[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H4253-H4255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           EMERGENCY WILDFIRE FIGHTING TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 2023

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3389) to require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 
through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the 
Interior to conduct an evaluation with respect to the use of the 
container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS), and for other purposes, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3389

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Wildfire Fighting 
     Technology Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. CONTAINER AERIAL FIREFIGHTING SYSTEM (CAFFS).

       (a) Evaluation.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and 
     the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
     National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency 
     Airtanker Board, shall jointly conduct an evaluation of the 
     container aerial firefighting system to assess the use of 
     such system to mitigate and suppress wildfires.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
     Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the National 
     Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency Airtanker 
     Board, shall jointly submit to the appropriate committees a 
     report that includes the results of the evaluation required 
     under subsection (a).
       (c) Appropriate Committees Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``appropriate committees'' means--
       (1) the Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources of 
     the House of Representatives; and
       (2) the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
     and Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arkansas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H.R. 3389, the bill now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Arkansas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Congressman Valadao's bill, the 
Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023.

[[Page H4254]]

  This legislation, rightly named, has the potential to provide another 
tool in the toolbox for addressing the catastrophic wildfire crisis. 
Americans have tragically grown accustomed to increasingly severe 
wildfire years that are lasting longer and producing more destruction 
than ever before. This summer, devastating wildfires impacted the 
community of Lahaina on the island of Maui, devastation I saw firsthand 
along with several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
  Unfortunately, the reality is that decades of inadequate forest 
management have created an unprecedented forest health crisis. Across 
the U.S., there are now 1 billion acres of at-risk land for wildfire. 
In the absence of dramatic change, the future outlook remains bleak.
  When it comes to fighting these out-of-control infernos, we simply 
don't have the luxury of ignoring potential new technologies that could 
improve the cost efficiency or effectiveness of suppressing fires.
  It is critical that wildland firefighting agencies have all tools and 
methods available to them to fight fires and protect lives and 
property. Aircraft and helicopters provide lifesaving support to ground 
crews, often by delivering water or fire retardant. In order to drop 
water or fire retardant from a plane or helicopter, the aircraft must 
be designed or retrofitted for such purposes, limiting the number of 
aircraft that are available.
  Mr. Valadao has worked with various stakeholders who have developed 
and improved a container aerial firefighting system to drop water and 
fire retardant from aircraft via disposable containers. This technology 
could decrease the response time to wildfires by increasing the number 
of aircraft available, thus saving more lives and more structures. This 
technology is not new. However, the system has not been recently 
studied by the wildland firefighting agencies.
  H.R. 3389 would require the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the 
Interior to conduct an evaluation on the use of container aerial 
firefighting systems in response to wildfires. The evaluation will 
focus on effectiveness, cost, ease of delivery, and safety.
  Directing our wildfire fighting agencies to study new and emerging 
technology is a win for the wildland firefighting crews and a win for 
those who live in fire-prone areas.
  I applaud Congressman Valadao for his leadership on this important 
topic. He is a leader on bipartisan solutions that meaningfully improve 
forest health and reduce wildfires.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my 
time.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                     Committee on Agriculture,

                                Washington, DC, September 5, 2023.
     Hon. Bruce Westerman,
     Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual 
     understanding regarding H.R. 3389, the ``Emergency Wildfire 
     Fighting Technology Act of 2023''. Thank you for 
     collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the 
     matters within our jurisdiction.
       The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further 
     consideration of this bill. However, by foregoing 
     consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction 
     over any subject matter contained in this or similar 
     legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the 
     right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of 
     conferees should it become necessary and ask that you support 
     such a request.
       We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming 
     this understanding with respect to H.R. 3389 and request a 
     copy of our letters on this matter be published in the 
     Congressional Record during Floor consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                            Glenn ``GT'' Thompson,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                               Committee on Natural Resources,

                                Washington, DC, September 6, 2023.
     Hon. Glenn ``GT'' Thompson,
     Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I write regarding H.R. 3389, the 
     Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023, which was 
     ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources on 
     June 13, 2023.
       I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall 
     within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture and 
     appreciate your willingness to forgo action on the bill. I 
     acknowledge that the Committee on Agriculture will not 
     formally consider H.R. 3389 and agree that the inaction of 
     your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained therein.
       I am pleased to support your request to name members of the 
     Committee on Agriculture to any conference committee to 
     consider such provisions. I will ensure that our exchange of 
     letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor 
     consideration of the bill. I appreciate your cooperation 
     regarding this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Bruce Westerman,
                         Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3389, the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology 
Act, was introduced by my colleague, Representative Valadao of 
California.
  The bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the 
Department of the Interior, in coordination with the National 
Interagency Aviation Committee and Interagency Airtanker Board, to 
complete an evaluation of the container aerial fighting system to 
support wildland fire mitigation and suppression.
  In 2011, the Forest Service conducted a study and determined that 
this particular delivery system did not meet existing standards and 
posed safety risks to our communities and forests.
  However, there have been technological advancements in the decades 
since the initial report, and this bill aims to kick-start research 
that could promote the use of under-utilized technology.

                              {time}  1715

  The climate crisis is clearly increasing the severity and the 
duration of the wildfire season, so it is imperative that we 
continuously research and re-evaluate any emerging technology.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority for their willingness to work with 
us on amending the bill at markup. The updated text that we are 
considering today ensures that the Forest Service retains the 
decisionmaking authority with respect to the use of this particular 
tool.
  This is an important safeguard for the safety of wildland 
firefighters and the communities impacted by the wildfire crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Valadao), the lead sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to 
support my bill that will help combat severe wildfires and save lives. 
My home State of California has become all too familiar with 
devastating wildfires.
  In 2022, just over 20,000 wildfires burned approximately 5.8 million 
acres across the Western United States. These numbers represent 
people's homes, businesses, and livelihoods that have been destroyed or 
tragically lost.
  In my district, we deal with prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke, 
which settles in the central valley and results in some of the Nation's 
worst air quality.
  As these wildfires become more aggressive, we need to take concrete 
steps to combat wildfires, while also focusing on improving the long-
term management of our forests.
  The bill we are considering today will help deploy new technologies 
to combat widespread damage these fires cause to our communities, our 
health, and our environment.
  The Wildfire Fighting Technology Act would dramatically increase the 
number of airlift assets available in wildfire emergencies. We should 
be using every tool available to fight these fires.
  Containerized Aerial Firefighting Systems, or CAFFS, are airdrop-
capable disposable containers for water or fire retardant, which can be 
dropped from much higher altitudes with less visibility.
  Current aerial firefighting operations depend on single-mission 
aircraft, but CAFFS can be used by any standard cargo plane. The use of 
CAFFS provides more coverage for firefighters on the ground and allows 
teams to quickly respond to prevent smaller fires from becoming 
uncontrollable.
  These systems are being used in other countries, but not here in the 
U.S. We have the technology that we can and should use to stop the 
devastation of these fires.
  The dangers and long-term impacts of wildfires are clear.

[[Page H4255]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the passage of the 
Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act to combat and contain these 
fires in a quicker and more efficient way.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I again thank Mr. Valadao for bringing 
this important piece of legislation. I thank the ranking member and the 
minority for their support on this bill.
  Again, we must provide all necessary tools for the wildland 
firefighting agencies so that they can combat this wildfire crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Westerman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3389, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________