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Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023

3/12/2024, 9:53 AM

Summary of Bill S 1715

Bill 118 s 1715, also known as the Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The purpose of this bill is to address the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires in the United States by providing additional resources and support for wildfire prevention, response, and recovery efforts.

The Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023 includes provisions for increased funding for wildfire management agencies, such as the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, to improve their ability to prevent and combat wildfires. This funding would be used for activities such as fuel reduction projects, prescribed burns, and the purchase of firefighting equipment.

Additionally, the bill includes measures to improve coordination between federal, state, and local agencies in responding to wildfires, as well as provisions for increasing public education and outreach on wildfire prevention and safety. The bill also includes provisions for providing assistance to communities affected by wildfires, including funding for rebuilding efforts and support for individuals who have lost their homes or livelihoods due to wildfires. Overall, the Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023 aims to address the growing threat of wildfires in the United States by providing the necessary resources and support to prevent, respond to, and recover from these natural disasters. It is currently being debated in Congress, with supporters arguing that it is necessary to protect communities and ecosystems from the devastating impacts of wildfires.

Congressional Summary of S 1715

Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023

This bill provides for programs and activities in support of forest restoration, wildfire mitigation, and energy resilience.

The Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall establish a pilot program under which it may enter into conservation finance agreements with public or private persons to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration and land management projects across the National Forest System.

The bill provides for an increased federal cost share for conservation finance projects that would primarily benefit one or more low-income communities and for which the nonfederal entities involved cannot meet a specified cost share requirement.

The Department of Energy shall establish a program to support critical facilities (e.g., hospitals), including by improving the energy resilience and power needs of critical facilities through the development and use of microgrids, renewable energy, energy efficiency, reduced electricity demand, and on-site storage.

The bill expands the weatherization assistance program to support the use of fire-resistant materials.

The bill directs USDA and the Department of the Interior to take actions to improve the detection and monitoring of wildfires.

USDA and Interior shall establish one or more centers in western states to train individuals in methods relevant to the mitigation of wildfire risk.

USDA shall establish a competitive grant program to support workforce development in forestry and fire management.

USDA may issue grants to increase community capacity for land stewardship activities.

Current Status of Bill S 1715

Bill S 1715 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since May 18, 2023. Bill S 1715 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the Senate on May 18, 2023.  Bill S 1715's most recent activity was Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. as of May 18, 2023

Bipartisan Support of Bill S 1715

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
1
Republican Sponsors
0
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
8
Democrat Cosponsors
6
Republican Cosponsors
2
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill S 1715

Primary Policy Focus

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Potential Impact Areas

- Advisory bodies
- Air quality
- Alternative and renewable resources
- Aquatic ecology
- Climate change and greenhouse gases
- Congressional oversight
- Correctional facilities and imprisonment
- Disaster relief and insurance
- Ecology
- Economic development
- Educational facilities and institutions
- Educational guidance
- Electric power generation and transmission
- Elementary and secondary education
- Employment and training programs
- Energy efficiency and conservation
- Energy storage, supplies, demand
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Environmental education
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Fires
- First responders and emergency personnel
- Forests, forestry, trees
- Government information and archives
- Health facilities and institutions
- Infrastructure development
- Land use and conservation
- Military facilities and property
- Poverty and welfare assistance
- Public contracts and procurement
- Public utilities and utility rates
- Public-private cooperation
- State and local government operations
- Technology transfer and commercialization
- Vocational and technical education
- Water use and supply

Alternate Title(s) of Bill S 1715

Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023
Wildfire Emergency Act of 2023
A bill to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to select and implement landscape-scale forest restoration projects, to assist communities in increasing their resilience to wildfire, and for other purposes.

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