H. R. 3922 (Reported-in-House)

SEC. 2. Definitions.

In this Act:

(1) COVERED AGENCY.—The term “covered agency” means—

(A) each Federal land management agency (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. 6801));

(B) the Natural Resources Conservation Service;

(D) the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

(E) the United States Fire Administration;

(F) States;

(G) Indian Tribes; and

(H) local governments.

(2) COVERED AUTHORITY.—The term “covered authority” means—

(A) the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.);

(B) the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.);

(D) the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.);

(E) the collaborative forest landscape restoration program under section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303); and

(F) any other statutory authority that facilitates cross-boundary wildfire mitigation or forest health improvement activities, as determined by the Comptroller General of the United States.

SEC. 3. 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 (including changes to existing statutory definitions) identified pursuant to paragraph (1) would—

(A) allow a covered agency increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires or improve forest health; and

(B) enable better community protection and prevent the loss of structures due to wildfire; and

(3) the activities carried out pursuant to a covered authority, including—

(A) how to improve the efficacy of such activities with respect to mitigating wildfire; and

(B) whether the enactment of such covered authority has increased capacity or access to funding to mitigate wildfires for a covered agency.

(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 and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of 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.