Wildfire Recovery Act

The Wildfire Recovery Act aims to enhance federal support for fire management assistance by amending the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. A key provision establishes that the Federal share of eligible costs for such assistance will be not less than 75 percent , applying to funds appropriated after the bill's enactment. Furthermore, the bill mandates that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conduct a rulemaking process within three years. This rulemaking will develop criteria for recommending an increase in the federal cost share, specifically including a metric to assess the financial impact on state or local governments responding to fires. Finally, the legislation requires FEMA to update its grant policy under Section 420 of the Stafford Act. This update will ensure that the predeployment of domestic assets by state, local, and tribal governments can be eligible for reimbursement, aligning with assistance provided under major disaster and emergency declarations.