[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 116 (Thursday, July 23, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5553-S5554]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2320. Mr. WYDEN (for himself and Mr. Crapo) submitted an amendment
intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 22, to amend the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt employees with health coverage
under TRICARE or the Veterans Administration from being taken into
account for purposes of determining the employers to which the employer
mandate applies under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act;
which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of division F, add the following:
SEC. 6_____. WILDFIRE DISASTER FUNDING.
(a) Disaster Funding.--Section 251(b)(2)(D) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C.
901(b)(2)(D)) is amended--
(1) in clause (i)--
(A) in subclause (I), by striking ``and'' at the end and
inserting ``plus'';
(B) in subclause (II), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; less''; and
(C) by adding the following:
``(III) the additional new budget authority provided in an
appropriation Act for wildfire suppression operations
pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding fiscal
year.''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) Beginning in fiscal year 2018, and for each fiscal
year thereafter, the calculation of the `average funding
provided for disaster relief over the previous 10 years'
shall include, for each year within that average, the
additional new budget authority provided in an appropriation
Act for wildfire suppression
[[Page S5554]]
operations pursuant to subparagraph (E) for the preceding
fiscal year.''.
(b) Wildfire Suppression.--Section 251(b)(2) of the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2
U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(E) Wildfire suppression.--
``(i) Definitions.--In this subparagraph:
``(I) Additional new budget authority.--The term
`additional new budget authority' means the amount provided
for a fiscal year in an appropriation Act that is--
``(aa) in excess of 100 percent of the average costs for
wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years;
and
``(bb) specified to pay for the costs of wildfire
suppression operations.
``(II) Wildfire suppression operations.--The term `wildfire
suppression operations' means the emergency and unpredictable
aspects of wildland firefighting, including--
``(aa) support, response, and emergency stabilization
activities;
``(bb) other emergency management activities; and
``(cc) the funds necessary to repay any transfers needed
for the costs of wildfire suppression operations.
``(ii) Additional new budget authority.--If a bill or joint
resolution making appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted
that specifies an amount for wildfire suppression operations
in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at the Department of
Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, then the
adjustments for that fiscal year shall be the amount of
additional new budget authority provided in that Act for
wildfire suppression operations for that fiscal year, but
shall not exceed--
``(I) for fiscal year 2016, $1,460,000,000 in additional
new budget authority;
``(II) for fiscal year 2017, $1,557,000,000 in additional
new budget authority;
``(III) for fiscal year 2018, $1,778,000,000 in additional
new budget authority;
``(IV) for fiscal year 2019, $2,030,000,000 in additional
new budget authority;
``(V) for fiscal year 2020, $2,319,000,000 in additional
new budget authority; and
``(VI) for fiscal year 2021, $2,650,000,000 in additional
new budget authority.
``(iii) Average cost calculation.--The average costs for
wildfire suppression operations over the previous 10 years
shall be calculated annually and reported in the budget of
the President submitted under section 1105(a) of title 31,
United States Code, for each fiscal year.''.
(c) Reporting Requirements.--
(1) Supplemental appropriations.--If the Secretary of the
Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determines that
supplemental appropriations are necessary for a fiscal year
for wildfire suppression operations, a request for the
supplemental appropriations shall promptly be submitted to
Congress.
(2) Notice of need for additional funds.--Prior to the
obligation of any of the additional new budget authority for
wildfire suppression operations specified for purposes of
section 251(b)(2)(E)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency
Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(E)(ii)), the
Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as
applicable, shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations
and the Budget of the House of Representatives and the
Committees on Appropriations and the Budget of the Senate
written notification that describes--
(A) that the amount for wildfire suppression operations to
meet the terms of section 251(b)(2)(E) of that Act for that
fiscal year will be exhausted imminently; and
(B) the need for additional new budget authority for
wildfire suppression operations.
(3) Accounting, reports and accountability.--
(A) Accounting and reporting requirements.--For each fiscal
year, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of
Agriculture shall account for and report on the amounts used
from the additional new budget authority for wildfire
suppression operations provided to the Secretary of the
Interior or Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, in an
appropriations Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(E)(ii) of
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985
(2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)(E)(ii)).
(B) Annual report.--
(i) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the end of
the fiscal year for which additional new budget authority is
used, pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(E)(ii) of the Balanced
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C.
901(b)(2)(E)(ii)), the Secretary of the Interior or the
Secretary of Agriculture, as applicable, shall--
(I) prepare an annual report with respect to the additional
new budget authority;
(II) submit to the Committees on Appropriations, the
Budget, and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives
and the Committees on Appropriations, the Budget, and Energy
and Natural Resources of the Senate the annual report
prepared under subclause (I); and
(III) make the report prepared under subclause (I)
available to the public.
(ii) Components.--The annual report prepared under clause
(i) shall--
(I) document risk-based factors that influenced management
decisions with respect to wildfire suppression operations;
(II) analyze a statistically significant sample of large
fires, including an analysis for each fire of--
(aa) cost drivers;
(bb) the effectiveness of risk management techniques and
whether fire operations strategy tracked the risk assessment;
(cc) any resulting ecological or other benefits to the
landscape;
(dd) the impact of investments in wildfire suppression
operations preparedness;
(ee) effectiveness of wildfire suppression operations,
including an analysis of resources lost versus dollars
invested;
(ff) effectiveness of any fuel treatments on fire behavior
and suppression expenditures;
(gg) suggested corrective actions; and
(hh) any other factors the Secretary of the Interior or
Secretary of Agriculture determines to be appropriate;
(III) include an accounting of overall fire management and
spending by the Department of the Interior or the Department
of Agriculture, which shall be analyzed by fire size, cost,
regional location, and other factors;
(IV) describe any lessons learned in the conduct of
wildfire suppression operations; and
(V) include any other elements that the Secretary of the
Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture determines to be
necessary.
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