I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5965 
To require the Chief of the Forest Service to make the Forest Service 
First and Second Generation Modular Airborne FireFighting System 
(MAFFS) units available to units of the Air National Guard and Air 
Force Reserve that have the aircraft capability and pilot and crew mem-
ber training adequate for utilizing such firefighting systems to help 
alleviate the shortage of air tankers to fight wildfires. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2012 
Mr. GALLEGLY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To require the Chief of the Forest Service to make the 
Forest Service First and Second Generation Modular 
Airborne FireFighting System (MAFFS) units available 
to units of the Air National Guard and Air Force Re-
serve that have the aircraft capability and pilot and 
crew member training adequate for utilizing such fire-
fighting systems to help alleviate the shortage of air 
tankers to fight wildfires. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. AVAILABILITY OF FOREST SERVICE FIRST AND 
SECOND GENERATION MODULAR AIRBORNE 
FIREFIGHTING SYSTEMS (MAFFS) FOR AIR 
NATIONAL GUARD AND AIR FORCE RESERVE. 
(a) FIRST GENERATION MAFFS UNITS.—In order 
to help alleviate the shortage of air tankers to fight 
wildfires, the Chief of the Forest Service shall make the 
eight Forest Service First Generation Modular Airborne 
FireFighting System (MAFFS I) units available, without 
compensation, to units of the Air National Guard and Air 
Force Reserve that have C–130H aircraft configured to 
contain such a MAFFS unit and adequate pilot and crew 
member training in the use of such a MAFFS unit. 
(b) SECOND GENERATION MAFFS UNITS.— 
(1) REQUIREMENT
TO
MAKE
UNITS
AVAIL-
ABLE.—In order to help alleviate the shortage of air 
tankers to fight wildfires, the Chief of the Forest 
Service shall make the nine Forest Service Second 
Generation Modular Airborne FireFighting System 
(MAFFS II) units immediately available, without 
compensation, to units of the Air National Guard 
and Air Force Reserve as follows: 
(A) Up to two MAFFS II units will be lo-
cated at the Air National Guard unit in Chey-
enne, Wyoming. 
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(B) Up to two MAFFS II units will be lo-
cated at the Air National Guard unit in Char-
lotte, North Carolina. 
(C) Up to two MAFFS II units will be lo-
cated at the Air Force Reserve unit in Colorado 
Springs, Colorado. 
(D) A minimum of three MAFFS II units 
will be located at the Channel Islands Air Na-
tional Guard Base, California. 
(2) CONFIGURATION.—The MAFFS II units to 
be made available under subparagraphs (A), (B), 
and (C) of paragraph (1) are intended for use in 
MAFFS-configured C–130H aircraft. The MAFFS 
II units to be made available under subparagraph 
(D) of such paragraph are intended for use in 
MAFFS-configured C–130J aircraft. 
(c) PRIORITY
FOR DOMESTIC SOURCES
OF AIR 
TANKER SUPPORT.—The Chief of the Forest Service may 
not procure air tankers to fight wildfires from a foreign 
government unless the Chief of the Forest Service certifies 
to Congress that MAFFS air tanker support available 
from units of the Air National Guard and Air Force Re-
serve— 
(1) is being fully utilized; or 
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(2) is not sufficient to address wildfires on Na-
tional Forest System land. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION REPORT.—Not later than 30 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief 
of the Forest Service shall submit to the Committees on 
Agriculture and Natural Resources of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committees on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry, and Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate a report describing— 
(1) how the Forest Service intends to make the 
MAFFS II units immediately available under sub-
section (b); and 
(2) the process and proposed timeline to make 
the MAFFS I units available under subsection (a). 
Æ 
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