[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8656 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8656

 To provide for the implementation of certain recommendations from the 
   Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 7, 2024

 Mr. Harder of California (for himself, Mr. Scott Franklin of Florida, 
Mr. Neguse, Mr. Stanton, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Garamendi, and 
Ms. Hoyle of Oregon) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
     to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the 
 Committees on Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and 
 Accountability, Armed Services, Energy and Commerce, Science, Space, 
and Technology, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Small Business, 
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 provide for the implementation of certain recommendations from the 
   Report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.

    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 ``Modernizing Wildfire Safety and 
Prevention Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    The table of contents for this Act is the following:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of Contents.
Sec. 3. Definition of Report.
                     TITLE I--WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Sec. 101. Middle Fire Leaders Academy (Report Recommendation 55).
Sec. 102. Wildfire workforce grant program (Report Recommendation 88).
                 TITLE II--WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER SUPPORT

Sec. 201. Fire Service Retention and Retirement Portability (Report 
                            Recommendation 86).
Sec. 202. Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program (Report 
                            Recommendation 87).
              TITLE III--WILDFIRE SMOKE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

Sec. 301. National Smoke Monitoring and Alert System (Report 
                            Recommendation 44).
Sec. 302. Health risk assessment for Wildfire Smoke Exposure (Report 
                            Recommendation 100).
                TITLE IV--FIRE MITIGATION AND TECHNOLOGY

Sec. 401. Improvements to wildfire forage loss programs (Report 
                            Recommendation 59).
Sec. 402. Improvements to FEMA Programs (Report Recommendations 66 and 
                            64).
Sec. 403. The Wildland Dynamic Risk Mapping Program (Report 
                            Recommendation 118).
Sec. 404. Improvements to grant programs for community wildfire risk 
                            reduction and postfire recovery efforts 
                            (Report Recommendation 142).
Sec. 405. Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center (Report 
                            Recommendations 104, 105, 106).
Sec. 406. Interagency Data Collaboration Environment (Report 
                            Recommendation 107).
Sec. 407. Requirements related to payment timing for certain programs 
                            addressing wildfire damages (Report 
                            Recommendation 61).

SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF REPORT.

    In this Act, the term ``Report'' means the Report of the Wildland 
Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, dated September 2023.

                     TITLE I--WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 101. MIDDLE FIRE LEADERS ACADEMY (REPORT RECOMMENDATION 55).

    (a) Middle Fire Leaders Academy.--Not later than a 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief of the Forest Service 
shall create a Middle Fire Leaders Academy which shall be open to 
Federal and non-Federal wildland fire response workforce employees. The 
Middle Fire Leaders Academy shall provide--
            (1) rapid training and certification for emerging wildfire 
        and beneficial fire leaders; and
            (2) additional and expanded training of sufficient quality 
        to enable managers and decision makers responsible for 
        addressing wildfire incidents and prescribed burns to make 
        informed decisions regarding the beneficial application and 
        management of fire, including managing local fire regimes and 
        other forms of beneficial fire use.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2034.

SEC. 102. WILDFIRE WORKFORCE GRANT PROGRAM (REPORT RECOMMENDATION 88).

    (a) Grants Authorized.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Education shall award grants, 
on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out a program 
described in subsection (c).
    (b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this Act, 
an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application in such 
manner, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    (c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this Act shall carry out an educational or vocational program that 
leads to a degree, certificate, or other recognized credential in 
wildfire emergency management, including--
            (1) agricultural landscape planning relating to wildfire 
        resilience;
            (2) natural resource management relating to wildfire 
        resilience;
            (3) emergency management;
            (4) emergency medical technician services;
            (5) paramedic services;
            (6) fire science;
            (7) firefighting;
            (8) community planning relating to wildfire resilience;
            (9) safety and operations training for structural 
        firefighters assigned to wildfire incidents; or
            (10) any other program that trains individuals in the 
        wildfire mitigation, response, or recovery workforce.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Accredited local academy.--The term ``accredited local 
        academy'' means a partnership, between a local fire suppression 
        organization and the office of the Fire Marshall of a State, 
        that delivers a State Fire Training program.
            (2) Accredited regional training program.--The term 
        ``accredited regional training program'' means a partnership, 
        between a junior or community college or institution of higher 
        education and the office of the Fire Marshall of a State, that 
        delivers an approved State Fire Training program within a given 
        region.
            (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a junior or community college;
                    (B) an institution of higher education;
                    (C) an accredited regional training program;
                    (D) an accredited local academy; or
                    (E) a nonprofit entity with experience 
                administering education and training programs for fire 
                service personnel.
            (4) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002).
            (5) Junior or community college.--The term ``junior or 
        community college'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        312 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1058).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2034.

                 TITLE II--WILDLAND FIREFIGHTER SUPPORT

SEC. 201. FIRE SERVICE RETENTION AND RETIREMENT PORTABILITY (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 86).

