[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4075 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4075
To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administrator to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting,
detection, and local collaboration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 23, 2025
Mr. Crank (for himself, Mr. Begich, Ms. Rivas, and Mr. Hurd of
Colorado) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administrator to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting,
detection, and local collaboration, 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 ``Fire Weather Development Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. FIRE WEATHER FORECASTING AND DETECTION.
(a) Establishment.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, shall establish a program (in this Act
referred to as the ``Program'') to improve fire weather and fire
environment forecasting, detection, and delivery of products or
services through collaboration with Federal and State agencies or
departments, local emergency mangers, and relevant entities.
(b) Goals.--The goals of the Program shall be to develop and
improve accurate fire weather and fire environment forecasts and
warnings in order to reduce loss of life, reduce injuries, protect
property, and reduce damage to the economy from wildfires. The Program
shall seek to improve the assessment of fire weather and fire
environments, the understanding and prediction of wildfires, and the
communications regarding such assessments with State and local
emergency officials in a timely and streamlined fashion, with a focus
on improving the following:
(1) The prediction of ignition, intensification and spread
of wildfires.
(2) The observation and monitoring of fire weather and fire
environments.
(3) The forecast and communication of smoke dispersion from
wildfires.
(4) Information dissemination and risk communication to
develop more effective watch and warning products relating to
wildfires.
(5) The early detection of wildfires, including pre-
ignition analysis and ground condition characterizations.
(6) The development, testing, and deployment of novel tools
and techniques related to understanding, monitoring, and
predicting fire weather and fire environments.
(7) The unique characteristics, including observation or
modeling requirements, related to fires at the wildland-urban
interface.
(8) The forecasting and understanding of the impacts of
prescribed burns (as such term is defined in section 2 of the
Prescribed Burn Approval Act of 2016 (16 U.S.C. 551c-1 note)).
(c) Collaboration With Stakeholders.--In developing the Program
required under this section, the Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration shall solicit and take into
consideration input from the weather industry, such academic entities
as the Administrator considers appropriate, and other relevant
stakeholders.
(d) Activities.--To achieve the goals specified in subsection (b),
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration may conduct research, development, testing,
demonstration, and operational transition activities related to fire
weather and fire environments, including regarding the following:
(1) Tools and services to inform, support, and complement
active land management, local emergency personnel, the United
States Forest Service, and State, local, and Tribal entities
during their response and mitigation efforts.
(2) Sensing technologies, such as infrared, microwave, and
active sensors suitable for potential deployment on spacecraft,
aircraft, and unmanned aircraft systems, to improve the
monitoring and forecasting of fire fuel and active wildfires,
wildfire behavior models and forecasts, mapping efforts, and
the prediction of wildfires and the impacts of such.
(3) Grid-based assessments and outlooks of fuel moisture
and danger levels.
(4) Social and behavior sciences related to fire weather
and fire environment warning products.
(5) Advanced satellite detection products coupled with
atmosphere and fire weather modeling systems.
(6) Education and training to expand the number of students
and researchers in areas of study and research related to
wildfires, fire weather, and fire environments.
(7) Modeling systems to link long-term climate predictions
to localized or general land management decisions.
(8) Communication and outreach to communities, energy
utilities, owners and operators of critical infrastructure, and
other relevant stakeholders regarding fire weather and fire
environment risk.
(9) Stewardship and dissemination, to the extent
practicable, of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
scientific data and related products and services in formats
meeting shared standards to enhance the interoperability,
usability, and accessibility of such data in order to better
meet the needs of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, other Federal agencies, and relevant
stakeholders.
(10) Improvement of spatial and temporal resolution
observations.
(11) Any other topic or activity the Administrator
determines relevant.
(e) Novel Tools for Monitoring and Prediction.--The Administrator
of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation
with the heads of the agencies specified in section 3, or other
appropriate stakeholders, including commercial partners, shall develop
novel tools and technologies to support the activities of the Program
and which may be applied to broader wildland fire research, monitoring,
and mitigation activities, as practicable and appropriate.
(f) Extramural Research.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration shall collaborate with and support the
non-Federal wildland fire research community, which includes
institutions of higher education, private sector entities,
nongovernmental organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, by
making funds available through competitive grants, contracts, and
cooperative agreements.
