IB 
Union Calendar No. 747 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4235 
[Report No. 118–914, Part I] 
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 
DECEMBER 18, 2024 
Additional sponsors: Mrs. CHAVEZ-DEREMER, Mr. MOYLAN, Mr. LAWLER, 
Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. DUARTE, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. ISSA, Mr. 
HARDER of California, Mr. COSTA, and Mr. CASE 
DECEMBER 18, 2024 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
DECEMBER 18, 2024 
Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 
Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 21, 2023] 
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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. 
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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’’. 
SEC. 2. PUBLIC-PRIVATE WILDFIRE TECHNOLOGY TESTBED 
PARTNERSHIP. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act, the term: 
(1) COVERED AGENCY.—The term ‘‘covered agen-
cy’’ 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; 
(G) the Department of Defense; 
(H) a State, Tribal, county, or municipal 
fire department or district operating through the 
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United States Fire Administration or pursuant 
to an agreement with a Federal agency; and 
(I) any other Federal agency involved in 
wildfire response. 
(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered enti-
ty’’ 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)). 
(3) 
SECRETARIES.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 
of the Interior, acting jointly. 
(4) 
TESTBED
PILOT
PROGRAM.—The 
term 
‘‘Testbed Pilot Program’’ means the testbed pilot pro-
gram developed under subsection (b). 
(b) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination 
with the heads of the covered agencies, shall establish a 
testbed pilot program for new and innovative wildfire pre-
vention, detection, communication, and mitigation tech-
nologies. 
(c) FUNCTIONS.—In carrying out the Testbed Pilot 
Program, the Secretaries shall— 
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(1) incorporate the Testbed Pilot Program into 
the National Wildfire Coordinating Group; 
(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; 
(C) remote sensing and tracking; 
(D) safety equipment; and 
(E) common operating pictures or oper-
ational dashboards; and 
(3) partner with each covered entity selected to 
participate 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 require, 
which shall include a proposal to test technologies specific 
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to key technology priority areas identified under subsection 
(c)(2). 
(e) PRIORITIZATION OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.— 
In selecting covered entities to participate in the Testbed 
Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall give priority to covered 
entities developing and applying emerging technologies, in-
cluding artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, computing 
and quantum-hybrid applications, augmented reality, and 
5G private networks and device-to-device communications 
supporting nomadic mesh networks, for wildfire mitigation. 
(f) OUTREACH.—The Secretaries, in coordination with 
the heads of covered agencies, shall make public the key tech-
nology priority areas identified under subsection (c)(2) and 
invite covered entities to apply to test and demonstrate 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 Committees on 
Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Science, Space, and 
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Energy 
and Natural Resources, and Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate a report that includes the following 
with respect to the Testbed Pilot Program: 
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(1) A list of participating covered entities. 
(2) A brief description of the technologies tested 
by such covered entities. 
(3) An estimate of the cost of acquiring the tech-
nology 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 
agencies’ wildfire prevention, detection, communica-
tion, and mitigation efforts. 
(h) SUNSET.—The authority to carry out the Testbed 
Pilot Program shall terminate on the date that is 7 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act. 
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