    (a) Break-in-Service Consideration for Federal Wildland Firefighter 
Retirements.--Notwithstanding sections 8336(c) and 8412(d) of title 5, 
United States Code, not later than May 1, 2024, the Secretary 
concerned, in coordination with the Secretary of Labor, shall 
promulgate regulations, as necessary, to ensure that a Federal wildland 
firefighter would not forfeit previously made contributions or 
eligibility for firefighter retirement when the Federal wildland 
firefighter has a voluntary break in service of not more than 2 years.
    (b) Retention of Enhanced Retirement Benefits During Period of Non-
Federal Service.--Section 104(e)(2) of the Indian Self-Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5323(e)) is amended by adding 
at the end the following: ``Any Federal wildland firefighter (as that 
term is defined in section 201(d) of the Modernizing Wildfire Safety 
and Prevention Act of 2024) who retains coverage, rights, and benefits 
under such chapter 83 or 84 pursuant to this paragraph shall retain 
enhanced retirement benefits under either such chapter.''.
    (c) Job-Sharing.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a 
Federal wildland firefighter or wildland fire support personnel may 
occupy a position in the civil service (as that term is defined in 
section 2101 of title 5, United States Code) and a position with a 
Tribal government under a job-share agreement even if the position with 
a Tribal government is classified at a level higher than the civil 
service position, including any level that is above that of the highest 
level applicable to the General Schedule.
    (d) Federal Wildland Firefighter.--In this section, the term 
``Federal wildland firefighter'' means a person who is--
            (1) in a temporary, seasonal, or permanent position at the 
        Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior or 
        as a Tribal firefighter who;
                    (A) maintains group, emergency incident management, 
                or fire qualifications, as established annually by the 
                Standards for Wildland Fire Position Qualifications 
                published by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group; 
                and
                    (B) primarily engages in or supports wildland fire 
                management activities, including forestry and rangeland 
                technicians and positions concerning aviation, 
                engineering heavy equipment operations, dispatch, or 
                fire and fuels management; or
            (2) a Federal firefighter stationed on military 
        installations under the Department of Defense who engages in or 
        supports wildland fire management activities, including 
        forestry and rangeland technicians and positions concerning 
        aviation, engineering heavy equipment operations, dispatch, or 
        fire and fuels management.

SEC. 202. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT CASUALTY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 87).

    (a) Development of Program.--Not later than 6 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
develop a Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program 
(referred to in this section as the ``Program'') to provide assistance 
to the next-of-kin of--
            (1) critically injured, ill, and deceased firefighters 
        injury, illness, or death in the line of duty; and
            (2) wildland fire support personnel critically injured or 
        killed in the line of duty.
    (b) Aspects of Program.--The Program shall address the following:
            (1) The initial and any subsequent notifications to the 
        next-of-kin of a firefighter or wildland fire support personnel 
        who--
                    (A) was killed in the line of duty; or
                    (B) requires hospitalization or treatment at a 
                medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or 
                illness.
            (2) The reimbursement of next-of-kin for expenses 
        associated with travel to visit a firefighter or wildland fire 
        support personnel who--
                    (A) was killed in the line of duty; or
                    (B) requires hospitalization or treatment at a 
                medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or 
                illness.
            (3) The qualifications, assignment, training, duties, 
        supervision, and accountability for the performance of casualty 
        assistance responsibilities.
            (4) The relief or transfer of casualty assistance officers, 
        including notification to survivors of critical injury or 
        illness in the line of duty and next-of-kin of the reassignment 
        of such officers to other duties.
            (5) Centralized, short-term and long-term case management 
        procedures for casualty assistance, including rapid access by 
        survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel 
        and casualty assistance officers to expert case managers and 
        counselors.
            (6) The provision, through a computer accessible website 
        and other means and at no cost to survivors and next-of-kin of 
        firefighters or wildland fire support personnel, of 
        personalized, integrated information on the benefits and 
        financial assistance available to such survivors from the 
        Federal Government.
            (7) The provision of information to survivors and next-of-
        kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel on 
        mechanisms for registering complaints about, or requests for, 
        additional assistance related to casualty assistance.
            (8) Liaison with the Department of the Interior, the 
        Department of Justice, and the Social Security Administration 
        to ensure prompt and accurate resolution of issues relating to 
        benefits administered by those agencies for survivors of 
        firefighters or wildland fire support personnel.
            (9) Data collection regarding the incidence and quality of 
        casualty assistance provided to survivors of firefighters or 
        wildland fire support personnel.
    (c) Line of Duty Death Benefits.--The Program shall not affect 
existing authorities for Line of Duty Death benefits for Federal 
firefighters and wildland fire support personnel.
    (d) Next-of-Kin Defined.--In this section, the term ``next of kin'' 
means person or persons in the highest category of priority as 
determined by the following list (categories appear in descending order 
of priority):
            (1) Surviving legal spouse.
            (2) Children (whether by current or prior marriage) age 18 
        years or older in descending precedence by age.
            (3) Father or mother, unless by court order custody has 
        been vested in another (adoptive parent takes precedence over 
        natural parent);
            (4) Siblings (whole or half) age 18 years or older in 
        descending precedence by age.
            (5) Grandfather or grandmother.
            (6) Any other relative (precedence to be determined in 
        accordance with the civil law of descent of the deceased former 
        member's State of domicile at time of death).
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $1,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2034.