(g) Commercial Data.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in consultation with
the heads of other Federal agencies and relevant stakeholders,
may enter into contracts with one or more private sector
entities to obtain additional airborne and space-based data and
observations that may enhance or supplement the understanding,
monitoring, and prediction, of fire weather and fire
environments, and the relevant Program activities under this
section.
(2) Consultation.--In carrying out activities under
paragraph (1), the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration shall consult with private sector
entities through the National Advisory Committee on Wildfires
under section 4 to identify needed tools and data that can be
best provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration satellites and are most beneficial to wildfire
and smoke detection and monitoring.
(h) Nonduplication.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
shall consult with the National Interagency Fire Center, including the
Joint Fire Science Program, to avoid duplication of activities under
this section and ensure the Administration's focus on unique research
activities best suited for transition to operations.
(i) Unmanned Aircraft Systems.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration shall--
(A) assess the role and potential benefits of
unmanned aircraft systems to improve data collection in
support of fire weather and fire environment modeling,
meteorological observations, predictions, and
forecasts;
(B) identify objectives for testing such systems'
use for obtaining fire weather and fire environment
observations, and other relevant activities; and
(C) transition unmanned aircraft systems
technologies from research to operations as the
Administrator considers appropriate.
(2) Briefing.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
enactment of the Act, the Administrator of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration shall brief the appropriate
committees of Congress on the activities under paragraph (1).
(3) Pilot programs.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may conduct
pilot programs of unmanned aircraft systems for fire weather
and fire environment observations, including relating to the
following:
(A) Testing of unmanned aircraft systems in
approximations of real-world scenarios.
(B) Assessment of the utility of meteorological
data collected from fire response and assessment
aircraft.
(C) Input into appropriate models of collected data
to predict fire behavior, including coupled atmosphere
and fire models.
(D) Collection of best management practices for
deployment of unmanned aircraft systems for fire
weather and fire environment observations.
(4) Prohibition.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided under
subparagraphs (B) and (C), the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may not
procure any unmanned aircraft system that is
manufactured or assembled by an entity in a foreign
country of concern.
(B) Exemption.--The prohibition under subparagraph
(A) shall not apply to the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration if the
Administrator determines, in consultation with the
Secretary of Homeland Security, that the procurement of
an unmanned aircraft system is necessary for the sole
purpose of marine or atmospheric science or management.
(C) Waiver.--The Administrator of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may waive the
prohibition under subparagraph (A) on a case-by-case
basis--
(i) with the approval of the Secretary of
Homeland Security; and
(ii) upon written or electronic
notification to appropriate committees of
Congress not later than 30 days after any such
waiver.
(5) Airspace operations system.--The Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in cooperation
with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, shall utilize the capabilities of unmanned
aircraft systems as appropriate for fire weather and fire
environment observations, and may use a wildfire airspace
operations system that accounts for piloted aircraft, unmanned
aircraft systems, and other new and emerging capabilities after
such airspace operations system is developed and determined
ready for operational use by the Administrator of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration.
(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to carry out
this subsection.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Homeland
Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
(2) Critical infrastructure.--The term ``critical
infrastructure'' has the meaning given such term in section
1016(e) of Public Law 107-56 (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e)).
(3) Foreign country of concern.--The term ``foreign country
of concern'' has the meaning given such term in section 9901 of
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 4651).
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(5) Unmanned aircraft system.--The term ``unmanned aircraft
system'' has the meaning given such term in section 44801 of
title 49, United States Code.
(6) Weather industry.--The term ``weather industry'' has
the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Weather
Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C.
8501).
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON WILDFIRES.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall establish an interagency coordinating committee
to be known as the ``Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires''
(in this section referred to as the ``Committee''). The chair of the
Committee shall be the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
(b) Purpose.--The Committee shall coordinate the development of
accurate and timely wildfire forecasting, detection, monitoring, and
delivery of related products or services that best assist State and
local emergency officials while avoiding duplication of activities.
(c) Membership.--In addition to the chair, the Committee shall be
composed of the heads or appropriate designees of the following program
agencies:
(1) The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(2) The United States Fire Administration.
