Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020

Bill: 116-s-4431
Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]
Introduced: 2020-08-04 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Air quality
Alternative and renewable resources
Aquatic ecology
Building construction
California
Civil actions and liability
Climate change and greenhouse gases
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Disaster relief and insurance
Ecology
Education programs funding
Educational facilities and institutions
Educational guidance
Electric power generation and transmission
Elementary and secondary education
Employment and training programs
Endangered and threatened species
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Forests, forestry, trees
Government lending and loan guarantees
Health facilities and institutions
Higher education
Home and outpatient care
Hydrology and hydrography
Indian social and development programs
Industrial facilities
Insects
Judicial review and appeals
Lakes and rivers
Long-term, rehabilitative, and terminal care
Materials
Nursing
Pest management
Public utilities and utility rates
Roads and highways
Teaching, teachers, curricula
Trade restrictions
Urban and suburban affairs and development
Vocational and technical education
Water quality
Water use and supply
Watersheds
Wetlands
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2020-08-04
text: 

Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020

 
This bill addresses wildfire preparedness and response.
 
Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to select three forest landscapes on which to conduct projects to reduce the risk of wildfire, restore ecological health, or adapt to the increased risk of wildfire due to climate change.
 
USDA and the Department of the Interior shall expedite the placement of wildfire detection equipment in areas at risk of wildfire, expedite related permitting, expand the use of satellite data to assist wildfire response, and establish a center to train individuals in methods to mitigate wildfire risk.
 
The bill excludes certain forest management activities from environmental review requirements.
 
Interior may make a determination that an emergency situation exists regarding National Forest System land and authorize specified emergency actions. Such a determination and such actions are not subject to administrative review.
 
Interior shall provide grants, loans, and loan guarantees to support biomass conversion facilities.
 
The bill allows the export of unprocessed timber of dead and dying trees from federal land in California.
 
Interior shall establish a grant program to assist in the development and utilization of innovative activities relating to workforce development in the forest sector, raise public awareness about the forest sector, and connect individuals to careers in the forest sector.
 
The Department of Energy shall provide support to improve the energy resilience, power needs, and energy efficiency of critical facilities.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-09-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 116-380.
action_date: 2020-08-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4733-4734)
action_date: 2020-08-04
text: Introduced in Senate