118 HR 9703 IH: Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act U.S. House of Representatives 2024-09-19 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.

I118th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 9703IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESSeptember 19, 2024Mr. Neguse (for himself, Mrs. Kim of California, Mr. Harder of California, and Mr. Molinaro) 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 concernedA BILLTo direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on existing programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act.

2.

Study on wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries

(a)

Study required

The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on—(1)the existing Federal programs, rules, and authorities that enable or inhibit wildfire mitigation from being completed across land ownership boundaries on Federal and non-Federal land;(2)whether changes to any program, rule, or authority identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would allow Federal land management agencies (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801)), the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Fire Administration, States, local governments, and Tribal governments increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires; and(3)the activities carried out pursuant to subsection (e) of section 103 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6513), including—(A)how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and(B)whether the enactment of such subsection has increased the access of Federal land management agencies and States to funding to mitigate wildfires.(b)

Report

Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the Senate a report that contains—(1)the results of the study required under subsection (a); and(2)recommendations to simplify cross-boundary wildfire mitigation between Federal land management agencies and State, local, and Tribal governments.