S 160 119th Congress Senate Armed Forces and National Security Aviation and airports Fires Forests, forestry, trees Military assistance, sales, and agreements

Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025

Introduced: January 21, 2025 Introduced by: Sheehy, Tim Republican · Montana See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 18 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Jun 12, 2025

Became Public Law No: 119-18.

Jun 12, 2025

Signed by President.

Jun 10, 2025

Presented to President.

Jun 3, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2390)

Jun 3, 2025

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 160.

Jun 3, 2025

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2390)

Jun 3, 2025

Mr. Comer moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

Jun 3, 2025

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Jun 3, 2025

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2390)

Apr 9, 2025

Held at the desk.

Apr 9, 2025

Received in the House.

Apr 9, 2025

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Apr 8, 2025

Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S2480)

Apr 8, 2025

Senate Committee on Armed Services discharged by Unanimous Consent.

Apr 8, 2025

Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S2480)

Apr 8, 2025

Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.

Jan 21, 2025

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

Jan 21, 2025

Introduced in Senate

Votes taken on this bill 3

Date	Chamber	What was voted on	Result	Yes–No
Feb 26, 2009	Senate · vote #73	On Passage of the Bill S. 160	Passed	61–37	See who voted →
Feb 25, 2009	Senate · vote #67	On the Point of Order S. 160	Not Sustained	36–62	See who voted →
Feb 24, 2009	Senate · vote #65	On Cloture on the Motion to Proceed S. 160	Agreed To	62–34	See who voted →

Amendments to this bill 1

1 agreed to

Amendment	Sponsor	Purpose	Status	Latest action
SAMDT 2,223	Sheehy, Tim	To modify the period for exercise of authority for the sale by the Department of Defense of aircraft and part…	Agreed to	Apr 8, 2025

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Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes the Department of Defense to sell its excess aircraft and aircraft parts that are acceptable for commercial sale for wildfire suppression purposes. Such authority begins October 1, 2025, and ends October 1, 2035.

The bill also provides that such aircraft may be used to deliver water by air in order to suppress wildfire (the previous authority only provided for the delivery of fire retardant).

The bill removes the previous limitation on providing international wildfire suppression assistance with such purchased aircraft.

What's happening now June 12, 2025

Became Public Law No: 119-18.

Related & companion bills 1

Bill text 4 versions

Engrossed in Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Enrolled Bill Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML United States Legislative Markup
Introduced in Senate Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Public Law Formatted Text PDF United States Legislative Markup

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 1

Armed Services Committee
Senate

Lobbying activity 34

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

CAPITOL COUNSEL LLC
for PRIME MINUTE, INC. · California · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2026
CAPITOL COUNSEL LLC
for PERIMETER SOLUTIONS · Missouri · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2026
TREA SENIOR CITIZENS LEAGUE
for TREA SENIOR CITIZENS LEAGUE · Virginia · 2nd Quarter (Apr 1 - June 30) 2026
BIGHORN PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP
for QUANTA SERVICES, INC. · Texas · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026
AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION FKA PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURERS ASSOC. OF AMERICA
for AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026
COLLECTIVE STRATEGIES & COMMUNICATIONS
for CAPITOL COUNSEL, LLC ON BEHALF OF PRIME MINUTE, INC. · District of Columbia · 1st Quarter (Jan 1 - Mar 31) 2026

See all 34 filings →

Cosponsors 8

Warnock, Raphael G.

Georgia · Apr 2, 2025

Padilla, Alex

California · Apr 1, 2025

Arizona · Feb 19, 2025

Luján, Ben Ray

New Mexico · Feb 3, 2025

Mullin, Markwayne

· Feb 3, 2025

Heinrich, Martin

New Mexico · Jan 21, 2025

Cite this page click to expand

APA

U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 160: Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025. 119th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-160/

MLA

"S. 160: Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025." 119th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-160/.

Bluebook (legal)

S. 160, 119th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-160/.

Markdown link

[S. 160: Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025](https://openamerica.io/bill/119-S-160/)