Federal Lands FIRES Act of 2018

Bill: 115-hr-6799
Sponsor: Rep. Tipton, Scott  R. [R-CO-3]
Introduced: 2018-09-13 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Fires
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Homelessness and emergency shelter
Intergovernmental relations
Minority and disadvantaged businesses
Natural disasters
Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
Small business
State and local finance
War and emergency powers

Summary:
action_date: 2018-09-13
text: 

Federal Lands Fire-Related Incidents Recovery and Economic Stimulus Act of 2018 or the Federal Lands FIRES Act of 2018

 
This bill authorizes the President to declare a federal lands wildfire disaster. Specifically, the President may make such a declaration for any wildfire: 
 
 
for which a request for a declaration has been made by the governor of an affected state or the chief executive of an affected Indian tribal government; 
 
that has burned 40% or more of an area that consists of federal lands; and 
 
that, in the President's determination, causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant assistance to supplement the efforts and available resources of states, local governments, Indian tribes, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused by the wildfire. 

 
Assistance may be provided for secondary and tertiary damages, which may not include any area more than 100 miles from the area subject to the wildfire. 
 
The Department of Housing and Urban Development may provide assistance to states, local governments, and Indian tribes for necessary expenses for disaster relief, long-term recovery, restoration of infrastructure and housing, and economic revitalization in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from a federal lands wildfire disaster. 
 
The bill amends the Small Business Act to allow small businesses to receive economic injury disaster loans from the Small Business Administration for a federal lands wildfire disaster. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2018-09-20
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.
action_date: 2018-09-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Small Business, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2018-09-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Small Business, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2018-09-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Small Business, 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 committee concerned.
action_date: 2018-09-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2018-09-13
text: Introduced in House