              TITLE III--WILDFIRE SMOKE AND PUBLIC HEALTH

SEC. 301. NATIONAL SMOKE MONITORING AND ALERT SYSTEM (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 44).

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, acting through the Director of the National 
Weather Service, and in conjunction with the Secretary of Agriculture 
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, the Secretary of the 
Interior, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall 
establish a nationally consistent smoke monitoring and alert system to 
provide consistent, real-time information and forecasts on air quality 
impacts from wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built 
environment.
    (b) Increase in Smoke Sensors.--In carrying out subsection (a), to 
ensure adequate and accessible data, the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall increase the availability and use 
of air monitoring devices for wildfire smoke, including, to distinguish 
wildfire smoke from other forms of air pollution, increasing the 
availability and use of--
            (1) speciation monitors; and
            (2) nonregulatory air monitors.
    (c) Use of Satellites.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall explore the 
use of satellites.
    (d) Public County-Resolution Smoke Alert System for Public Health 
and Roadways Safety.--In carrying out subsection (a), not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, acting through the 
Director of the National Weather Service and in coordination with the 
Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest 
Service, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Administrator of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention shall establish a public county-
resolution smoke alert system for public health and roadways safety 
which shall be based on levels of particulate matter. The system 
established under this subsection shall be in addition to the National 
Weather Service Dense Smoke Advisories, which are based on visibility.
    (e) Collection and Dissemination of Air Quality and Smoke Alert 
Information.--In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the 
National Weather Service shall collect all air quality forecasts, 
including through AirNow, public notifications, and alerts for smoke 
issued by Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial air agencies 
and disseminate them through weather forecast office networks to enable 
the Wireless Emergency Alerts System to be extended to support smoke 
communications to protect public health.
    (f) Forest Service Personnel and Smoke Monitoring Equipment.--In 
carrying out subsection (a), not later than 1 year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
the Chief of the Forest Service, in coordination with the Secretary of 
the Interior, shall expand the personnel and smoke monitoring equipment 
of the Forest Service to increase the capacity of the Forest Service to 
assess wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built 
environment, and carry out prescribed fires.
    (g) Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program 
Personnel and Smoke Monitoring Equipment.--In carrying out subsection 
(a), not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall 
expand the personnel (including air resource advisors) of, and smoke 
monitoring equipment available to, the Interagency Wildland Fire Air 
Quality Response Program established under section 1114(f) of the John 
D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (43 U.S.C. 
1748b-1(f)).
    (h) Expansion of Emergency Response Capacity.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (a), the 
        Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
        expand the emergency response capacity, including personnel and 
        equipment, of the Environmental Protection Agency--
                    (A) to measure air pollution from wildfires that 
                involve combustion of hazardous materials; and
                    (B) to communicate information during smoke events 
                resulting from wildfires.
            (2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``hazardous 
        materials'' means explosive, flammable, combustible, corrosive, 
        oxidizing, toxic, infectious, or radioactive materials that, 
        when involved in an accident and released in sufficient 
        quantities, put some portion of the general public in immediate 
        danger from exposure, contact, inhalation, or ingestion.
    (i) Improvements to Existing Systems.--In carrying out subsection 
(a), in order to maintain the Environmental Protection Agency AirNow 
framework and technology as a state-of-the-art, real-time resource for 
providing robust and actionable information to protect public health 
from wildfire smoke, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency shall, as the Administrator determines appropriate, improve and 
modernize such AirNow framework and technology, including by making 
improvements to and otherwise modernizing AirNow.gov, AirNow-Tech, the 
AirNow Environmental Protection Agency and Forest Service Fire and 
Smoke Map, AirNow Forecast Submittal System, and the AirNow mobile app.
    (j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $32,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2034.

SEC. 302. HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT FOR WILDFIRE SMOKE EXPOSURE (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 100).

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute for 
Occupational Safety and Health, in consultation with the Administrator 
of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, the Administrator of the United States 
Fire Administration, the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Director 
of the Office of Wildland Fire, shall complete a human health risk 
assessment for worker exposure to wildfire smoke to estimate the nature 
and probability of adverse health effects in workers who may be exposed 
to hazards from wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built 
environment.
    (b) Requirements for Assessment.--The human health risk assessment 
required under subsection (a) shall address the following:
            (1) The health problems for workers that may be caused by 
        exposure to wildfire smoke, including wildfire smoke in the 
        built environment.
            (2) The probability that workers will experience health 
        problems when exposed to different concentrations of wildfire 
        smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment.
            (3) The chemicals that workers are exposed to from wildfire 
        smoke, including wildfire smoke in the built environment, as 
        well as the overall level and duration of such exposure.
            (4) The differences in worker susceptibility to health 
        effects from exposure to wildfire smoke, including wildfire 
        smoke in the built environment.
            (5) The effectiveness of mitigating both acute and 
        cumulative exposures to wildfire smoke, including wildfire 
        smoke in the built environment, in decreasing adverse health 
        effects from such wildfire smoke.
    (c) Best Practices.--Not later than 6 months after completing the 
human health risk assessment under subsection (a), the Director of the 
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health shall develop and 
publish best practices to mitigate worker exposure to wildfire smoke, 
including wildfire smoke in the built environment. Such best practices 
shall be informed by the human health assessment completed under 
subsection (a).
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Director of the National Institute for Occupational 
Safety and Health to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2025 through 2027.

