SEC. 304. PRIZE FOR WILDFIRE-RELATED INVASIVE SPE-
CIES REDUCTION. 
Section 7001(d) of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Con-
servation, Management, and Recreation Act (16 U.S.C. 
742b note; Public Law 116–9) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘paragraph (8)(A)’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘paragraph (9)(A)’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘paragraph (8)(B)’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘paragraph (9)(B)’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (8) as para-
graph (9); 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (7) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8) THEODORE
ROOSEVELT
GENIUS
PRIZE 
FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILDFIRE-RELATED INVASIVE 
SPECIES.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) 
BOARD.—The 
term 
‘Board’ 
means the Management of Wildfire-Related 
Invasive 
Species 
Technology 
Advisory 
Board established by subparagraph (C)(i). 
‘‘(ii) PRIZE COMPETITION.—The term 
‘prize competition’ means the Theodore 
Roosevelt Genius Prize for the manage-
ment of wildfire-related invasive species es-
tablished under subparagraph (B). 
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‘‘(B) AUTHORITY.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of the Western 
Wildfire Support Act of 2025, the Secretary 
shall establish under section 24 of the Steven-
son-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 
(15 U.S.C. 3719) a prize competition, to be 
known as the ‘Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize 
for the management of wildfire-related invasive 
species’— 
‘‘(i) to encourage technological innova-
tion with the potential to advance the mis-
sion of the National Invasive Species 
Council with respect to the management of 
wildfire-related invasive species; and 
‘‘(ii) to award 1 or more prizes annu-
ally for a technological advancement that 
manages wildfire-related invasive species. 
‘‘(C) ADVISORY BOARD.— 
‘‘(i) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is es-
tablished an advisory board, to be known 
as the ‘Management of Wildfire-Related 
Invasive 
Species 
Technology 
Advisory 
Board’. 
‘‘(ii) COMPOSITION.—The Board shall 
be composed of not fewer than 9 members 
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appointed by the Secretary, who shall pro-
vide expertise in— 
‘‘(I) invasive species; 
‘‘(II) biology; 
‘‘(III) technology development; 
‘‘(IV) engineering; 
‘‘(V) economics; 
‘‘(VI) business development and 
management; 
‘‘(VII) wildfire; and 
‘‘(VIII) any other discipline, as 
the Secretary determines to be nec-
essary to achieve the purposes of this 
paragraph. 
‘‘(iii) DUTIES.—Subject to clause (iv), 
with respect to the prize competition, the 
Board shall— 
‘‘(I) select a topic; 
‘‘(II) issue a problem statement; 
‘‘(III) advise the Secretary re-
garding any opportunity for techno-
logical innovation to manage wildfire- 
related invasive species; and 
‘‘(IV) advise winners of the prize 
competition regarding opportunities to 
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pilot and implement winning tech-
nologies in relevant fields, including in 
partnership with conservation organi-
zations, Federal or State agencies, 
federally recognized Indian Tribes, 
private entities, and research institu-
tions with expertise or interest relat-
ing to the management of wildfire-re-
lated invasive species. 
‘‘(iv) CONSULTATION.—In selecting a 
topic and issuing a problem statement for 
the prize competition, the Board shall con-
sult widely with Federal and non-Federal 
stakeholders, including— 
‘‘(I) 1 or more Federal agencies 
with jurisdiction over the management 
of invasive species; 
‘‘(II) 1 or more Federal agencies 
with jurisdiction over the management 
of wildfire; 
‘‘(III) 1 or more State agencies 
with jurisdiction over the management 
of invasive species; 
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‘‘(IV) 1 or more State agencies 
with jurisdiction over the management 
of wildfire; 
‘‘(V) 1 or more State, regional, 
or local wildlife organizations, the 
mission of which relates to the man-
agement of invasive species; and 
‘‘(VI) 1 or more wildlife con-
servation groups, technology compa-
nies, research institutions, institutions 
of higher education, industry associa-
tions, or individual stakeholders with 
an interest in the management of 
wildfire-related invasive species. 
‘‘(v) 
REQUIREMENTS.—The 
Board 
shall comply with all requirements under 
paragraph (9)(A). 
‘‘(D) ADMINISTRATION BY THE NATIONAL 
INVASIVE
SPECIES
COUNCIL.—The Secretary, 
acting through the Executive Director of the 
National Invasive Species Council, shall admin-
ister the prize competition and perform the du-
ties described in paragraph (9)(B)(i). 
‘‘(E) JUDGES.— 
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‘‘(i) APPOINTMENT.—The Secretary 
shall appoint not fewer than 3 judges who 
shall, except as provided in clause (ii), se-
lect the 1 or more annual winners of the 
prize competition. 
‘‘(ii) 
DETERMINATION
BY
SEC-
RETARY.—The judges appointed under 
clause (i) shall not select any annual win-
ner of the prize competition if the Sec-
retary makes a determination that, in any 
fiscal year, none of the technological ad-
vancements entered into the prize competi-
tion merits an award. 
‘‘(F) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than 60 days after the date on which a cash 
prize is awarded under this paragraph, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House 
of Representatives a report on the prize com-
petition that includes— 
‘‘(i) a statement by the Board that 
describes the activities carried out by the 
Board relating to the duties described in 
subparagraph (C)(iii); 
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‘‘(ii) a description of the 1 or more 
annual winners of the prize competition; 
and 
‘‘(iii) a statement by 1 or more of the 
judges appointed under subparagraph (E) 
that explains the basis on which the 1 or 
more winners of the prize competition was 
selected. 
‘‘(G) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The 
Board and all authority provided under this 
paragraph shall terminate on December 31, 
2028.’’; and 
(5) in paragraph (9) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), in the matter 
preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘or (7)(C)(i)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(7)(C)(i), or (8)(C)(i)’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘and the 
amount of the initial cash prize awarded 
for a year under paragraph (8)’’ after 
‘‘subparagraph (B)(i)(IX)’’; and 
(ii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) ADDITIONAL
WILDFIRE
CASH 
PRIZES.—If the Secretary determines that 
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funds are available for an additional cash 
prize under the prize competition under 
paragraph (8) for a year, the Secretary 
shall determine the amount of the addi-
tional cash prize.’’. 
Æ 
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