I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION H. R. 10523 
To establish and carry out a Federal Wildfire Relief Fund. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 19, 2024 
Mr. CURTIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish and carry out a Federal Wildfire Relief Fund. 
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 ‘‘Federal Wildfire Relief 
Act of 2024.’’ 
SEC. 2. DECLARATION. 
The President, acting through the Administration of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall be re-
quired to declare a wildfire as a catastrophic wildfire, for 
relief to be available under this Act. 
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SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL WILDFIRE RE-
LIEF FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency shall establish and carry 
out a Federal Wildfire Relief Fund, under which the Ad-
ministrator shall ensure— 
(1) The adjudication of claims for compensation 
for damage by a qualifying wildfire under sub-
sections (d), (e), and (f); 
(2) Compensation is provided in accordance 
with subsections (d), (e), and (f); and 
(3) Review, periodically and after the occur-
rence of a catastrophic wildfire, of the compliance of 
electric utilities (as defined by section 3(4) of the 
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2602(4))) seeking to access the Electricity 
Transmission Liability Shield. 
(b) CLAIMS FOR QUALIFYING WILDFIRES.— 
(1) AUTHORITY OF ADMINISTRATOR.—The Ad-
ministrator shall, on behalf of the United States, in-
vestigate, consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, 
grant, deny, or settle any claim for money damages 
asserted by structure owners, insurers, and covered 
utilities. 
(2) INDEPENDENT CLAIMS MANAGER.—Upon a 
determination by the Administrator that a particular 
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wildfire qualifies as a catastrophic wildfire, the Ad-
ministrator may appoint an independent claims 
manager to determine the appropriate compensation 
for each claim arising from such catastrophic wild-
fire and to distribute compensation. 
(c) COVERED UTILITY COMPLIANCE WITH A FED-
ERAL WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN OR STATE APPROVED 
WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN.—To qualify for compensa-
tion under this Act, the Administrator shall determine 
whether a claimant meets the following requirements: 
(1) FEDERAL OR STATE APPROVED WILDFIRE 
MITIGATION PLANS.—The covered utility for which 
compensation is being sought was in compliance with 
State approved wildfire mitigation plans or a Fed-
eral wildfire mitigation plan established under sub-
section (i). 
(2) ADEQUATE
INSURANCE.—The damaged 
structure for which compensation is being sought 
was adequately insured for not less than 50 percent 
of the value of the structure. 
(d) COMPENSATION OF STRUCTURE OWNERS.— 
(1) VERIFICATION
PROCESS.—The Adminis-
trator shall establish a process for the verification of 
structure damage, insurance coverage, and other rel-
evant information. 
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(2) CLAIM
AMOUNT.—The amount of each 
claim shall not exceed the amount of the total struc-
ture, less— 
(A) the amount awarded to a structure 
owner for such damages by a State wildfire re-
covery fund; and 
(B) the amount awarded to a structure 
owner for such damage by a private insurer or 
covered utility. 
(3) COMPENSATION LIMITS.—Structure owners 
shall be compensated up to 25 percent of their unin-
sured losses, subject to a 50 percent maximum of 
their insured losses up to $1,000,0000. 
(4) DEADLINE FOR COMPENSATION.—Not later 
that 180 days after the date on which a claim is 
submitted under this Act, the Administrator shall 
determine and fix the amount of compensation, if 
any, to be paid for the claim. 
(5) ADVANCE PAYMENTS.—At the request of a 
claimant, the Administrator may make 1 or more 
advance or partial payments before the final settle-
ment of a claim, subject to a preliminary approval 
and a requirement that repayment shall be required 
if the claim is rejected. 
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(e) COMPENSATION OF INSURERS.—An insurer of 
any structure owner receiving compensation under this 
section may receive compensation of up to 10 percent of 
the insurer’s losses on insured structures meeting Federal 
or State approved wildfire mitigation plans under sub-
section (c). 
(f) COMPENSATION OF COVERED UTILITIES.— 
(1) RECOVERED.—A covered utility servicing 
any structure receiving compensation under this sec-
tion may receive compensation from the Fund of 
such amount as the Administrator determines for 
the losses incurred by the covered utility for the pay-
ment of structure owner claims. 
(2) LIMITATION
TO
CERTAIN
CLAIMANTS.— 
Compensation authorized under this subsection shall 
not exceed 10 percent of the value of the covered 
utility’s gross assets. 
(g) VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Participation in and receipt 
of compensation from the Fund shall be voluntary 
for structure owners and covered utilities. 
(2) WAIVER OF CLAIMS.—To receive compensa-
tion under this section, structure owners or insurers 
shall be required to waive claims against a covered 
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utility in regards to damages stemming from the 
unique catastrophic wildfire event. 
(h) LIMITATION OF LIABILITY.—Subject to compli-
ance with Federal and State approved wildfire mitigation 
plans, liability for damages relating to qualifying cata-
strophic wildfires shall be limited for covered utility opera-
tors to no greater than 10 percent of the value of the gross 
assets of the covered utility. 
(i) WILDFIRE
MITIGATION
OPERATING
PROCE-
DURES.— 
(1) STATE
APPROVED
OPERATING
PLANS.— 
Covered Utility Wildfire Mitigation and Operating 
Procedures approved by the state will be the stand-
ard in that state for access to the Fund. 
(A) Covered utilities may submit their ap-
proved state plan to the Federal Energy Regu-
latory Commission. 
(B) Covered utilities that have significant 
or prolonged periods of noncompliance with 
submitting their state approved wildfire mitiga-
tion operating procedure will be ineligible to ac-
cess the liability shield. 
(2) FEDERAL
ENERGY
REGULATORY
COMMIS-
SION TECHNICAL CONFERENCE.— 
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(A) The Federal Energy Regulatory Com-
mission shall establish a process by which cov-
ered utilities can get their utility wildfire miti-
gation operation plan approved if their state 
does not already have a mitigation plan. 
(j) FEDERAL JURISDICTION OVER CLAIMS RELATED 
TO
COMPENSATION
FOR
QUALIFYING
CATASTROPHIC 
WILDFIRES.—Claims sought outside of the parameters of 
the Fund, such as covered claims available under State 
law under which a State court would have jurisdiction 
shall be the exclusive jurisdiction of a regionally appro-
priate Federal claims court. 
SEC. 4. OTHER FEDERAL WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND LIMITA-
TIONS. 
(a) EXCLUSION.—The Fund shall not compensate for 
claims requesting compensation for personal injuries or 
wrongful deaths. 
(b) HABITABLE DWELLINGS.—The Fund shall com-
pensate only for the loss or damage of physical dwelling 
or business structures that were deemed suitable for habi-
tation or use at the time of the fire. 
(c) NO CAP.—Compensation of damages via the 
Fund shall not be subject to a cap for any particular quali-
fying catastrophic wildfire related to repayment of a cov-
ered utility. 
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SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE.—The term ‘‘cat-
astrophic wildfire’’ means a wildfire occurring on or 
after the effective date of this Act that damages or 
destroys more than 500 residential or commercial 
structures or causes more than $50,000,000 in dam-
ages, or as otherwise determined by the Adminis-
trator. 
(2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, or if a manager is 
appointed, the manager. 
(3) COVERED
UTILITY.—The term ‘‘covered 
utility’’ means any electric utility or company that 
otherwise owns, operates, or maintains electric 
transmission, distribution, generation, or energy 
storage equipment. 
Æ 
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