                TITLE IV--FIRE MITIGATION AND TECHNOLOGY

SEC. 401. IMPROVEMENTS TO WILDFIRE FORAGE LOSS PROGRAMS (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 59).

    (a) Livestock Forage Program.--Section 1501(c)(4)(A)(ii) of the 
Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(c)(4)(A)(ii)) is amended by 
inserting ``(including a prescribed fire, beneficial fire, and wildfire 
managed for resource objectives)'' before the period.
    (b) Emergency Livestock Assistance Program.--Section 1501(d)(1) of 
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (7 U.S.C. 9081(d)(1)) is amended by 
striking ``and wildfires'' and inserting ``wildfires, beneficial fires, 
prescribed fires, and wildfires managed for resource objectives''.

SEC. 402. IMPROVEMENTS TO FEMA PROGRAMS (REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS 66 AND 
              64).

    (a) In General.--Section 324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(2)--
                    (A) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and (B) as 
                clauses (i) and (ii), respectively, and adjusting the 
                margins accordingly; and
                    (B) in the matter preceding clause (i), as so 
                redesignated, by striking ``provide the following 
                percentage rates'' and inserting ``provide--
                    ``(A) excess funds for management costs as 
                described in subsection (c); and
                    ``(B) the following percentage rates'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Use of Excess Funds for Management Costs.--
            ``(1) Definition.--In this subsection, the term `excess 
        funds for management costs' means the difference between--
                    ``(A) the amount of the applicable specific 
                management costs authorized under subsection (b)(1) and 
                subsection (b)(2)(B); and
                    ``(B) as of the date on which the grant award is 
                closed, the amount of funding for management costs 
                activities expended by the grantee or subgrantee 
                receiving the financial assistance for costs described 
                in subparagraph (A).
            ``(2) Availability of excess funds for management costs.--
        The President may make available to a grantee or subgrantee 
        receiving financial assistance under section 403, 404, 406, 
        407, or 502 any excess funds for management costs.
            ``(3) Use of funds.--Excess funds for management costs made 
        available to a grantee or subgrantee under paragraph (2) may be 
        used for--
                    ``(A) activities associated with building capacity 
                to prepare for, recover from, or mitigate the impacts 
                of a major disaster or emergency declared under section 
                401 or 501, respectively; and
                    ``(B) management costs associated with any--
                            ``(i) major disaster;
                            ``(ii) emergency;
                            ``(iii) disaster preparedness measure; or
                            ``(iv) mitigation activity or measure 
                        authorized under section 203, 204, 205, or 404.
            ``(4) Availability.--Excess funds for management costs made 
        available to a grantee or subgrantee under paragraph (2) shall 
        remain available to the grantee or subgrantee until the date 
        that is 5 years after the date on which the excess funds for 
        management costs are made available under paragraph (2).''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to any grant award in relation to a major disaster 
or emergency declared under section 401 or 501, respectively, of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5170, 5191)--
            (1) the declaration of which is made on or after the date 
        of enactment of this Act; and
            (2) that is funded with amounts appropriated on or after 
        the date of enactment of this Act.
    (c) GAO Study.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives a report--
            (1) on the actual management costs described in section 324 
        of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) during the period of a major 
        disaster declaration under section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
        5170) to determine whether the amount set aside for those 
        management costs after the date of enactment of this Act is 
        appropriate; and
            (2) that includes the management costs described in section 
        324 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
        Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165b) for each disaster declared 
        under during the period of a major disaster declaration under 
        section 401 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 5170) during the 5-year 
        period preceding the date of the report, the amount set aside 
        for those management costs, the use of those management costs, 
        the length of each disaster, and the reason for the length of 
        each disaster.
    (d) No Additional Funds.--No additional funds are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).
    (e) Treatment of Multiple Events Stemming From Same Wildfire.--
            (1) Major disaster assistance programs.--Section 401 of the 
        Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 5170) is amended--
    ``(d) Wildland Fire Major Disaster Declaration.--In the case of an 
initial wildland fire major disaster declaration under this section, 
the declaration shall include any landslide, mudslide, flood, or other 
natural disaster event which stems from the wildland fire occuring 
within the 3-year period beginning on the first date of the wildland 
fire.''.
            (2) Emergency assistance programs.--Section 501 of such Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 5191) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Wildland Fire Major Disaster Declaration.--In the case of an 
initial wildland fire major disaster declaration under this section, 
the declaration shall include any landslide, mudslide, flood, or other 
natural disaster event which stems from the wildland fire occuring 
within the 3-year period beginning on the first date of the wildland 
fire.''.
            (3) Effective date.--The amendments made by this subsection 
        shall apply with respect to events occurring after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act.
    (f) Fire Management Assistance Program Policy.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall recommend such regulations or 
guidance as are necessary to make eligible assessments and emergency 
stabilization to protect public safety, including for the fire 
management assistance program under section 420 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187), 
irrespective of the incident period for a declared fire.
    (g) Changes to Public Assistance Policy Guide.--Not later than 1 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall amend the Public Assistance 
Program and Policy Guide of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
include guidance on wildfire-specific recovery challenges, including 
debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the resulting 
toxicity of drinking water resources.
    (h) Mitigation Cost Effectiveness.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency shall conduct a review of the criteria for 
        evaluating the cost effectiveness of projects intended to 
        mitigate the impacts of wildfire under sections 203 and 404 of 
        the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 5133; 5170c), including--
                    (A) the establishment of precalculated benefits 
                criterion for common defensible space mitigation 
                projects for wildfire mitigation;
                    (B) the use of nature-based infrastructure in 
                wildfire mitigation;
                    (C) considerations for vegetation management for 
                wildfire mitigation;
                    (D) reducing the negative effects of wildfire smoke 
                on public health; and
                    (E) lessening the impact of wildfires on water 
                infrastructure.
            (2) Updated criteria.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue such 
        guidance as is necessary to--
                    (A) update criteria for evaluating the cost 
                effectiveness of mitigation projects under sections 203 
                and 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
                Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5133; 5170c) based 
                on the results of the review conducted under paragraph 
                (1); and
                    (B) prioritize such projects based on the criteria 
                updated under subparagraph (A).

