ACERO Act

The Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations Act, or ACERO Act, mandates the Administrator of NASA to leverage the agency's Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project. The primary goal is to conduct research and development activities aimed at significantly improving aerial responses to wildfires . These activities are designed to address critical areas such as advanced aircraft technologies, airspace management for deconfliction and coordination of aerial assets, and the establishment of an interoperable platform for real-time data exchange and situational awareness among wildfire response teams. The bill also emphasizes the importance of establishing a multi-agency concept of operations , encouraging collaboration with Federal, State, and local government agencies, as well as commercial and academic partners, while avoiding duplication of efforts. A key provision includes a prohibition on procuring unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) from covered foreign entities, though a waiver is possible if determined to be in the national interest for improving wildfire response. Furthermore, the Administrator is required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing activities, assessing effectiveness, and identifying areas for further research, with an authorization of appropriations for $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.