Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-1875
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
Introduced: 2013-12-19
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Appropriations

Budget deficits and national debt

Congressional oversight

Department of Agriculture

Department of the Interior

Disaster relief and insurance

Executive agency funding and structure

Fires

Forests, forestry, trees
Latest action: action_date: 2013-12-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.

Summaries:
action_date: 2013-12-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013 - Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act), with regard to sequestration adjustments, to require any adjustments in enacted appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior for a fiscal year, to be the amount of additional new budget authority provided for wildfire suppression operations in the appropriations Act, but not to exceed $2.689 billion in such authority in each of FY2014-FY2021. </p> <p>Defines &quot;additional new budget authority&quot; as the amount specified in an appropriations Act for a fiscal year to pay for wildfire suppression operations, but only to the extent such authority exceeds 70% of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years. </p>  <p>Prescribes requirements for any request by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture for supplemental appropriations necessary for wildfire suppression operations.</p>

tv_txt: II 113th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1875 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 19, 2013 Mr. Wyden (for himself and Mr. Crapo ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget A BILL To provide for wildfire suppression operations, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2013 . 2. Wildfire disaster funding authority (a) In general Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 ( 2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (E) Flame wildfire suppression (i) If a bill or joint resolution making appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies an amount for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, then the adjustments for that fiscal year shall be the amount of additional new budget authority provided in that Act for wildfire suppression operations for that fiscal year, but shall not exceed $2,689,000,000 in additional new budget authority in each of fiscal years 2014 through 2021. (ii) As used in this subparagraph— (I) the term additional new budget authority means the amount provided for a fiscal year, in excess of 70 percent of the average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years, in an appropriation Act and specified to pay for the costs of wildfire suppression operations; and (II) the term wildfire suppression operations means the emergency and unpredictable aspects of wildland firefighting including support, response, and emergency stabilization activities; other emergency management activities; and funds necessary to repay any transfers needed for these costs. (iii) The average costs for wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years shall be calculated annually and reported in the President’s Budget submission under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, for each fiscal year. . (b) Disaster funding Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 ( 2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(D) ) is amended— (1) in clause (i)— (A) in subclause (I), by striking and and inserting plus ; (B) in subclause (II), by striking the period and inserting ; less ; and (C) by adding the following: (III) the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriation Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal year. ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (v) Beginning in fiscal year 2016 and in subsequent fiscal years, the calculation of the average funding provided for disaster relief over the previous 10 years shall include the additional new budget authority provided in an appropriation Act for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to subparagraph (E). . 3. Reporting requirements If the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determines that supplemental appropriations are necessary for a fiscal year for wildfire suppression operations, such Secretary shall promptly submit to Congress— (1) a request for such supplemental appropriations; and (2) a plan detailing the manner in which such Secretary intends to obligate the supplemental appropriations by not later than 30 days after the date on which the amounts are made available.