(3) The United States Forest Service.
(4) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
(5) The Department of the Interior.
(6) The Department of Agriculture.
(7) The United States Geological Survey.
(8) The Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(9) Any other Federal department or agency the Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy considers
appropriate.
(d) Strategic Plan.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Committee shall submit to Congress a
strategic plan for the Program that includes the following:
(1) A description of short-term, mid-term, and long-term
objectives to achieve the purpose specified in subsection (b).
(2) A description of how agencies specified in subsection
(c) will collaborate with stakeholders and take into account
stakeholder needs and recommendations in developing such
objectives.
(3) A description of existing and new observational and
data infrastructure needed to accomplish such objectives.
(4) A description of the role of each such agency in
achieving such objectives.
(5) Guidance regarding how the Committee's recommendations
are best used in planning for Federal, State, local, Tribal,
and territorial entities.
(e) Interagency Agreements.--The heads of agencies specified in
subsection (c) may enter into one or more interagency agreements
providing for cooperation and collaboration in the development of
wildfire forecasting, detection, and monitoring tools, instruments,
technologies, and research to accomplish the purpose described in
subsection (b).
(f) Collaboration.--The head of each agency specified in subsection
(c) shall, to the extent practicable, increase engagement and
cooperation with international, academic, State, and local communities
regarding the infrastructure, data, and scientific research necessary
to best advance the forecasting, detection, and monitoring of and
preparation for wildfires.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WILDFIRES.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the
submission of the strategic plan required by section 3(d), the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall
establish a national advisory committee to be known as the
``National Advisory Committee on Wildfires'' (in this section
referred to as the ``Advisory Committee''). The Advisory
Committee shall consist of not fewer than seven and not more
than 15 members who are qualified to provide advice regarding
wildfire forecasting, detection, monitoring, and delivery of
related products or services, including from the following
entities:
(A) Research and academic institutions.
(B) Public communication or broadcast entities.
(C) Emergency management agencies.
(D) State, local, or Tribal governments.
(E) The National Association of State Foresters.
(F) Business communities.
(G) Other entities as designated by the Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
(2) Prohibition.--Members of the Advisory Committee may not
be employees of the Federal Government.
(b) Assessment.--The Advisory Committee shall offer assessments and
recommendations relating to the following:
(1) Tailored forecasting, detection, and monitoring
products and tools.
(2) Communication and delivery methods of wildfire
forecasting, detection, and monitoring information.
(3) Opportunities to streamline Federal forecasting,
monitoring, and detection information to local emergency
personnel and communities.
(4) The management, coordination, implementation, and
activities of the Interagency Coordinating Committee on
Wildfires under section 3.
(5) The effectiveness of the Interagency Coordinating
Committee on Wildfires in meeting its purposes.
(c) Compensation.--Members of the Advisory Committee shall serve
without compensation.
(d) Reports.--Not less frequently than biennially, the Advisory
Committee shall report to the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy on the assessments carried out under subsection (b)
and its recommendations for ways to improve the coordination and
dissemination of wildfire forecasts, warnings, and detection and
monitoring information.
(e) Charter.--Notwithstanding section 1013(b)(2) of title 5, United
States Code, the Advisory Committee shall not be required to file a
charter subsequent to its initial charter, filed under section 1008(c)
of such title, before the termination date specified in subsection (f)
of this section.
(f) Termination.--The Advisory Committee shall terminate on
September 30, 2029.
(g) Conflict of Interest.--An Advisory Committee member shall
recuse himself or herself from any Advisory Committee activity in which
he or she has an actual pecuniary interest.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF FIRE WEATHER TESTBED.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration shall establish a fire weather testbed to
enable engagement across the Federal Government, State and local
governments, academia, private and federally funded research
laboratories, the private sector, and end-users in order to evaluate
the accuracy and usability of technology, models, fire weather products
and services, and other research to accelerate the implementation,
transition to operations, and use of new capabilities by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal and land management
agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
(b) Resources.--In carrying out this section, the Administrator of
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may not transfer or
reprogram any funds, detail any personnel, or make use of any
infrastructure from cooperative institutes of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration in existence as of the date of the enactment
of this Act for the fire weather testbed established under subsection
(a).
