[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 575 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 575

To expedite the process by which the Secretary of the Interior and the 
    Secretary of Agriculture may utilize military aircraft to fight 
                   wildfires, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 5, 2003

  Mr. Hefley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
    Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on 
 Resources, Government Reform, and Armed Services, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To expedite the process by which the Secretary of the Interior and the 
    Secretary of Agriculture may utilize military aircraft to fight 
                   wildfires, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Wildfire Response Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. EXPEDITED AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR AND SECRETARY 
              OF AGRICULTURE TO UTILIZE MILITARY AIRCRAFT TO FIGHT 
              WILDFIRES.

    (a) Exception to Economy Act Requirement.--Notwithstanding section 
1535(a)(4) of title 31, United States Code, the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture may procure the services of 
military aircraft (and personnel of the Armed Forces to operate and 
maintain such aircraft) to fight a wildfire without first comparing the 
cost and convenience of procuring such services from the Armed Forces 
to the cost of procuring the same services from a commercial 
enterprise.
    (b) Congressional Notice.--Whenever the Secretary of the Interior 
or the Secretary of Agriculture uses the exception provided in 
subsection (a) to expedite the procurement of the services of military 
aircraft (and personnel of the Armed Forces to operate and maintain 
such aircraft) to fight a wildfire, the Secretary concerned shall 
submit to Congress notice of the use of the exception and the reasons 
for the use of the exception.
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