[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 8, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S2480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AERIAL FIREFIGHTING ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2025

  Ms. LUMMIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Armed 
Services Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 160, 
and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 160) to amend the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft 
     Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale by the 
     Department of Defense of aircraft and parts for wildfire 
     suppression purposes, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Ms. LUMMIS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Sheehy 
amendment at the desk be considered and 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 amendment (No. 2223) was agreed to, as follows:

 (Purpose: To modify the period for exercise of authority for the sale 
    by the Department of Defense of aircraft and parts for wildfire 
                         suppression purposes)

       On page 3, line 3, strike ``October 1, 2025,'' and insert 
     ``the date of the enactment of the Aerial Firefighting 
     Enhancement Act of 2025''.
  The bill (S. 160), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                 S. 160

       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 ``Aerial Firefighting 
     Enhancement Act of 2025''.

     SEC. 2. MODIFICATION AND REAUTHORIZATION OF AUTHORITY FOR 
                   SALE BY DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OF AIRCRAFT AND 
                   PARTS FOR WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION PURPOSES.

       Section 2 of the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act 
     of 1996 (Public Law 104-307; 10 U.S.C. 2576 note) is 
     amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) by striking ``a period'' and inserting ``the period''; 
     and
       (B) by inserting ``or water'' after ``fire retardant'';
       (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``sold under subsection 
     (a)'' and all that follows through the period at the end and 
     inserting ``sold under subsection (a) may be used only for 
     the provision of aircraft services for wildfire suppression 
     purposes.'';
       (3) in subsection (c), by inserting ``or water'' after 
     ``fire retardant'';
       (4) in subsection (d)(1), in the second sentence, by 
     striking ``subsection (a)(1)'' and inserting ``subsection 
     (g)''; and
       (5) by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following:
       ``(g) Period for Exercise of Authority.--The period 
     specified in this subsection is the period beginning on the 
     date of the enactment of the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement 
     Act of 2025 and ending on October 1, 2035.''.

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