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029 to
carry out this section.
SEC. 6. INCIDENT METEOROLOGIST WORKFORCE.
(a) Workforce and Training Assessment.--Not later than six months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate the results of an assessment of National
Weather Service workforce and training challenges for Incident
Meteorologists, and a roadmap for overcoming such challenges. Such
assessment shall take into consideration information technology
support, logistical and administrative operations, anticipated weather
and climate conditions, and feedback from relevant stakeholders, and
shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, an identification by
the National Weather Service of the following:
(1) The expected number of Incident Meteorologists needed
over the next five years.
(2) Potential hiring authorities necessary to overcome any
identified workforce and training challenges.
(3) Alternative services or assistance options the National
Weather Service could provide to meet operational needs.
(b) Overtime Pay.--
(1) In general.--Any premium pay for services performed by
Incident Meteorologists of the National Weather Service that
are determined by the Secretary of Commerce to be primarily
related to emergency wildland fire suppression activities shall
be disregarded in calculating the aggregate of such employee's
basic pay and premium pay for purposes of a limitation under
section 5547 of title 5, United States Code, or under any other
provision of law.
(2) Rates.--Section 5542(a)(5) of title 5, United States
Code, is amended by inserting ``, the National Weather
Service,'' after ``Interior''.
SEC. 7. RESEARCH ON WILDLAND FIRE COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION
DISSEMINATION.
(a) In General.--
(1) Public safety research.--Not later than 60 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director, acting
through the head of the Public Safety and Communications
Research Division and in consultation with the Fire Research
Division and technology manufacturers, shall carry out research
on the following:
(A) Public safety communication coordination
standards among Federal, State, Tribal, and local
wildland firefighters, fire management response
officials, and member agencies.
(B) Improving and integrating existing
communications systems to transmit secure real-time
data, alerts, and advisories to and from fire
management response officials and wildland
firefighters.
(2) Field testing and measurement of information
dissemination and technology.--The Public Safety and
Communications Research Division, in consultation with the Fire
Research Division and member agencies, shall conduct both live
and virtual field testing of equipment, software, and other
technologies to determine current times of information
dissemination and develop standards for the delivery of useful
and secure real-time data among member agencies, fire
management response officials, and wildland firefighters, based
on findings from research under paragraph (1).
(b) Recommendations.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall develop and publish
recommendations to improve public safety communication
coordination standards among wildland first responders and fire
management response officials.
(2) Transmittal.--The Director shall transmit the
recommendations under paragraph (1) to the Office of Management
and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy for
member agencies to implement.
(3) Reporting requirements.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report
containing the recommendations published under
paragraph (1).
(B) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of the publication of the Director's
recommendations under paragraph (1), the Comptroller
General of the United States shall submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on
the extent to which member agencies have implemented
such recommendations.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(2) Member agency.--The term ``member agency'' means a
member agency of the National Interagency Fire Center,
including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land
Management, National Park Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Forest Service, United States Fire Administration, and the
Department of Defense.
(3) Wildland firefighter.--The term ``wildland
firefighter'' means any person who participates in wildland
firefighting activities.
(4) Fire management response officials.--The term ``fire
management response officials'' means regional fire directors,
deputy regional fire directors, agency officials who directly
oversee fire operations, fire management officers, and
individuals serving on incident management teams.
(5) Technology manufacturers.--The term ``technology
manufacturers'' means private sector entities that manufacture
communications technologies used by Federal, State, Tribal, or
local wildland fire authorities.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Fire environment.--The term ``fire environment''
means--
(A) the environmental conditions, such as soil
moisture, vegetation, topography, snowpack, atmospheric
temperature, moisture, and wind, that influence--
(i) fuel and fire behavior; and
(ii) smoke dispersion and transport; and
(B) the associated environmental impacts occurring
during and after fire events.
(2) Fire weather.--The term ``fire weather'' means the
weather conditions that influence the start, spread, character,
or behavior of wildfires or fires at the wildland-urban
interface and relevant meteorological and chemical phenomena,
including air quality, smoke, and meteorological parameters
such as relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed and
direction, and atmospheric composition and chemistry, including
emissions and mixing heights.
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