[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7095-S7096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FIRE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 550, S. 4654.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 4654) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
     Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow Indian tribal 
     governments to directly request fire management assistance 
     declarations and grants, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which was reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs with an amendment to strike all after the enacting 
clause and insert in lieu thereof the following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fire Management Assistance 
     Grants for Tribal Governments Act''.

     SEC. 2. INDIAN TRIBAL GOVERNMENT ELIGIBILITY.

       (a) In General.--Section 420 of the Robert T. Stafford 
     Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) 
     is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``, Indian tribal 
     government,'' before ``or local government'';
       (2) by redesignating subsections (b) through (e) as 
     subsections (c) through (f), respectively;
       (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
       ``(b) Procedure for Request.--The Governor of a State or 
     the Chief Executive of an Indian tribal government affected 
     by a fire described in subsection (a) may directly submit a 
     request to authorize assistance under this section.''; and
       (4) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(g) Savings Provision.--Nothing in this section shall 
     prohibit an Indian tribal government from receiving 
     assistance under this section pursuant to an authorization 
     made at the request of a State under subsection (b) if 
     assistance is not authorized under this section for the same 
     incident based on a request by the Indian tribal government 
     under subsection (b).''.
       (b) Regulations.--
       (1) Fire management assistance declaration defined.--In 
     this subsection, the term ``fire management assistance 
     declaration'' means a declaration approved under section 
     204.21(a) of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations.
       (2) Update.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the President shall issue regulations 
     updating part 204 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, 
     to carry out the amendments made by subsection (a).
       (3) Contents.--In issuing the regulations required under 
     paragraph (2), the President shall--
       (A) authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency to 
     directly receive a request for a fire management assistance 
     declaration from an Indian tribal government and directly 
     provide related grants and resources to Indian tribal 
     governments;
       (B) clarify that Indian tribal governments for which the 
     President does not grant a request described in subparagraph 
     (A) remain eligible to receive assistance under section 420 
     of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
     Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5187) through assistance granted 
     under a fire management assistance declaration made at the 
     request of a State;
       (C) consider the unique conditions that affect the general 
     welfare of Indian tribal governments; and
       (D) enter into government-to-government consultation with 
     Indian tribal governments regarding the regulations.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported 
substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be 
considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 4654), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

[[Page S7096]]

  

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