white oak 
seedlings and genetic resources; 
(5) improved methods for aligning seed sources 
with the future climate at planting sites; 
(6) reforestation of white oak through natural 
and artificial regeneration; 
(7) improved methods for retaining and increas-
ing white oak trees in forests; 
(8) improved methods for reforesting aban-
doned mine land sites; and 
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(9) economic and social aspects of white oak 
forest management across land ownerships. 
(b) CONSULT.—In carrying out the research under 
subsection (a), the Indian Tribe or institution, including 
a covered land grant college, that enters into the memo-
randum of understanding under such subsection may con-
sult with such States, nonprofit organizations, institutions 
of higher education, and other scientific bodies, as the en-
tity subject to such memorandum determines appropriate. 
(c) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(d) COVERED LAND GRANT COLLEGE DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘covered land grant college’’ 
means an 1862 Institution, an 1890 Institution, or a 1994 
Institution (as such terms are defined, respectively, in sec-
tion 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Edu-
cation Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)). 
SEC. 317. USDA FORMAL INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and 
in coordination with the Chief of the Forest Service, shall 
establish a formal initiative on white oak to— 
(1) re-establish white oak forests where appro-
priate; 
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(2) improve management of existing white oak 
forests to foster natural regeneration of white oak; 
(3) provide technical assistance to private land-
owners to re-establish, improve management of, and 
naturally regenerate white oak; 
(4) improve and expand white oak nursery 
stock; and 
(5) adapt and improve white oak seedlings. 
(b) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 318. AUTHORITIES. 
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary shall use the authorities 
provided under this title in combination with other au-
thorities to carry out projects, including— 
(1) good neighbor agreements entered into 
under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 
(16 U.S.C. 2113) (as amended by this Act); and 
(2) stewardship contracting projects entered 
into under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591) (as amended 
by this Act). 
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TITLE IV—ENSURING CASUALTY 
ASSISTANCE FOR OUR FIRE-
FIGHTERS 
SEC. 401. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT CASUALTY AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM.—Not later than 6 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall develop a Wildland Fire 
Management Casualty Assistance Program (referred to in 
this section as the ‘‘Program’’) to provide assistance to 
the next-of-kin of— 
(1) firefighters who, while in the line of duty, 
suffer illness or are critically injured or killed; and 
(2) wildland fire support personnel critically in-
jured or killed in the line of duty. 
(b) ASPECTS OF PROGRAM.—The Program shall ad-
dress the following: 
(1) The initial and any subsequent notifications 
to the next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire sup-
port personnel who— 
(A) are killed in the line of duty; or 
(B) require hospitalization or treatment at 
a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or 
illness. 
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(2) The reimbursement of next-of-kin for ex-
penses associated with travel to visit firefighters or 
wildland fire support personnel who— 
(A) are killed in the line of duty; or 
(B) require hospitalization or treatment at 
a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or 
illness. 
(3) The qualifications, assignment, training, du-
ties, supervision, and accountability for the perform-
ance of casualty assistance responsibilities. 
(4) The relief or transfer of casualty assistance 
officers, including notification to survivors of critical 
injury or illness in the line of duty and next-of-kin 
of the reassignment of such officers to other duties. 
(5) Centralized, short-term and long-term case 
management procedures for casualty assistance, in-
cluding rapid access by survivors of firefighters or 
wildland fire support personnel and casualty assist-
ance officers to expert case managers and coun-
selors. 
(6) The provision, through a computer acces-
sible website and other means and at no cost to sur-
vivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire 
support personnel, of personalized, integrated infor-
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