Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act

Bill: 118-hr-9703
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Introduced: 2024-09-19
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-19
text: 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 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 9703 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 19, 2024 Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mrs. Kim of California , Mr. Harder of California , and Mr. Molinaro ) 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 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act . 2. Study on wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries (a) Study required The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on— (1) the existing Federal programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation from being completed across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land; (2) whether changes to any program, rule, or authority identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would allow Federal land management agencies (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6801 )), the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Fire Administration, States, local governments, and Tribal governments increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires; and (3) the activities carried out pursuant to subsection (e) of section 103 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6513 ), including— (A) how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and (B) whether the enactment of such subsection has increased the access of Federal land management agencies and States to funding to mitigate wildfires. (b) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the Senate a report that contains— (1) the results of the study required under subsection (a); and (2) recommendations to simplify cross-boundary wildfire mitigation between Federal land management agencies and State, local, and Tribal governments.