HR 1242 118th Congress House Armed Forces and National Security Aviation and airports Fires First responders and emergency personnel Forests, forestry, trees Military assistance, sales, and agreements State and local finance

Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023

Introduced: February 28, 2023 Introduced by: Garamendi, John Democratic · California See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Jun 7, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture.

Mar 22, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry.

Mar 22, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands.

Mar 1, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Feb 28, 2023

Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Transportation and Infrastructure, and 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.

Feb 28, 2023

Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E162-163)

Feb 28, 2023

Introduced in House

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Military Support for Fighting Wildfires Act of 2023

This bill addresses the role of the Department of Defense (DOD) in wildfire emergency response.

Specifically, the bill requires DOD to reimburse a state for the costs of fighting wildfires caused by DOD activities on state lands.

The bill also makes permanent the Fireguard Program, under which DOD may use members of the National Guard to help detect and monitor wildfires and support emergency response to such fires.

The bill updates provisions related to the transfer of certain aircraft from DOD and the Department of Homeland Security to other agencies for wildfire suppression and other related purposes.

Under the bill, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) within DOD may not require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or a federal land management agency to reimburse NGA for the use of resources for any request approved in relation to (1) a request made by the federal agency through the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), or (2) an area of federal land affected by extreme weather.

Further, reimbursement requirements under the Economy Act do not apply to DOD assistance provided to FEMA or a federal land management agency for requests made through the NIFC or those pertaining to an area covered by a declaration of a major disaster or emergency.

DOD must issue guidance for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by the National Guard for specified activities (e.g., emergency operations) in a manner no more restrictive than the use of other aircraft for such activities.

What's happening now June 7, 2023

Referred to the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Overhead Architecture.

Committees of jurisdiction 9