Wildfire Response and Readiness Act

The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act addresses comprehensive wildfire management through several key divisions, starting with Resilient Landscapes . This division establishes a National Prescribed Fire Program, mandating a 10 percent annual increase in prescribed fire acreage on federal lands and providing funding flexibility for these activities on both federal and non-federal lands. It also creates a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program, prioritizing large, cross-boundary projects in high-risk areas and the wildland-urban interface, while also enhancing human resources for prescribed fire through hazard pay, dedicated task forces, and pathways for veterans and formerly incarcerated individuals. The bill reauthorizes and amends existing landscape restoration programs, such as the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program and the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Program, to include post-wildfire recovery and invasive species management. It establishes a Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Program for lands under the Department of the Interior and an Emergency Forest Watershed Program for National Forest System lands. Crucially, the legislation expedites payment timing for various federal programs addressing wildfire damages and supports nursery and seed orchard infrastructure to aid reforestation efforts. A significant component of the Resilient Landscapes division is the implementation of a 10-Year National Wildfire Plan , which prioritizes landscape-scale forest restoration projects focusing on hazardous fuels reduction, prescribed fire, and protecting mature and old-growth forests. This plan emphasizes collaborative development, ecological integrity, and the use of youth and conservation corps. It also establishes an Ecosystem Restoration Grant Fund through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support community resilience and restoration projects. The Fire-Adapted Communities division focuses on protecting communities and improving wildfire response. It updates the definition and mapping of at-risk communities and amends the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program to allow for structure hardening, authorizing substantial additional funding for this purpose. The bill also streamlines grant application processes and enhances technical assistance for community wildfire risk reduction and post-fire recovery efforts. Improvements to FEMA programs are included, such as allowing the use of excess management funds for capacity building and updating criteria for mitigation cost-effectiveness, particularly for wildfire impacts. A new Individual Household Disaster Mitigation Program is established, offering grants to states and tribal governments for residential mitigation activities, with income limitations and incentives for insurance companies to recognize these efforts. The bill also mandates studies on shrubland wildfire mitigation and cross-boundary mitigation strategies. To enhance effective wildfire response and technology, the bill establishes a grant program for satellite wildfire monitoring and mandates standard operating procedures for fire suppression cost-share agreements. It creates a Wildfire Science and Technology Advisory Board to coordinate research and operationalization, and a Joint Office of the Fire Environment Center to provide real-time, science-based decision support and predictive services. An Interagency Data Collaboration Environment, including a Wildfire Digital Data Center, is also established to improve data sharing and research. The bill requires a Quadrennial Fire Review to assess challenges and develop strategic actions for wildland fire management, and a Wildland Dynamic Risk Mapping Program to provide updated risk and hazard maps. It also addresses wildfire smoke and public health by establishing a National Smoke Monitoring and Alert System , expanding smoke sensors, and creating a public county-resolution smoke alert system. A health risk assessment for worker exposure to wildfire smoke is mandated, along with the development of best practices for mitigation. Finally, the Agency Modernization and Firefighter Safety division focuses on workforce development and support. It establishes a Middle Fire Leaders Academy and a Wildfire Workforce Grant Program to provide education and training for wildfire emergency management. Civilian Conservation Centers are enhanced to offer specialized training programs, with recruitment goals for hiring graduates into wildland firefighting and related fields, including direct hire authority and a housing pilot program. The bill includes a pilot program to employ veterans in federal wildland firefighting activities. Most significantly, it provides extensive support for wildland firefighters under the Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Support subtitle. This includes special limitations on pay to increase take-home earnings, paid rest and recuperation leave, and comprehensive health provisions such as a Federal Wildland Firefighter Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Database and a robust mental health program with dedicated leave. Retirement benefits are enhanced by crediting past service, providing disability annuities for certain job-related illnesses, and including overtime pay as basic pay for retirement calculations. The bill also mandates pay parity for federal structural firefighters and annual pay adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index for all federal wildland firefighters. Additional benefits include hazardous duty pay, recruitment and retention bonuses, housing allowances, and a career transition program. A Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program is established to support next-of-kin of fallen or injured firefighters, and protections against reductions in force and facility closures are put in place for the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service.