118 HR 1567 IH: Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2023-03-10
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I
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1567
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 10, 2023
Mr. Tiffany introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 require that the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior submit accurate reports regarding hazardous fuels reduction activities, and for other purposes.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions Act” or the “ACRES Act”.
2.

Accurate Hazardous Fuels Reduction Reports
(a)

Inclusion of Hazardous Fuels Reduction Report in Materials Submitted in Support of the President’s Budget
(1)

In general
Beginning with the first fiscal year that begins after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall include in the materials submitted in support of the President’s budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report on the number of acres on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the preceding fiscal year.
(2)

Requirements
For purposes of the report required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall—
(A)
in determining the number of acres on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the period covered by the report—
(i)
record acres on which hazardous fuels reduction activities were completed during such period; and
(ii)
record each acre described in clause (i) once in the report, regardless of whether multiple hazardous fuels reduction activities were carried out on such acre during such period; and
(B)
with respect to the acres recorded in the report, include information on—
(i)
which such acres are located in the wildland-urban interface;
(ii)
the level of wildfire risk (high, moderate, or low) on the first and last day of the period covered by the report;
(iii)
the types of hazardous fuels activities completed for such acres;
(iv)
the cost per acre of hazardous fuels activities carried out during the period covered by the report;
(v)
the region or system unit in which the acres are located; and
(vi)
the effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities on reducing the risk of wildfire.
(3)

Transparency
The Secretary concerned shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, as applicable.
(b)

Accurate data collection
(1)

In general
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall implement standardized procedures for tracking data related to hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned.
(2)

Elements
The standardized procedures required under paragraph (1) shall include—
(A)
regular, standardized data reviews of the accuracy and timely input of data used to track hazardous fuels reduction activities;
(B)
verification methods that validate whether such data accurately correlates to the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned;
(C)
an analysis of the short- and long-term effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities on reducing the risk of wildfire; and
(D)
for hazardous fuels reduction activities that occur partially within the wildland-urban interface, methods to distinguish which acres are located within the wildland-urban interface and which acres are located outside the wildland-urban interface.
(3)

Report
Not later than 2 weeks after implementing the standardized procedures required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that describes—
(A)
such standardized procedures; and
(B)
program and policy recommendations to Congress to address any limitations in tracking data related to hazardous fuels reduction activities under this subsection.
(c)

GAO study
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall—
(1)
conduct a study on the implementation of this Act, including any limitations with respect to—
(A)
reporting hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (a); or
(B)
tracking data related to hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (b); and
(2)
submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study under paragraph (1).
(d)

Definitions
In this Act:
(1)

Hazardous fuels reduction activity
The term hazardous fuels reduction activity—
(A)
means any vegetation management activity to reduce the risk of wildfire, including mechanical treatments and prescribed burning; and
(B)
does not include—
(i)
a wildland fire managed for resource benefits; and
(ii)
the awarding of contracts to conduct hazardous fuels reduction activities.
(2)

Secretary concerned
The term Secretary concerned means—
(A)
the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands; and
(B)
the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands and units of the National Park System.
(3)

Wildland-urban interface
The term wildland-urban interface has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).