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HR 6903 117th Congress House Agriculture and Food

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 2, 2022 Introduced by: McClintock, Tom Republican · California See on congress.gov
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This bill died when the 117th Congress ended
It never became law before the 117th Congress (2021–2022) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 8, 2022
Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.
Mar 8, 2022
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
Mar 2, 2022
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.
Mar 2, 2022
Introduced in House
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 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

This bill sets out requirements for wildfire suppression and management activities carried out by the Forest Service.

Within 24 hours of detecting a wildfire on Forest Service land, the service must use (to the maximum extent practicable) all available resources to extinguish the wildfire. Additionally, the service may not inhibit the firefighting activities of state and local agencies that are authorized to respond to wildfires on Forest Service land.

Further, the service may not initiate a backfire or burnout as part of a fire suppression strategy unless ordered by the responsible incident commander and must control any initiated fire until it is extinguished. An individual who is harmed by an improperly initiated or controlled backfire or burnout may sue the United States.

The bill also limits the service's use of prescribed fires (i.e., the controlled application of fire by a team of experts under specified weather conditions to restore health to ecosystems that depend on fire). The service must comply with all applicable laws and regulations concerning prescribed fires and must immediately suppress (to the maximum extent practicable) a prescribed fire that exceeds its prescription.

What's happening now March 8, 2022

Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6903: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-6903/
MLA
"H.R. 6903: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-6903/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6903, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-6903/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6903: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-HR-6903/)
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