[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 165 (Thursday, November 17, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PRESCRIBED BURN APPROVAL ACT OF 2016

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 3395 and the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3395) to require limitations on prescribed 
     burns.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill 
be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be 
considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3395) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 3395

       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 ``Prescribed Burn Approval Act 
     of 2016''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) National fire danger rating system.--The term 
     ``national fire danger rating system'' means the national 
     system used to provide a measure of fire danger according to 
     a range of low to moderate to high to very high to extreme.
       (2) Prescribed burn.--The term ``prescribed burn'' means a 
     planned fire intentionally ignited.
       (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest 
     Service.

     SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON PRESCRIBED BURNS.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the 
     Secretary shall not authorize a prescribed burn on Forest 
     Service land if, for the county or contiguous county in which 
     the land is located, the national fire danger rating system 
     indicates an extreme fire danger level.
       (b) Exception.--The Secretary may authorize a prescribed 
     burn under a condition described in subsection (a) if the 
     Secretary coordinates with the applicable State government 
     and local fire officials.
       (c) Report.--At the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary 
     shall submit to Congress a report describing--
       (1) the number and locations of prescribed burns during 
     that fiscal year; and
       (2) each prescribed burn during that fiscal year that was 
     authorized by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (b).

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