Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act

Bill: 118-hr-4920
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Introduced: 2023-07-26
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance

Fires

Forests, forestry, trees
Latest action: action_date: 2023-09-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-07-26
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act</strong></p><p>This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive certain requirements for matching federal funds in fire recovery projects. Specifically, USDA may waive cost-sharing requirements for projects responding to fires resulting from management activities (e.g., controlled burns) conducted by USDA on National Forest System land.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4920 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 26, 2023 Ms. Leger Fernandez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture , and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources , 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 provide for cost-share waivers for projects carried out in response to wildland fires caused by certain Government actions, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Responsible Wildland Fire Recovery Act . 2. Purpose The purpose of this Act is to ensure that victims of wildland fires resulting from management activities conducted by the Department of Agriculture on National Forest System land are eligible to receive 100 percent funding for the cost of remediating direct and indirect damages under authorized Federal recovery programs. 3. Cost-share waiver for rehabilitation from wildland fires (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered matching requirement The term covered matching requirement means a requirement under a program of the Secretary for wildland fire recovery for a State, Indian Tribe, locality, or individual to provide matching funds, in cash, for a project. (2) Covered wildland fire The term covered wildland fire means a wildland fire that the Secretary determines to be a result of management activities conducted by the Secretary on National Forest System land. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. (4) Wildland fire (A) In general The term wildland fire means any non-structure fire that occurs in vegetation or natural fuels. (B) Inclusions The term wildland fire includes wildfire, prescribed fire, and any direct or indirect damage resulting in watershed impairment. (b) Waiver Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary may waive any covered matching requirement for a project in response to a covered wildland fire that is in an area affected by that covered wildland fire.