SEC. 403. THE WILDLAND DYNAMIC RISK MAPPING PROGRAM (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 118).

    (a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration shall work jointly with the National 
Aeronautical and Space Agency, United States Geological Survey, United 
States Fire Administration, universities, and National Laboratories 
to--
            (1) develop dynamic risk and hazard maps for the wildland 
        and built environments in the United States; and
            (2) ensure that such dynamic risk maps are updated as 
        required to reflect each wildfire season--
                    (A) changes in the natural environment, such as 
                postflood or fire alterations;
                    (B) rapidly changing environmental conditions;
                    (C) measure changes in fuels moisture on the 
                temporal scale; and
                    (D) utilize both remote sensing technologies and on 
                the ground monitoring.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to carry out this section $15,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

SEC. 404. IMPROVEMENTS TO GRANT PROGRAMS FOR COMMUNITY WILDFIRE RISK 
              REDUCTION AND POSTFIRE RECOVERY EFFORTS (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 142).

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall, with respect to the grant 
programs for community wildfire risk reduction and postfire recovery 
efforts carried out by each such Secretary--
            (1) increase the accessibility of such grant programs;
            (2) reduce the complexity of the application process for 
        grants under such programs, including--
                    (A) by reducing the amount of information required 
                to apply; and
                    (B) to the maximum extent practicable, enabling 
                auto-populating fields in the online applications for 
                such grants;
            (3) reduce administrative burden with respect to such grant 
        programs, including by--
                    (A) aligning program applications to reduce 
                separate applications for similar programs; and
                    (B) developing a common section for applications to 
                reduce duplicative questions;
            (4) review the statutory and administrative barriers that 
        impede the ability of communities to quickly access funds under 
        each such grant program;
            (5) increase technical assistance provided to applicants, 
        recipients, and subrecipients; and
            (6) increase outreach to potential applicants for such 
        grant programs, including by--
                    (A) providing appropriate dedicated staff to assist 
                individuals and communities in identifying and applying 
                for grants under such grant programs; and
                    (B) notifying potential applicants of eligibility 
                and open application seasons with respect to such grant 
                programs.
    (b) Secretaries Defined.--In this section, the term ``Secretaries'' 
means the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, 
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, the Administrator of 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration, and the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency.

SEC. 405. JOINT OFFICE OF THE FIRE ENVIRONMENT CENTER (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATIONS 104, 105, 106).

