119 HR 2492 : Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives 2025-05-14 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IIB119th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 2492IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 14, 2025Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and ForestryAN ACTTo authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to permit removal of trees around electrical lines on National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands, respectively, without conducting a timber sale, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025.

2.

Permits and agreements with electrical utilities

(a)

In general

In any special use permit or easement on covered Federal lands provided to an electrical utility, the Secretary concerned may provide permission to cut and remove trees or other vegetation from within the vicinity of distribution lines or transmission lines without requiring a separate timber sale, if that cutting and removal is consistent with—(1)any applicable land and resource management plan; and (2)other applicable environmental laws (including regulations).(b)

Use of proceeds

A special use permit or easement that includes permission for cutting and removal described in subsection (a) shall include a requirement that, if the applicable electrical utility sells any portion of the material removed under the permit or easement, the electrical utility shall provide to the Secretary concerned any proceeds received from the sale, less any transportation costs incurred in the sale.(c)

Effect

Nothing in subsection (b) shall require the sale of any material removed under a permit or easement that includes permission for cutting and removal described in subsection (a).(d)

Definitions

In this section:(1)

Covered Federal lands

The term covered Federal lands means—(A)National Forest System lands; and(B)lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.(2)

Secretary concerned

The term Secretary concerned means—(A)with respect to National Forest System lands, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; and(B)with respect to lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Passed the House of Representatives May 13, 2025.Kevin F. McCumber,Clerk.