Fire Department Repayment Act of 2025

This legislation aims to standardize and improve the efficiency of reciprocal fire suppression cost share agreements between federal agencies and local fire departments. It mandates that the Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, Homeland Security, and Defense establish standard operating procedures for payment timelines within one year of enactment. These procedures will also require the review and modification of all existing fire suppression cost share agreements to ensure compliance. The standard operating procedures must ensure that fire suppression cost share agreements are aligned with applicable cooperative fire protection agreements. Additionally, the bill stipulates that federal entities must promptly reimburse local fire departments upon the submission of an invoice in accordance with established cost settlement procedures. Congress expresses its sense that these repayments should occur as soon as practicable, ideally within one year of fire suppression activities.