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than a 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National 
        Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall establish a joint 
        office, which shall be known as the ``Joint Office of the Fire 
        Environment Center''.
            (2) Structure.--The Joint Office shall be comprised of the 
        following branches:
                    (A) Technology and engineering.--Technology and 
                Engineering, which shall--
                            (i) focus on modeling and the building and 
                        testing of technology; and
                            (ii) may enter into public-private 
                        partnerships.
                    (B) Data services.--Data Services, which shall--
                            (i) be responsible for testing artificial 
                        intelligence and machine learning technologies 
                        to support managers, firefighters, and public 
                        health officials on the ground, including 
                        producing decision consequence data, modeling 
                        risk, and suggesting resources based on fire 
                        and smoke conditions at the time and place of 
                        ignition detection; and
                            (ii) working with State, local, and Tribal 
                        entities on data sharing.
                    (C) Analysis and prediction.--Analysis and 
                Prediction.
                    (D) Education and consultation.--Education and 
                Consultation, which shall be responsible for incident 
                management.
                    (E) Other.--Any other branch determined necessary 
                or appropriate by the Board.
    (b) Functions of Joint Office.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) Availability of products and information.--The 
                Joint Office shall make available any products and 
                information developed by the Joint Office to--
                            (i) geographic area coordination centers;
                            (ii) incident management teams;
                            (iii) land managers;
                            (iv) air quality and water provider 
                        agencies;
                            (v) State, local, and Tribal governments; 
                        and
                            (vi) public health agencies.
                    (B) Services and support.--The Joint Office shall 
                provide real-time, science-based, and data-rich 
                scientific and technical analytic services, decision 
                support, and predictive services to inform land and 
                fuels management, community risk reduction, and fire 
                management and response, including the following:
                            (i) Prefire mitigation and risk 
                        reduction.--Prefire mitigation and risk 
                        reduction activities for landscapes and 
                        communities, including through assessments and 
                        modeling of--
                                    (I) climate condition;
                                    (II) fuels;
                                    (III) home ignition;
                                    (IV) structure-to-structure spread; 
                                and
                                    (V) values at risk.
                            (ii) Public health and safety during and 
                        after fire.--Activities that better protect 
                        public health and safety during and after a 
                        fire, including mapping services and data 
                        provision to support evacuation decisions in 
                        communities at risk and air quality monitoring 
                        and forecast data to support health risk 
                        information that helps protect the public from 
                        smoke impacts associated with fire.
                            (iii) Fire response and management.--Fire 
                        response and management, including--
                                    (I) response preparedness and 
                                initial attack readiness for new fires;
                                    (II) deployment of response 
                                resources; and
                                    (III) firefighter movement 
                                decisions during active fire 
                                management.
                            (iv) Postfire activities.--Postfire 
                        activities, including--
                                    (I) vegetation recovery;
                                    (II) debris flows and flooding;
                                    (III) watershed protection; and
                                    (IV) ecosystem health.
                    (C) Coordination of functions.--The Administrator 
                of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
                in coordination with each of the agencies specified in 
                subparagraphs (B) through (J) of subsection (c)(1), 
                shall operate as a collective entity to produce 
                accessible products and services for a variety of users 
                and uses in fire management, including by--
                            (i) developing timely, manager-focused 
                        models, technologies, assessments, and 
                        forecasts to support fire operational 
                        decisionmaking, and short- and long-term fire 
                        planning; and
                            (ii) integrating the existing specialties 
                        of the constituent land management, community 
                        preparedness, and public health agencies.
            (2) Technological common operating environment.--
                    (A) In general.--The Joint Office shall develop a 
                technological common operating environment for 
                practitioners across the spectrum of risk mitigation, 
                prescribed fire, response, and postdisaster response to 
                shepherd the creation of highly dynamic decision 
                support tools.
                    (B) Public health information.--The Joint Office 
                shall ensure that public health information that is 
                essential to integrate into this common operating 
                environment is provided to ensure its products 
                accurately reflect the depth and breadth of the 
                wildfire issues. Information provided shall include air 
                quality data and forecasts and information pertaining 
                to the built environment.
    (c) Board of the Joint Office.--
            (1) Number and appointment.--The Joint Office shall be 
        governed by a board, comprised of 12 members, as follows:
                    (A) One member who is a career employee of the 
                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
                appointed by the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
                and Atmospheric Administration.
                    (B) One member who is a career employee of the 
                United States Fire Administration, appointed by the 
                Administrator of the United States Fire Administration.
                    (C) One member who is a career employee of the 
                Federal Emergency Management Agency, appointed by the 
                Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
                Agency.
                    (D) One member who is a career employee of the 
                National Weather Service, appointed by the Director of 
                the National Weather Service.
                    (E) One member who is a career employee of the 
                Forest Service, appointed by the Chief of the Forest 
                Service.
                    (F) One member who is a career employee of the 
                Department of the Interior, appointed by the Secretary 
                of the Interior.
                    (G) One member who is a career employee of the 
                Bureau of Land Management, appointed by the Director of 
                the Bureau of Land Management.
                    (H) One member who is a career employee of the 
                Bureau of Indian Affairs, appointed by the Director of 
                the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
                    (I) One member who is a career employee of the 
                National Park Service, appointed by the Director of the 
                National Park Service.
                    (J) One member who is a career employee of the 
                United States Fish and Wildlife Service, appointed by 
                the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
                Service.
                    (K) Two members who are non-Federal representatives 
                of the wildfire community, appointed by the Board. 
                There initial terms can be 1 year each.
            (2) Terms.--
                    (A) In general.--Each member shall be appointed for 
                a term of 5 years, except as provided in paragraphs (2) 
                and (3).
                    (B) Terms of initial appointees.--Of the members 
                first appointed--
                            (i) the members appointed under 
                        subparagraphs (I), (J), and (K) of paragraph 
                        (1) shall be appointed for terms of 1 year;
                            (ii) the members appointed under 
                        subparagraphs (D) and (G) of paragraph (1) 
                        shall be appointed for terms of 2 years;
                            (iii) the members appointed under 
                        subparagraphs (F) and (H) of paragraph (1) 
                        shall be appointed for terms of 3 years; and
                            (iv) the members appointed under 
                        subparagraphs (C) and (E) of paragraph (1) 
                        shall be appointed for terms of 4 years.
                    (C) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a 
                vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
                which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be 
                appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member 
                may serve after the expiration of that member's term 
                until a successor has taken office. A vacancy in the 
                Board shall be filled in the manner in which the 
                original appointment was made.
            (3) Prohibition of compensation of federal employees.--
        Members of the Board who are career employees of the United 
        States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits 
        by reason of their service on the Board.
            (4) Travel expenses.--Each member shall receive travel 
        expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
            (5) Quorum.--7 members of the Board shall constitute a 
        quorum.
            (6) Chairperson; vice chairperson.--The Chairperson and 
        Vice Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the members 
        of the Board. The term of office of the Chairperson and Vice 
        Chairperson shall be 1 year.
            (7) Meetings.--The Board shall meet at least quarterly and 
        at a call of a majority of its members.
    (d) Director and Staff of Joint Office; Experts and Consultants.--
            (1) Director.--The Joint Office shall have a Director who 
        shall be appointed by the Board. To the extent or in the 
        amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Director 
        shall be paid at a rate of basic pay not to exceed the rate of 
        basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule. The budget 
        and decisionmaking authority for the Joint Office is vested in 
        the Director.
            (2) Chief information officer, chief financial officer, 
        chief technology officer, and chief operating officer.--With 
        the approval of the Board, the Director may appoint a Chief 
        Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology 
        Officer, and Chief Operating Officer.
            (3) Staff.--With the approval of the Board, the Director 
        may appoint at least 100 personnel and may appoint such 
        additional personnel as the Director considers appropriate.
            (4) Applicability of certain civil service laws.--The 
        Director and staff of the Joint Office shall be appointed 
        subject to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, 
        governing appointments in the competitive service, and shall be 
        paid in accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and 
        subchapter III of chapter 53 of that title relating to 
        classification and General Schedule pay rates.
            (5) Experts and consultants.--With the approval of the 
        Joint Office, the Director may procure temporary and 
        intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United 
        States Code, but at rates for individuals not to exceed the 
        daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate of basic pay under 
        the General Schedule.
            (6) Staff of federal agencies.--Upon request of the 
        Director, the head of any Federal department or agency may 
        detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of that 
        department or agency to the Joint Office to assist it in 
        carrying out its duties under this Act.
    (e) Contract Authority.--The Joint Office may contract with and 
compensate government and private agencies or persons for supplies and 
services.
    (f) Consultation.--In carrying out its functions under this 
section, the Joint Office is encouraged to consult with and share 
relevant data with the Environmental Protection Agency, the National 
Aeronautical and Space Agency, the United States Geological Survey, and 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    (g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following 
definitions shall apply:
            (1) Joint office.--The term ``Joint Office'' means the 
        Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center established under 
        subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board of the Joint 
        Office established by subsection (c).
            (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Joint Office required by subsection (d).
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration to carry out this section $150,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2025 through 2034.

