[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7756-H7757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WILDFIRE RECOVERY ACT

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1066) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act to provide flexibility with the cost share for 
fire management assistance, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1066

       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 ``Wildfire Recovery Act''.

     SEC. 2. FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COST SHARE.

       (a) In General.--Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Federal Share.--The Federal share of assistance under 
     this section shall be not less than 75 percent of the 
     eligible cost of such assistance.''.
       (b) Applicability.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall only apply to amounts appropriated on or after the date 
     of enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 3. RULEMAKING.

       Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the President, acting through the Administrator of the 
     Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall conduct and 
     complete a rulemaking to provide criteria for the 
     circumstances under which the Administrator may recommend the 
     President increase the Federal cost share for section 420 of 
     the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187). Such criteria shall include 
     a threshold metric that assesses the financial impact to a 
     State or local government from responding to a fire for which 
     fire management assistance is being provided.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from Arkansas 
(Mr. Crawford) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                             General Leave

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1066, as amended.

[[Page H7757]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1066, the Wildfire Recovery 
Act, a bill introduced by Mr. Neguse from Colorado. This legislation 
will remove some of the financial burdens communities face after 
suppressing a wildfire.
  Wildfires are causing an unprecedented amount of damage to the 
natural and built environment. This bill will require the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency to cover at least 75 percent of the costs 
to suppress wildfires that qualify for a Fire Management Assistance 
Grant. Local officials have said that this fix would allow them to 
speed up the recovery process and invest more money in mitigation 
efforts.
  Rural communities that typically receive this type of grant 
assistance will benefit most from this legislation. Providing more 
Federal assistance in the wake of the worst fires will assist stretched 
local budgets.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the Wildfire Recovery Act ensures that communities 
affected by wildfire disasters are treated similarly as communities 
affected by other disasters.
  The bill provides parity by making a Federal cost share amount 
adjustable for Fire Management Assistance Grants, ensuring it is 
consistent with other FEMA assistance programs at 75 percent.
  H.R. 1066 also clarifies the ability for Fire Management Assistance 
Grants to help communities recover after wildfire disasters and rebuild 
their infrastructure.
  I thank my colleagues, including Mr. LaMalfa of California, who is a 
cosponsor, for their leadership on this legislation. I urge support of 
this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In closing, I urge support of this legislation, thank our colleagues 
for cosponsoring, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1066, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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