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HR 178 119th Congress House Public Lands and Natural Resources Emergency planning and evacuation Fires First responders and emergency personnel Forests, forestry, trees

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

Introduced: January 3, 2025 Introduced by: McClintock, Tom Republican · California See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 6 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 8, 2026
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-429, Part I.
Jul 23, 2025
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
Jul 23, 2025
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Feb 7, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
Jan 3, 2025
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.
Jan 3, 2025
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.

These requirements apply to Forest Service land that (1) has a severe, extreme, or exceptional drought intensity rating; (2) has a National Wildland Fire Preparedness level of 5 (i.e., the highest level of wildland fire activity); or (3) is located in a fireshed ranked in the top 10% of wildfire exposure.

Within 24 hours of detecting a wildfire on such Forest Service land, the service must use 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 the Forest Service land.

Further, the service may only initiate a backfire or burnout as part of a fire suppression strategy if it is ordered by the responsible incident commander or is necessary to protect the health and safety of firefighting personnel. The service must use all available resources to control any initiated fire until it is extinguished.

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). When using prescribed fires as a fire resource management tool, the service must comply with applicable laws and regulations and immediately suppress any prescribed fire that exceeds its prescription.

What's happening now January 8, 2026

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 119-429, Part I.

 Hearings & markups 1
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Lobbying activity 27

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

See all 27 filings →
 Cosponsors 9
All 9 Republican 8 Independent 1
R
Downing, Troy
Montana · Mar 10, 2025
 R
Owens, Burgess
Utah · Jan 15, 2025
 R
Zinke, Ryan K.
Montana · Jan 9, 2025
 I
Kiley, Kevin
California · Jan 7, 2025
 R
Biggs, Andy
Arizona · Jan 3, 2025
 R
Calvert, Ken
California · Jan 3, 2025
 R
Issa, Darrell
California · Jan 3, 2025
 R
LaMalfa, Doug
California · Jan 3, 2025
 R
Stauber, Pete
Minnesota · Jan 3, 2025
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 178: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-178/
MLA
"H.R. 178: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-178/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 178, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-178/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 178: To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-HR-178/)
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