SEC. 406. INTERAGENCY DATA COLLABORATION ENVIRONMENT (REPORT 
              RECOMMENDATION 107).

    (a) Expansion of Information System.--Not later than a 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United 
States Fire Administration shall expand the National Emergency Response 
Information System to include real-time information and analytics tools 
relating to prescribed fires as well as wildfires that do not impact 
structures and infrastructure. The expansion of this system shall be 
compatible with, and shared with, existing wildland fire information 
collection at the Fire Environment Center established under section 
405.
    (b) Wildfire Digital Data Center.--
            (1) Creation.--The Administrator of the United States Fire 
        Administration shall create a data center to be known as the 
        ``Wildfire Digital Data Center''. The Wildfire Digital Data 
        Center shall be a public, government, scientific research data 
        catalog and repository available to assist the wildfire 
        communities research and share data.
            (2) Data and modeling collaboration environment.--The 
        Wildfire Digital Data Center shall provide a data and modeling 
        collaboration environment for researchers across the wildfire 
        community to engage with data across agencies and disciplines.
            (3) Open access.--The Administrator shall ensure that the 
        Wildfire Digital Data Center is in compliance with the guidance 
        on public access policies as specified in the Memorandum from 
        the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive 
        Office of the President that was issued on August 25, 2022.
            (4) Information to be included in wildfire digital data 
        center repository.--The Wildfire Digital Data Center shall 
        include in its repository information on the following areas:
                    (A) Outcomes and impacts of wildfire and associated 
                management actions.
                    (B) Real-time data on new fire starts.
                    (C) The effectiveness of wildfire risk mitigation 
                measures.
                    (D) Public health research related to wildland fire 
                and fires in the built environment.
            (5) Information to be included on website.--The 
        Administrator of the United States Fire Administration shall 
        coordinate with the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
        the Chief of the Forest Service, to include on the publicly 
        accessible website of the Wildfire Digital Data Center--
                    (A) information on postwildfire impacts and State 
                and Federal programs and funding opportunities to 
                address such impacts;
                    (B) State and Federal best practices relating to 
                the short- and long-term mitigation of wildfire; and
                    (C) with respect to wildfire, information on 
                ecological recovery, assessment science, and State and 
                Federal emergency declaration processes.
            (6) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
        construed to affect the ownership of individual agencies over 
        their data sources.
    (c) Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable 
Requirement.--
            (1) Access requirement for u.s. department of the interior 
        library along with the national emergency training center 
        library and national forest service library.--Through the 
        Wildfire Digital Data Center, the U.S. Department of the 
        Interior Library along with the National Emergency Training 
        Center Library and National Forest Service Library shall 
        provide services to make federally funded wildland and 
        structural fire research data systems and data products 
        findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR).
            (2) The services required by subparagraph (A) shall be 
        integrated with the National Emergency Response Information 
        System of the United States Fire Administration to better 
        collect data and model the built environment.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2034.

