I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4235 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior 
to establish a wildfire technology testbed pilot program, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 21, 2023 
Mrs. KIM of California (for herself and Mr. CROW) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 
of the Interior to establish a wildfire technology testbed 
pilot program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Wildfire Technology 
Demonstration, Evaluation, Modernization, and Optimiza-
tion Act’’ or the ‘‘Wildfire Technology DEMO Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PUBLIC-PRIVATE WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGY TESTBED 
PARTNERSHIP. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act, the term: 
(1) COVERED
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘covered 
agency’’ means— 
(A) each Federal land management agency 
(as such term is defined in the Federal Lands 
Recreation 
Enhancement 
Act 
(16 
U.S.C. 
6801)); 
(B) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration; 
(C) the United States Fire Administration; 
(D) the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; 
(E) the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration; 
(F) the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and 
(G) any other Federal agency involved in 
wildfire response. 
(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means— 
(A) a private entity; 
(B) a nonprofit organization; or 
(C) an institution of higher education (as 
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001)). 
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(3) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means the Secretary of Agriculture and the Sec-
retary of the Interior, acting jointly. 
(4) TESTBED
PILOT
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘Testbed Pilot Program’’ means the testbed pilot 
program developed under subsection (b). 
(b) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in co-
ordination with the heads of the covered agencies, shall 
establish a testbed pilot program for new and innovative 
wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitiga-
tion technologies. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.—In carrying out the Testbed Pilot 
Program, the Secretaries shall— 
(1) incorporate the Testbed Pilot Program into 
an existing interagency coordinating group on 
wildfires; 
(2) in consultation with the heads of covered 
agencies, identify key technology priority areas with 
respect to the deployment of wildfire prevention, de-
tection, communication, and mitigation technologies, 
including— 
(A) hazardous fuels reduction treatments 
or activities; 
(B) dispatch communications; 
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(C) remote sensing and tracking; 
(D) safety equipment; and 
(E) common operating pictures or oper-
ational dashboards; and 
(3) partner each covered entity selected to par-
ticipate in the Testbed Pilot Program with the ap-
propriate covered agency to coordinate real-time and 
on-the-ground testing of technology during wildland 
fire mitigation activities and training. 
(d) APPLICATIONS.—To participate in the Testbed 
Pilot Program, a covered entity shall submit to the Secre-
taries an application at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretaries may re-
quire, which shall include a proposal to test technologies 
specific to key technology priority areas identified under 
subsection (c)(2). 
(e) 
PRIORITIZATION
OF
EMERGING
TECH-
NOLOGIES.—In selecting covered entities to participate in 
the Testbed Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall give pri-
ority to covered entities developing and applying emerging 
technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum 
sensing, computing and quantum-hybrid applications, aug-
mented reality, and 5G private networks and device-to-de-
vice communications supporting nomadic mesh networks, 
for wildfire mitigation. 
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(f) OUTREACH.—The Secretaries, in coordination 
with the heads of covered agencies, shall make public the 
key technology priority areas identified under subsection 
(c)(2) and invite covered entities to apply to test and dem-
onstrate their technologies to address those priority areas. 
(g) REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
and each year thereafter for the duration of the Testbed 
Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall submit to the Com-
mittees on Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
a report that includes the following with respect to the 
Testbed Pilot Program: 
(1) A list of participating covered entities. 
(2) A brief description of the technologies test-
ed by such covered entities. 
(3) An estimate of the cost of acquiring the 
technology tested in the program and applying it at 
scale. 
(4) Outreach efforts by Federal agencies to cov-
ered entities developing wildfire technologies. 
(5) Assessments of, and recommendations relat-
ing to, new technologies with potential adoption and 
application at-scale in Federal land management 
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agencies’ wildfire prevention, detection, communica-
tion, and mitigation efforts. 
(h) TERMINATION.—The Testbed Pilot Program 
shall expire 4 years after the date of its establishment 
under subsection (b). 
Æ 
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