I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3923 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Wildfire Science 
and Technology Advisory Board, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2025 
Mr. NEGUSE (for himself and Mr. HARDER of California) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 
and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Wild-
fire Science and Technology Advisory Board, 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 Coordination 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. WILDFIRE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY 
BOARD. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall establish a permanent advisory committee to be 
known as the Wildfire Science and Technology Advisory 
Board (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Board’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—The Board shall— 
(1) coordinate the operationalization within the 
Federal Government of wildfire research, including 
by— 
(A) identifying avenues for translating 
wildfire research into practical applications; 
(B) establishing criteria and frameworks to 
prioritize 
wildfire 
research 
projects 
for 
operationalization; 
(C) facilitating the transition of prioritized 
wildfire research into operational projects; 
(D) connecting and supporting entities in 
wildfire research and operations; 
(E) providing feedback to refine and en-
hance wildfire research outputs for practical ap-
plication; and 
(F) partnering, as the Board determines 
appropriate, with private sector and federally- 
funded research centers to further the work of 
the Board; 
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(2) encourage wildfire researchers and Federal 
agencies undertaking wildfire operations to in-
clude— 
(A) relevant disciplines, such as public 
health, meteorological science, and predictive 
modeling; and 
(B) consideration of built and natural fire- 
prone environments; and 
(3) disseminate information, including by— 
(A) establishing mechanisms, such as 
newsletters and publications, online portals, 
webinars, and workshops, to disseminate wild-
fire research findings, operational best prac-
tices, and resources to relevant stakeholders 
and practitioners; and 
(B) promoting activities of the Board to 
ensure visibility and accessibility to stake-
holders. 
(c) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Board 
shall be composed of the following members: 
(A) The Secretary of the Interior (or the 
designee thereof). 
(B) The Secretary of Agriculture (or the 
designee thereof). 
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(C) The Secretary of Commerce (or the 
designee thereof). 
(D) The Chief of the Forest Service (or 
the designee thereof). 
(E) The Director of the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (or the designee thereof). 
(F) The Director of the Bureau of Land 
Management (or the designee thereof). 
(G) The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (or the des-
ignee thereof, except that such designee may 
not be the member of the Board serving pursu-
ant to subparagraph (H)). 
(H) The United States Fire Administrator 
(or the designee thereof). 
(I) The Director of the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service (or the designee thereof). 
(J) The Administrator of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (or 
the designee thereof). 
(K) The Director of the National Park 
Service (or the designee thereof). 
(L) The Director of the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology (or the designee 
thereof). 
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(M) The Director of the U.S. Geological 
Survey (or the designee thereof). 
(N) The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy (or the designee there-
of). 
(O) The Director of the National Science 
Foundation (or designee thereof). 
(P) The Administrator of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (or des-
ignee thereof). 
(Q) The Director of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention (or designee there-
of). 
(R) The Administrator of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency (or designee thereof). 
(S) Not more than 18 non-Federal mem-
bers, to be appointed by the Secretary of the 
Interior, as follows: 
(i) At least 1 representative from each 
of the following: 
(I) State government. 
(II) Local government. 
(III) Tribal government. 
(ii) Representatives of fire depart-
ments. 
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(iii) Representatives of relevant pri-
vate-sector entities, such as codes and 
standards-setting organizations, prescribed 
fire associations, and entities with exper-
tise in wildfire science and wildfire risk 
identification, transfer, and mitigation. 
(iv) Wildfire, forest health, or ecologi-
cal restoration researchers. 
(v) Public health experts. 
(vi) Meteorological scientists. 
(vii) Predictive modeling experts. 
(viii) Such other members as the Sec-
retary of the Interior deems appropriate. 
(2) TERMS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each member of the 
Board serving pursuant to paragraph (1)(S) 
shall be appointed for a term of 2 years. 
(B) VACANCIES.—A vacancy on the Board 
shall be filled in the manner in which the origi-
nal appointment was made. 
(3) PAY AND EXPENSES.— 
(A) PROHIBITION ON COMPENSATION.—A 
member of the Board shall serve without com-
pensation. 
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(B) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of 
the Board shall receive travel expenses, includ-
ing per diem in lieu of subsistence, in accord-
ance with applicable provisions under sub-
chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
(4) CHAIRPERSON.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the Chairperson shall rotate 
annually among the members of the Board 
serving pursuant to subparagraphs (A), (B), 
and (C) of paragraph (1), beginning with the 
member serving pursuant to paragraph (1)(A), 
followed by the member serving pursuant to 
paragraph (1)(B). 
(B) EXCEPTION.—For any term, the mem-
bers of the Board may designate a member of 
the Board to serve as the Chairperson of the 
Board in lieu of the official (or the designee 
thereof) who would otherwise serve as the 
Chairperson pursuant to subparagraph (A). 
(5) STAFF; TEMPORARY
AND
INTERMITTENT 
SERVICES.— 
(A) STAFF.—The Board may appoint per-
sonnel as it considers appropriate. 
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(B) PAY.—The Chairperson of the Board 
may fix the compensation of the personnel ap-
pointed under subparagraph (A) without regard 
to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter 
III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, 
relating to classification of positions and Gen-
eral Schedule pay rates, except that the rate of 
pay for such personnel may not exceed the an-
nual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of 
the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of 
such title. 
(C) DETAIL OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 
The head of any Federal department or agency 
may detail any of the personnel of that depart-
ment or agency to the Board. A detail under 
the preceding sentence shall be without reim-
bursement and without interruption or loss of 
civil service status or privilege. 
(D) PROCUREMENT OF TEMPORARY AND 
INTERMITTENT SERVICES.—The Chairperson of 
the Board may procure temporary and intermit-
tent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, 
United States Code, at rates for individuals 
that do not exceed the daily equivalent of the 
annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V 
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of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 
of that title. 
(d) REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the date that 
is 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Board shall submit a report to the relevant con-
gressional committees, which shall— 
(A) detail the activities of the Board; 
(B) discuss progress on transitioning wild-
fire research into operations within the Federal 
Government; 
(C) 
discuss 
barriers 
to 
successfully 
transitioning wildfire research into operations 
within the Federal Government; and 
(D) provide recommendations on future 
wildfire research priorities and operational 
needs. 
(2) 
RELEVANT
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—In this subsection, the term ‘‘relevant con-
gressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committees on Agriculture; Nat-
ural Resources; Science, Space, and Tech-
nology; and Transportation and Infrastructure 
of the House of Representatives; and 
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(B) the Committees on Agriculture, Nutri-
tion, and Forestry; Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; 
Environment and Public Works; and Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen-
ate. 
(e) TERMINATION.—Section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, 
United States Code, shall not apply to the Board. 
(f) FUNDING.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 
to carry out this section, to remain available until 
expended. 
(2) ADDITIONAL FUNDING.—In addition to the 
amounts made available pursuant to paragraph (1), 
the Federal members of the Board may, for pur-
poses of carrying out this section, use amounts 
whose purpose is not otherwise specified by the ap-
propriations laws available to the employing agencies 
of such members. 
Æ 
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