SEC. 407. REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO PAYMENT TIMING FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS 
              ADDRESSING WILDFIRE DAMAGES (REPORT RECOMMENDATION 61).

    (a) Emergency Forest Restoration Program.--Section 407(b) of the 
Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2206) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``The'' and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--The''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Payments for emergency measures to address 
        wildfire.--In the case of an application for a payment by an 
        owner of nonindustrial private forest land who carries out 
        emergency measures to restore the land after the land is 
        damaged by a wildfire, if the Secretary approves such 
        application, the Secretary shall provide payment to such owner 
        not later than 90 days after the date on which the application 
        was submitted to the Secretary.''.
    (b) Emergency Watershed Program.--Section 403 of the Agricultural 
Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(c) Payments for Emergency Watershed Protection Measures To 
Address Wildfire Damage.--In the case of an application for a payment 
for emergency watershed protection measures addressing a sudden 
impairment of a watershed caused by a wildfire, if the Secretary 
approves such application, the Secretary shall provide such payment not 
later than 90 days after the date on which the application was 
submitted to the Secretary.''.
    (c) Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Programs.--
            (1) Direct loan program.--Section 306(a)(1) of the 
        Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
        1926(a)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
        ``If the Secretary approves an application for an essential 
        community facilities loan under this paragraph that is 
        submitted by an owner of nonindustrial private forest land (as 
        defined in section 407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978) 
        who carries out emergency measures (as defined in such section) 
        to restore the land after the land is damaged by a wildfire and 
        the Secretary approves the application, the Secretary shall 
        provide the loan to the owner within 90 days after date the 
        application is submitted.''
            (2) Grant program.--Section 306(a)(19) of such Act (7 
        U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following:
                    ``(C) Payments for emergency measures to address 
                wildfire.--If the Secretary approves an application for 
                a grant under this paragraph that is submitted by an 
                owner of nonindustrial private forest land (as defined 
                in section 407 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978) 
                who carries out emergency measures (as defined in such 
                section) to restore the land after the land is damaged 
                by a wildfire and the Secretary approves the 
                application, the Secretary shall provide the grant to 
                the owner within 90 days after date the application is 
                submitted.''.
    (d) Disaster Relief and Mitigation Programs.--The Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 
et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 203, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Assistance for Wildfire Mitigation.--If the President 
approves an application for financial assistance under this section to 
implement predisaster hazard mitigation measures related to the 
mitigation of wildfires, the President shall provide such assistance 
within 90 days after the date such application is submitted.'';
            (2) in section 404, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Assistance for Wildfire Mitigation.--If the President 
approves an application for hazard mitigation assistance under this 
section that is related to the mitigation of wildfires, the President 
shall provide such assistance within 90 days after the date such 
application is submitted.'';
            (3) in section 407(e), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Payments related to wildfire.--Notwithstanding the 
        requirements of paragraphs (1) and (2), if the President 
        approves an application for a grant under this section to 
        remove debris or wreckage resulting from a wildfire, such grant 
        shall be paid in full no later than the date that is 90 days 
        after the last day such wildfire occurred.''.
            (4) in section 408--
                    (A) by redesignating subsections (i) and (j) as 
                subsections (j) and (k), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (h) the 
                following:
    ``(i) Payments Related to Wildfire.--If the President approves an 
application for financial assistance under this section for necessary 
expenses or serious needs related to a wildfire, the President shall 
provide such assistance within 90 days after the last day such wildfire 
occurred.''.
    (e) Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Program.--The Small 
Business Administration Disaster Loan program under Section 7(b) of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating the second paragraph (16) (relating to 
        statute of limitations) as paragraph (17); and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (17) (as so redesignated), 
        the following new paragraph:
            ``(18) Emergency measures to address wildfire.--If the 
        Administrator approves an application for a loan under this 
        subsection that is submitted by an owner of nonindustrial 
        private forest land (as defined in section 407 of the 
        Agricultural Credit Act of 1978) who carries out emergency 
        measures (as defined in such section) to restore the land after 
        the land is damaged by a wildfire, the Administrator shall 
        ensure that such loan is disbursed not later than 90 days after 
        date of such approval.''.
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